The grandson of immigrants from Mexico, Alvarez describes growing up in Salinas, California, “the lettuce capital of the world." Alvarez describes his early wonder and curious interest in flying. He was commissioned as an ensign by the U.S. Navy in 1960 following graduation from Santa Clara University and 16 weeks of pre-flight training within the Navy’s aviation officer candidate program. Alvarez earned his Naval aviator wings in November 1961. Early in this interview Alvarez describes the day he became the first American aviator shot down and captured in North Vietnam. "Unfortunately, I managed to put my airplane in the path of something that caused [it] to catch fire and come apart.” Alvarez provides an informative perspective of the early advisory phase of America’s involvement in South Vietnam. He says, “There was no war when I joined in 1960. It was peacetime. Korea had ended in 1954. We had gone through a drawdown in the military. ... Then on my first cruise out in the western Pacific in 1963, I remember that we were being asked if any of us wanted to become forward air observers in South Vietnam working with the South Vietnamese Army.” He relays very specific details about his role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and his message of the value of freedom rings forth through the descriptions of his time as a prisoner. Alvarez admits, “I usually talk to kids about leadership, organization, integrity, and values. Our interdependence on each other.” This is no lecture. It is 78-minutes-well-spent for anyone wanting to learn about the war from a truly unique perspective.

Key Words: Tonkin Gulf Incident, Tonkin Gulf Resolution, Ha Long Bay, WESTPAC, Ho Chi Minh trail, Plain des Jarres, Yankee Station, Vinh, Haiphong, Laos, torpedo base, Hon Gai, interrogation, propaganda, tap code, return with honor

Key Names: Admiral Jim Stockdale, Bob Shumaker, Larry Guarino, Tom Barrett, Robbie Risner