The text below is an excerpt from Lee Matz's June 29th article in the Milwaukee Independent. Click here to read the full article. Bay View’s Avalon Theater hosted a private showing of the film “Sijan: A Quest for Freedom” on June 26, which featured the experiences, life, and courageous example of the Medal of Honor recipient as told through the memories of his family, friends, and fellow Vietnam Prisoners of War. The premiere of the “Sijan” documentary was attended by several hundred guests, who all shared a special connection to the 25 year old Bay View native, Captain Lance Peter...

January 22, 2018, marked the 50th anniversary of the death of Air Force fighter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Lance P. Sijan. who died at the Hòa Lò camp in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he had been a prisoner of war. The 50th anniversary of his death was commemorated by a number of special events at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Sijan graduated in 1965. Among them was a taps ceremony held at 2300 hours on Monday, January 22 to commemorate the time of Sijan’s passing. Click here to view the image gallery.

http://war-veterans.org/powrally2017.htm

There was a wealth of media coverage of the May 26th dedication of the Lance P. Sijan Memorial Plaza at General Mitchell International Airport. Please explore the links below to learn more about the event. Milwaukee Independent Fellow POWS honor their fallen brother at Sijan plaza dedication Milwaukee Independent Photo Essay: An Example Of Courage Installed At Mitchell Airport WTMJ Cares Click here for multiple items related to the dedication including video and an image gallery. WTMJ Cares: Lance Sijan memorial dedication For a video of the dedication ceremony, click here. WUWM Faith...

Click here to view the gallery at WTMJ.com.

Watch the WTMJ Facebook Live webcast of the Lance Sijan Memorial Dedication. Click here to watch.

"Friday morning brought the high point in our WTMJ Cares initiative to build a memorial for a fallen Vietnam War hero from Milwaukee. That memorial will go up at Mitchell International Airport in honor of Lance Sijan, who received the Medal of Honor and has his own Air Force award. He served America in the late 1960's during the Vietnam conflict. Gene Mueller hosted a radio-thon, which brought the final total raised over the top to make the memorial a reality!" For the full story, click here.

"Of the tens of thousands of Wisconsin service people to serve during the Vietnam War, only six received the Medal of Honor. One of them is Bay View's Lance Sijan who died as a prisoner of war in 1968. Wisconsin's Morning News host Gene Mueller says Sijan's ordeal in captivity made a lasting impact on fellow captives who spearheaded the effort to make sure he received the honor." To listen to the story, click here.

As WTMJ Cares raises money for a memorial for Capt. Lance Sijan, his award was given to four men Thursday for their service to America: Col. James A. Schumacher, US Marine Corps (Vietnam); Corporal Willie McLain, USMC (Iwo Jima/WWII); Corporal Glenn Dohrmann, US Army (Korea); and Ralph Windler, European Theater, WWII. To view the gallery at WTMJ.com, click here.