F- 4 C Phantom

During a mission in Vietnam in 1967, the plane of Captain Lance Sijan exploded as he ejected from it, & despite suffering a skull fracture, a mangled right hand & a compound fracture of his leg from the ejection, he evaded capture by the North Vietnamese forces for more than 6 weeks. On Christmas Day, exhausted & weakened, he collapsed alongside a road & was taken prisoner. Although beaten & starving, he escaped only a few days later, but was soon recaptured. He was transferred shortly after that to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton", where he died 10 days later. For his military bearing, conduct & heroic actions he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, becoming the first U.S. Air Force Academy Graduate to earn this award.
Captain Sijan was born & raised in BayView, along Milwaukee's Southside. He was a star athlete, student leader & scholar. His legacy lives on, as after his death his high school set up a scholarship in his honor, given each year to an outstanding student who best exemplifies the qualities of service and leadership; the park in BayView, known as "Sijan Playfield", is dedicated to his courage & sacrifice. The Air Force Academy created the "Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award" which is given to the airman who best demonstrates the highest qualities of leadership in their graduating class.
This F-4 Phantom jet fighter is an exact replica of the one flown by Captain Sijan, right down to the color scheme of the paint, & is displayed in his memory in front of the 440th. Air Force Reserve at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport.