Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project  from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK 2024.

REMARKS: 730212 RELSD BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: 1Lt. George I. Mims was the weapons systems operator of an F4C
Phantom jet which was one of four F4Cs flying "MIG cover" for F105's bombing
a bridge on the northeast railroad out of Hanoi into China. Capt. Robert D.
"Bob" Jeffrey was his pilot  on the mission.

During the flight, Jeffrey's aircraft took what appeared to be a direct hit and
other flight members felt sure that there was no chance of survival for
either. Only small pieces of the airplane were seen to emerge from the
fireball. George Mims had been married only a month, and Bob Jeffrey had a
baby son.

When 591 Americans were released from Vietnam in 1973, George Mims was not
among them, but his pilot, Bob Jeffrey was. No substantial information
has surfaced on Mims since his plane went down. The Vietnamese deny any
knowledge of his fate.

Since the war's end, the U.S. Government has received thousands of reports
of Americans still in captivity in Southeast Asia. This large volume of
evidence suggests that hundreds are still being held.

Henry Kissinger predicted, in the 50's, that future "limited political
engagements" would result, unfortunately, in nonrecoverable prisoners of
war. This prediction has been fulfilled in Korea and Vietnam, where
thousands of men and women remain missing, and where ample evidence exists
that many of them (from BOTH wars) are still alive today. The U.S.
Government seems unable (or unwilling) to negotiate their freedom. The
"unfortunate" abandonment of military personnel is not acceptable, and the
policy that allows it must be changed before another generation is left
behind in some faraway war.

George I. Mims, Jr. was promoted to the rank of Captain during the period he
was maintained missing.

====================================

Robert Jeffrey retired from the United States Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in
January, of 1980. He and his wife Jean reside in Texas.
===================================

January 02, 1997

Really enjoyed the Christmas recollections. Thought I'd add mine.

I was shot down 20 Dec 65 arriving at the Hilton the next day.  I was pretty
banged up but nothing serious. Burns, the usual crushed vertabrae, shrapnel
grazes, cuts, etc. My eyes were blood red and I couldn't focus on anything
or see very well. After the usual Welcome Wagon treatment (torture), I was
put into New Guy Village.  It was a cell block that was a dead end corridor
with only one entrance.  I was in the room next to the door.  A shower room
was across from me.  There were about six other rooms in the block filled
with the greats.  Robbie (Risner) was next to me, then Jim Stockdale, Larry
Guarino, and I think Jerry Denton.  I was assigned clearing duties even
though I couldn't see very well.  But I could stand on my bunk and look
through a hole in the transom and tell if a guard was approaching.

Robbie taught me the tap code and we practiced during the day.  That
evening, the meal showed up.  This was to be my first regular meal as I
hadn't been given much up to this time, nor did I feel like eating. The
guard opened the door and shoved in a stack of ceramic bowls stacked on top
of each other with a loaf of bread resting on top. After the door closed, I
unstacked the bowls and inspected the contents of each.  I didn't recognize
a thing in them, nor did the contents look edible to me, so I passed.

After a while, I heard Robbie calling me.  I went to the transom and he
asked if I had eaten.  I told him I wasn't hungry.  He passed a wire, with a
loop string on the end, to tie my bread to.  He reeled it in and I asked him
if the food was always this sh---y.  He paused a second and said, "It's
Christmas and this is a SPECIAL MEAL."  All I could say was "Oh!"

The next day I realized how special that meal had been.

Bob Jeffrey

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