Vietnam-era POW to share compellling story April 29 “Character and Leadership Lessons Learned as a POW” is the title of a presentation by Air Force Lt. Col. (retired) Barry Bridger at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, at the Chester Fritz Auditorium. Bridger spent six years as a prisoner of war (POW) at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” after being shot down over North Vietnam in his F-4 Phantom. This talk is sponsored by the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences and First Command Financial Planning. Bridger’s thought-provoking presentation will focus on how he and his fellow POWs worked together to survive their years of incarceration. In this story of survival, bravery, teamwork, and patriotism, he will share the lessons he learned, and how the POW experience helped him understand what is truly important in life. Bridger, a native of Bladenboro, N.C., is a 1963 graduate of the University of North Carolina with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Following pilot training in 1964, he was assigned to the 43rd Tactical Fighter Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., flying F-4 Phantoms. Bridger accumulated more than 200 combat flying hours over North Vietnam. On Jan. 23, 1967, Bridger was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. He was captured by the North Vietnamese and spent more than six years in the “Hanoi Hilton” prison. Following his repatriation in March 1973, Bridger requalified in jet aircraft and served as an instructor pilot in air-to-ground combat. For more details about the presentation, see the following UND Chester Fritz Auditorium link: http://www.cfa.und.edu/press_releases/bridger.html. Admission to the Bridger presentation is free and open to the public.