Vietnam War and Veterans

Former U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Stirm, a Vietnam War POW immortalized in the Pulitzer-winning 1973 'Burst of Joy' photo of his reunion with family at Travis AFB, died on Veterans Day at an assisted living facility in Fairfield, California, his daughter confirmed. Stirm spent 1,966 days in North Vietnamese captivity after his F‑105 was shot down in 1967 and is remembered for his service and the iconic image symbolizing the end of U.S. involvement in the war.