Richard Secord, a former Air Force Major General, flew combat missions in Vietnam under the guise of training South Vietnamese pilots. He flew low to avoid fire and was unharmed despite his plane being struck multiple times. After Vietnam, he was involved in covert operations in Iran and Laos, including a successful prisoner-of-war rescue mission in Laos.
In the late 1980s, Secord became embroiled in the Iran-Contra Affair, where he managed arms sales to Iran and funneled profits to the Contras in Nicaragua. He pleaded guilty to lying to Congress but avoided jail time. Secord’s conviction was later vacated by a federal judge.
Family issues, exacerbated by a lawsuit filed by his grandson, preceded the death of Secord’s wife. He moved to an assisted-living facility, where he lives with strained relationships with family members.
Despite his controversial past, Secord wants the public to remember that his conviction was overturned and that he played a key role in a successful prisoner-of-war rescue mission. He lives a quiet life in an assisted-living facility, surrounded by family conflicts and the memories of an extraordinary military career that spanned from Vietnam to Iran and Laos.
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