Top of page

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
  • Dates of Service: 1960-1980
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Service Unit/Ship: USS Constellation (CV 64); VA-144 (Attack Squadron)
  • Battles & Campaigns: Tonkin Gulf Incidents, 1964; Operation Pierce Arrow
  • Location of Service: Vietnam; Tonkin Gulf
  • Highest Rank: Commander
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/122493

View full service history

"When you find yourself in a situation as we found ourselves, our integrity, individual integrity, your values—your values not just as a human being but as an American and as a military fighting man—these were key ingredients to our survival." (Video interview, 1:02:16)

Growing up in an agricultural community in Salinas, California, Everett N. Alvarez, Jr. would play amongst old "crop duster" airplanes. This early exposure cemented his fascination with flying, and he applied to be a naval aviation officer candidate as a senior in college, eventually earning his wings to be a naval aviator in November 1961. Three years later, in August 1964, while flying a combat mission that immediately followed the Gulf of Tonkin incident, he was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese--making him the first American aviator to be held as a prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam. Incarcerated by the North Vietnamese until February 1973, he spent eight and a half years as a POW, the second longest prisoner of war tenure in US military history. In his oral history interview, Alvarez credits the support and solidarity of his fellow POWs, and their leaders in particular, as critical to his survival.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Everett N. Alvarez, Jr. Collection

Names

  • Alvarez Jr., Everett N.
  • The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration
  • Galloway, Joe

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • Maryland

Headings

  • -  Alvarez Jr., Everett N.
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • Hispanic

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Service Unit/Ship: USS Constellation (CV 64); VA-144 (Attack Squadron)
    • Location of Service: Vietnam; Tonkin Gulf
    • Battles & Campaigns: Tonkin Gulf Incidents, 1964; Operation Pierce Arrow
    • Highest Rank: Commander
    • Dates of Service: 1960-1980
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as an A-4C aviator.

Materials

  • Video: Digital File [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2014-02-24)
  • Manuscript: Biographical information [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of video recording (collected 2014-02-24)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/122493

Online Format

  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Alvarez Jr., Everett N, The United States Of America Vietnam War Commemoration, and Joe Galloway. Everett N. Alvarez, Jr. Collection. 1960. Personal Narrative. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.122493/.

APA citation style:

Alvarez Jr, E. N., The United States Of America Vietnam War Commemoration & Galloway, J. (1960) Everett N. Alvarez, Jr. Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.122493/.

MLA citation style:

Alvarez Jr., Everett N, The United States Of America Vietnam War Commemoration, and Joe Galloway. Everett N. Alvarez, Jr. Collection. 1960. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.122493/>.