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Col. Jack Pitchford, 82, a retired Air Force fighter pilot from Mississippi who survived seven years in the Vietnamese prison camp known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” died Wednesday after battling a brain tumor, said his brother, Jim.
The Natchez, Miss., native was shot down in 1965 and taken to the Hoa Lo prison, enduring torture in the same place as U.S. Sen. John McCain and other veterans.
Pitchford was released in 1973. McCain was released the same year after spending five years in the prison.
Pitchford was born John Joseph Pitchford Jr. on May 29, 1927. After earning his wings, he joined the Wild Weasels and was responsible for destroying surface-to-air missiles.
