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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (August 15, 2005) — Francis Gary Powers, the renowned U2 pilot shot down over the former Soviet Union in 1960, used to travel the roads frequently around his home in southwest Virginia and to and from classes at Milligan College near Johnson City, Tenn. It is therefore fitting that the state of Virginia this week will dedicate a historical highway marker in his memory in the town of Pound in Wise County, Va.
The public ceremony will be attended by Power’s son, Francis Gary Powers, Jr., and will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the marker’s location at the intersection of U.S. Route 23 and Business Route 23 in Pound. Driving from Wise, Va., this is the first time the two roads intersect coming into Pound.
The History Channel will also remember Powers, as part of their new “Man, Moment, Machine” series, on Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 10 p.m.
Powers achieved international notoriety when his U2 spy plane was shot down on May 1, 1960, while he was conducting a reconnaissance mission over the former Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
The incident further strained the already tense relations between the United States and Soviet Union, and it is regarded by historians as one of the more significant events of the Cold War. Powers was held prisoner by the Soviets for 21 months before being exchanged for Soviet spy Col. Rudolph Abel who was in U.S. captivity.
Powers is a graduate of Grundy High School and then attended Milligan College , where he pursued pre-med studies and was on the wrestling, track and football teams.
After graduating from Milligan in 1950, Powers enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was recruited for the U2 program by the CIA in 1956. During his military career, he received many awards including the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, the Department of Defense Prisoner of War Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the CIA’s Intelligence Star and Director’s Medal.
He died in 1977 in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Cold War Museum (www.coldwar.org) is sponsoring the unveiling ceremony. For more information on the event, contact Francis Gary Powers, Jr. at 703-786-8226.
In June, the Board of Historic Resources approved the Powers highway marker, which was sponsored by his son. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the agency responsible for installing and maintaining historical highway markers, erected the sign.
The Virginia highway marker program is one of the oldest in the nation. Currently there are 2,000-plus official state markers.
Funds for new highway markers come from private organizations, individuals, and local jurisdictions. More information about the Historical Highway Marker Program is available on the Department of Historic Resources’ website at www.dhr.virginia.gov.