Pete Peterson
| Pete Peterson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Grant |
| Succeeded by | Allen Boyd |
| Ambassador of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam | |
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In office April 11, 1997 – July 15, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Burghardt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Douglas Brian Peterson June 26, 1935 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Awards |
 Silver Star Medal Legion of Merit Purple Heart Medal Prisoner of War Medal
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| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | "Pete" |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
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| Years of service | 1954–1980 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Unit | 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War (WIA) |
Douglas Brian "Pete" Peterson (born June 26, 1935) is an American politician and diplomat. He served as a United States Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War and spent over six years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese army after his plane was shot down. He returned to Hanoi when he became the first United States Ambassador to Vietnam in 1997. He was an ambassador until July 2001, after which he devoted himself to philanthropic work.
Peterson grew up in Milton, Iowa and attended college at the University of Tampa. He joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the Vietnam War, where his F-4 Phantom II fighter was shot down on September 10, 1966. He spent six years in prison, a period he described as "hours and hours of boredom, spliced with moments of stark terror." He was released on March 4, 1973.
After the Vietnam War, Peterson remained in the U.S. Air Force and retired in 1981 as a colonel with 26 years of service. After retirement he established a general contracting firm in Tampa, Florida and later a small computer company in Marianna, Florida. He served for 5 years on the faculty of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
In 1990, Peterson ran as a Democrat for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 2nd congressional district. He defeated James W. Grant, a politician who grew unpopular after switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in the middle of his second term.
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Wikipedia