Robert Harper Shumaker
| Robert Harper Shumaker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Bob |
| Born |
May 11, 1933 New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1956–1988 |
| Rank |
 Rear admiral
|
| Commands held | Project manager for Tactical missiles at Naval Air Systems Command Superintendent, Naval Postgraduate School |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Naval Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit with 'V' (3) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star with "V" Navy Commendation Medal Purple Heart (2) Prisoner of War Medal |
Robert Harper Shumaker (born May 11, 1933) was a rear admiral and naval aviator in the United States Navy. He spent almost eight years as a prisoner of war (POW) in North Vietnam. He was notable in creating tap code, a common system of communication with POWs of Vietnam War and coining the term "Hanoi Hilton” for the notorious Hỏa Lò Prison.
Shumaker was born in May 11, 1933 at New Castle, Pennsylvania. His father Alvah was a lawyer and his mother Eleanor was a writer. He attended Northwestern University for a year and then the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1956.
After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, he then completed flight training, earning his designation as a Naval Aviator in January 1958. After flight training, Shumaker eventually joined VF-32, a fighter squadron in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a finalist in the Apollo astronaut selection, but a temporary physical ailment prevented his selection in 1963.
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School with a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. Shumaker joined VF-154 in San Diego.
LCDR Shumaker was an F-8D pilot assigned to VF-154 on board the carrier USS Coral Sea. Shumaker's aircraft was shot down by 37mm cannon fire cannon fire on February 11, 1965 and his parachute opened a mere 35 feet from the ground. and he was captured by the North Vietnamese. The aircraft was destroyed. He was the second Navy aviator to be captured.
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