Francis Gary Powers Honored
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To read the Francis Gary Powers Highway Marker, Click on the thumbnail images. |
Highway Marker honoring U2 pilot
Gary Powers
Thursday, August 18, 2005 Article By
STEPHEN IGO Times-News
POUND - Dedication ceremonies for Virginia's newest
historical highway marker turned into a family reunion
on a small grassy median next to U.S. Route 23 in Pound
on Wednesday, all in honor of the late Francis Gary
Powers, who spent most of his growing-up years in the
town.
Powers soared into international fame in
1960 when his U2 spy plane was shot down over the former
Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. He was
held prisoner by the Soviets for nearly two years before
being exchanged for Soviet spy Col. Rudolph Abel, who
was in U.S. custody. Powers was killed in a helicopter
crash in Los Angeles in 1977.
Leading the family
charge onto the grassy median for Wednesday's dedication
ceremonies was Powers' son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., his
wife, Jennifer, and their son, 3-year-old Francis Gary
Powers III, nicknamed "Trey." Powers' sisters, distant
cousins and childhood pals were in abundance as well.
"It's great, I think," said Hubert Powers of
Coeburn, a distant cousin. "He needed more recognition
than they've given him. The last time I saw him was at
the Cherokee Cafe here in town. I think that was in
'64."
Gloria Thacker, who Powers' son credits
with getting the ball rolling on the historical marker,
said the new highway sign was "long overdue." She was a
playmate of one of Powers' sisters, Joyce Stallard.
Joyce and sisters Jean Goff and Joan Meade attended.
Two other sisters, Janice Melvin of Utah and
Jessica Hileman of Maryland, were unable to attend.
Powers was the only son of the family, and Joan said all
five sisters "raised him right."
"It's about
time!" declared Stallard about the marker dedicated in
honor of her brother, repeating a family theme of the
day. "I mean, it's long overdue. He was a hero for our
country. And he was always a hero to me."
Jack
and Jean Goff live on the old family farm on Mill Creek
near Pound. Jack read a poem he wrote for Wednesday's
ceremonies denoting the life and times of the U2 pilot
from boyhood on.
"I told myself if Abraham
Lincoln was able to write the Gettysburg Address in 12
minutes, I ought to be able to write this poem in 12
days," Jack grinned. "But I wrote it up yesterday
morning."
Powers Jr. told the crowd that when he
was growing up in southern California, he didn't regard
his father as being any different than anybody else's
dad. He was aware his dad got shot down over Russia "but
I thought that was normal for everybody's dad."
When Powers Jr. was 12, his father perished in the
helicopter crash. He said he was devastated and "didn't
come out of my shell" until he was in college, when he
began to research his father's history. He learned a lot
about the U2 and the Cold War, he said, and years later
that has led him to be the founder of the Cold War
Museum that is to be built in Lorton, Va.
"This
was a long time coming," he said. "The family is very
honored and glad the state took our suggestion and
approved the marker. It was Gloria Thacker's idea. She
asked us if it would be OK if she looked into it, and we
said, of course, we'd love that."
His sister,
Dee Rogers of Minneapolis, was unable to attend. But
Powers Jr. was proud to say his sister is a 22-year
veteran of the Air National Guard. Powers Jr. and his
family now live in Midlothian, near Richmond.
Mike Police of the Virginia Department of Historic
Resources office in Roanoke, said historical markers
must be of statewide significance to win state approval.
Sponsors of a marker must pay for it themselves, a cost
that is currently in excess of $1,300, he said.
Jennifer Powers said at just 3, her son Trey is vaguely
aware his grandfather "flew a plane" once upon a time.
"We've talked about it a little bit with Trey, like
when there's something about it on TV," she said. "We're
very excited about this. Sometimes we don't feel the
recognition is there, and it's nice to see the state put
up the historical marker. It means a lot to Gary and the
rest of the family."
After graduating from
Grundy High School, Powers attended Milligan College.
Following graduation from Milligan, he entered the U.S.
Air Force, where he trained as a combat pilot.
In 1956 he was recruited by the CIA to fly U2
reconnaissance missions. The U2 was considered
missile-proof because it flew so high and fast, but by
1960 the Soviets proved they perfected their technology
to knock their first - and last - U2 spy plane out of
the sky, netting the pilot and a Cold War propaganda
coup in the process.
Kevin Harkey, an assistant
to the president of Milligan College, attended the
ceremonies because he said the college and alumni are
"real proud of Mr. Powers. We're very glad that he is
honored in this way, and we're proud of his service to
his country. I've been fortunate to have met a lot of
his classmates, and they are awful proud of Gary."
Francis Gary Powers Jr., his wife, Jennifer, and their son Francis Gary Powers III, called 'Trey,' were part of a family reunion of the deceased U2 pilot who was shot down over the former Soviet Union. Francis Gary Powers Jr. is the founder of the Cold War Museum.
Article from the Times News
