Historical Markers StoppingPoints.com Historical Markers, Sightseeing & Points of Interest Scenic Roads & Points of Interest
About Us | Photo Gallery | Free Widgets | Featured States | Search Site
Register or Edit LoginRegister
Home Virginia Wise County Francis Gary Powers--U2 Pilot

Francis Gary Powers--U2 Pilot

Orby Cantrell Hwy, VA , USA

Latitude & Longitude: 37° 6' 1.62", -82° 35' 58.4592"
  Virginia VA State Historical Marker
Virginia State
Historical Marker

 
Francis Gary Powers (1929 - 1977) was raised here in Pound and graduated from Grundy High School. Powers enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950 after graduating from Milligan College in Tennessee. In 1956, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited him to fly espionage missions over the Soviet Union. On 1 May 1960 the Soviets shot down his U-2 spy plane. Parachuting to safety, he was captured, tried, and sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage. Powers was exchanged in 1962 for a Soviet spy. The CIA and the military decorated him for his efforts. He died 1 Aug. 1977 in a helicopter crash and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Last updated: 2/14/2015 15:17:00
 
    Related Themes: C.S.A., Confederate States of America, Confederacy, Union States
 
Explore other
Virginia Civil War Historical Markers.

 
 
 
Francis Gary Powers--U2 Pilot Virginia Map