Larry Spencer, Iowan held prisoner of war longest during Vietnam, dies

Larry Spencer, the Iowan who served extra time than some other Iowan as a prisoner of conflict through the Vietnam Battle, died Saturday. He was 82.

An Earlham native and West Des Moines resident, Spencer was a U.S. Navy radar intercept officer when his F-4 Phantom was shot down on Feb. 18, 1966, over North Vietnam. Spencer and the interceptor’s pilot James T. Ruffin ejected from the plane. 

Spencer was freed on Feb. 12, 1973, after greater than 2,550 days in North Vietnamese captivity. He was one of many first 20 American prisoners of conflict returned to the U.S. through the conflict. 

Ruffin’s stays had been discovered later in 1983, in response to the P.O.W Community. 

Whereas in captivity Spencer was subjected to excessive psychological and bodily cruelties, in response to the Corridor of Valor Challenge. Finally the North Vietnamese army deserted these techniques to acquire data as a result of Spencer’s therapy attracted worldwide consideration, in response to the Corridor of Valor Challenge. 

In 2014 Spencer instructed the Des Moines Register that his experiences gave him an understanding of what’s essential in life that he wouldn’t have had in any other case. Some days are higher than others, and there’s at all times somebody with worse issues, he mentioned on the time. So transfer on with life, was his message. 

“Life is sweet,” Spencer mentioned in 2014. “You get pleasure from what is sweet as a result of no person is aware of what’s coming tomorrow.”

After returning to the U.S., Spencer attended Naval Postgraduate College in Monterey, California, in response to his obituary. From 1978 to 1985,  he served on the workers of the Chief of Naval Operations on the Pentagon in Washington.

He moved again to the Des Moines space from California in 1995.  

Spencer obtained quite a few army honors together with two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts and the Prisoner of Battle Medal. Spencer was a longtime member of the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. He’s survived by his spouse Ann. 

David Oman, chief of workers for Iowa Govs. Robert Ray and Terry Branstad, spoke to Spencer on the cellphone days earlier than his demise. 

Spencer mentioned to Oman that he regarded on his days in hospice care as “one other mission.” 

“Iowa has misplaced an unsung hero,” Oman mentioned. 

Providers might be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway. 

Philip Joens covers public security, metropolis authorities and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He may be reached at 515-443-3347 at pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.