Gary Powers
| Francis Gary Powers | |
|---|---|
Powers wearing special
pressure suit for stratospheric flying, 1960 |
|
| Born |
Francis Gary Powers August 17, 1929 Jenkins, Kentucky, United States |
| Died | August 1, 1977 (aged 47) Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Helicopter crash |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Spouse | Barbara Gay Moore (1956–1963; divorced) Claudia Edwards Downey (1963–1977; his death) |
| Relatives | Two children |
| Aviation career | |
| Known for | 1960 U-2 incident |
| Air force |
 United States Air Force
|
| Rank |
 Captain
|
| Awards |
Intelligence Star Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross National Defense Service Medal Prisoner of War Medal
|
Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) – often referred to as simply Gary Powers – was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 incident.
Powers was born August 17, 1929, in either Jenkins, Kentucky, or Burdine, Kentucky, the son of Oliver Winfield Powers (1904–1970), a coal miner, and his wife Ida Melinda Powers (née Ford; 1905–1991). His family eventually moved to Pound, Virginia, just across the state border. He was the second born and only male of six children. His family lived in a mining town, and because of the hardships associated with the life in such a town, his father wanted Powers to become a doctor. He hoped his son would achieve the higher earnings of such a profession and felt the life of a doctor would involve less hardship than any job in his hometown.
Graduating from Milligan College in Tennessee in June 1950, he enlisted in the Air Force in October. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in December 1952 after completing his advanced training with USAF Pilot Training Class 52-H at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. Powers was then assigned to the 468th Strategic Fighter Squadron at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, as an F-84 Thunderjet pilot. In January 1956 he was recruited by the CIA. He married Barbara Gay Moore in April 1956. In May 1956 he began U-2 training at Watertown Strip, Nevada. His training was complete by August 1956 and his unit, the Second Weather Observational Squadron (Provisional) or Detachment 10-10, was deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. By 1960, Powers was already a veteran of many covert aerial reconnaissance missions.
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Wikipedia