Henry James Bedinger

After completing Aviation OCS  in1966, Commander Bedinger was trained as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) and served in the "Back Seat" in F-4 Phantom and the F-14 Tomcat aircraft.  While flying with VF-143  in the USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) when he was forced to eject over LAOS and taken as a Prisoner of War.  He was released after 1,223 days in captivity.  He then served in a number of billets in avaition squadrons and Navy and Joint staff assignments in Washington DC.  His final assignment was as Comptroller for Naval Training Cener, San Diego until his retirement on August 1, 1989.  His medals and ribbons include, among others, 2 Purple Hearts, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorius Service Medal, the Air Medal, and the National Defense Amed Forces Epeditionary Medal.

MEDALS-RIBBONS: Purple Heart(2), Defense Meritorious Service, Meritorious Service,
Air Medal, Combat Action, Navy Unit Citation, Prisoner of War, National Defense,
Armed Forces Expeditionary, Vietnam Service w/7 Stars, Korean Defense Service,
Sea Service Deployment, RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, RVN Campaign
Commander Henry Bedinger served as a Naval Flight/Radar Intercept Officer for the F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat
aircraft. Forced to eject while on a mission over Laos, he was captured by enemy forces. As a Prisoner of War, he
spent the next three plus years in the "Hanoi Hilton". He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his outstanding
conduct as a POW. Once released, Commander Bedinger went on to serve in the Pentagon on the Staff of the Navy
and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired after 26 years at Naval Training Center San Diego.