With your birthday celebrated each year by military parades, marching bands and exploding fireworks,  it would be almost impossible for a youngster to not grow up with an abundance of genuine Patriotism. 

On Independence Day, Fourth of July, 1925, Laird Guttersen was born at Bear Lake, MN, schooled in Minnesota and California and, at the tender age of 18, he enlisted as a Private in the US Army Air Force, became an Aviation Cadet, earned his Pilot wings and graduated as a Flight Officer in April, 1945.  By War’s end, in August ‘45, he had become married... to Virginia Drohan ... promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, then after the war, in 1946, separated from AAF, and had accepted a Commission with the USAF Reserve component to continue his flying.

 Guttersen was re-called to active duty in March, 1951, and soon sent to Korea, where he joined the 18th Fighter Wing’s 12th Fighter Bomber Squadron’s  “Foxy Few”, flying F-51 combat missions from Chinhae, K-10 and Seoul’s K-16 airfields.  He was wounded by ground fire on his 73rd mission and later transferred to F-86 Sabres.  He applied for and received a Regular Air Force commission, and when back in the US as a Captain, spent time lecturing on the POW - Code of Conduct for Air University Command. 

He was assigned to NATO in Germany as a Staff Officer for four years, promoted to Major, and upon his return in 1966  was assigned to fly worldwide in C-130 transports, including many combat missions into Southeast Asia. 

A ‘temporary’  Washington DC Pentagon assignment threatened to become ‘permanent’, so he opted to volunteer for additional Vietnam combat duty as a fighter pilot.  After  training in F-4 Phantoms in Arizona, he moved to Ubon, Thailand in the Fall of  1967, flying combat with the notorious ‘Wolf Pack’.

Major Guttersen’s F-4 was shot down in December, 1967, but he was rescued from the Gulf of Tonkin in a daring night rescue mission by the US Navy.  He soon returned to flying combat missions, until February 23, 1968, when he was again shot down... this time by Chinese MiG-21’s near Hanoi, North Vietnam.  He was not so fortunate the second time ... despite evading capture for ten long hours, he was finally caught and spent the next sixty-one long months in brutal captivity, including more than 27 long months of torturous solitary confinement.

12.0pt; >Upon his ultimate repatriation on 14 March, 1973, Guttersen learned that he had been promoted to the rank of Colonel seven months earlier ... in August of 1972.

Because his wife Virginia ... (who, after 31 years of marriage was lost to cancer in 1978) ... his children, his sisters and a brother, had all been very active in the POW/MIA movement during his long years in captivity, Col. Guttersen felt a deep sense ... of debt and of gratitude, to those who had devoted so much of themselves to the POW/MIA effort.  His knowledge of previous Communist refusal to release all  POWs at the end of hostilities led him to feel that many warriors who had fought beside him must have been left behind in the cages of Southeast Asia.  His dedication and assistance in keeping the POW/MIA issue alive during the more than 20 years since his release, has helped to bring about the present emphasis on the ultimate recovery of Americans still being held illegally  by various Communist governments and their agents throughout  the world.

Although still suffering from his brutal treat­ment as a Prisoner of War, Colonel Guttersen continues to actively speak out on the inhumanity of the abandonment of U.S. forces left in the hands of  the enemy.

Laird Guttersen remarried in 1982, and with his wife, Ruth, make their home in Tucson, Arizona, where both sing with the Arizona Opera Chorus, and where Laird has again become active in Toastmasters International, finally achieving the coveted Distinguished Toastmaster level..  After many years as a successful Broker with TLC Realty in Tucson, Laird Guttersen  now considers himself to be ‘semi-retired’.

Colonel Guttersen’s vast array of military awards and decorations include: Silver Star, Bronze Star with “V”, 2 Legion of Merit medals,  2 Distinguished Flying Cross medals,  10 Air Medals, Air Force Commendation Medal,  Purple Heart w/3olc,  Presidential Unit Citation (AF), Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal w/1 bronze star, Korean Service Medal w/2 br.stars, Air Force Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal w/2 silver and 3 bronze stars, Air Force Longevity Award w/1 silver olc, Air Force Reserve Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign...