Captain William A. Robinson, who is retired from the United States Air Force, will be the guest speaker for the Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May 29, at the Veterans Memorial Park just outside Blue Ridge in front of Fannin County Middle School.
Robinson enlisted in the Air Force after graduating high school in 1961. After several assignments in the United States and a year tour in Korea, Robinson, an Airman First Class, was transferred to Thailand to serve with an Air Rescue and Recovery unit in the Spring of 1965.
He and his helicopter crew were shot down while on a rescue mission in North Vietnam September 20, 1965. The crew survived the crash, but were soon captured by enemy forces.
Robinson spent the next seven-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He and Neal Black are listed in the book Honor Bound, American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, as the longest held enlisted POWs in American history.
After serving in Vietnam, Robinson completed Aircraft Maintenance Training. He retired from the Air Force in 1984 after 23 years of service.
The Memorial Day service begins at noon.