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VELENA>> ACCORDING TO GOVERNOR
RICK SNYDER NEARLY 700 THOUSAND
MEN AND WOMEN, HERE IN MICHIGAN,
HAVE SERVED IN THE
MILITARY...AND THIS NEXT STORY
FOCUSES ON ONE SPECIAL VETERAN
FROM MICHIGAN WHO WAS AT BESSER
ELEMENTARY ON FRIDAY AS THEIR
KEY NOTE SPEAKER FOR THEIR
VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY...
ROBERT FLETCHER KOREAN WAR
VETERAN>> (NATS)
WE WERE THE FIRST FULL REGIME TO
GO INTO KOREA..."
(VO)
AS ROBERT FLETCHER SPOKE MANY
SAT BACK IN ASTONISHMENT AS HE
SHARED HIS ACCOUNTS DURING THE
KOREAN WAR...
ENLISTING IN THE ARMY AT THE
RIPE AGE OF 17... FLETCHER SOON
FOUND HIMSELF IN A LIFE ALTERING
SITUATION.
ON NOVEMBER 27TH, 1950 FLETCHER
WAS CAPTURED AND BECAME A
PRISONER OF WAR
HE SPENT THE NEXT 33 MONTHS OF
HIS LIFE AT THE PYUCK ***
PRISON CAMP RIGHT ON THE YALO
RIVER STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE...
ROBERT FLETCHER P.O.W. - KOREAN
WAR>> (SOT) :20
"I GOTTA LIVE I GOTTA GET OUT OF
THIS SITUATION."
(VO)
THERE WERE ABOUT 4 THOUSAND
PEOPLE IN FLETCHERS CAMP UNTIL
MANY WERE MOVED AND HE LIVED
AMONGST 1800 OTHER P-O-W'S
WITHSTANDING TORTURE OF ALL
KINDS...
(SOT) :09
"LAST SCARS..."
(VO)
FLETCHER GAVE ME ONE EXAMPLE OF
THE MIND GAMES HIM AND HIS
FELLOW SOLDIERS FACED ...
(SOT) :17
"WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE
WANT"
(VO)
ON AUGUST 7TH, 1953... FLETCHER
WAS RELEASED...
(SOT) :26
"GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE" - "OMG
I'M FREE"
(VO)
AND FREE HE REMAINS....
TODAY FLETCHER LIVES DOWN IN ANN
ARBOR WHERE HE RAISED A FAMILY
AND REMAINS WITH HIS WIFE OF
OVER 50 YEARS...