Oklahoma Vietnam Veteran, Prisoner Of War Shares Survivor Story

A metro Air Force veteran is sharing his amazing story of survival. 

Bill Talley, 86, was shot down 25 miles west of Hanoi in 1972. Talley was shot down in a F-105.

“All of the sudden the engine just quit, it was a surprise to me,” said Talley. “I didn't know what had happened.”

Talley had been hit by a heat-seeking air missile. He spent nearly 24 hours hiding near a boulder before Vietnamese troops found him.

He was taken to a prison for POW’s called Hanoi Hilton where he met John McCain.

“Whenever we were allowed to get out and meet with these old guys, they started telling us stories, and that’s when I met John McCain,” said Talley. “(I) didn't know at the time, didn't know that he was going to be a senator and a presidential candidate, or I would of asked him for his autograph.”

Another Veteran’s Day has arrived, serving as a time to reflect. Talley learned what matters most.

“We survived because of our faith in God, who would not abandon us, our faith in America, who would not forget us, and our faith in our comrades, who took care of us when we needed it,” said Talley.

You can see Talley speak Saturday, November 9 at First United Methodist Church in Edmond at 8 a.m. The public is welcome.