SIENICKI, THEODORE S.
Name: Theodore S. Sienicki
Rank/Branch: O2/United States Air Force
Unit: 25th TFS
Date of Birth: 24 March 1948
Home City of Record: Irvington NJ
Date of Loss: 03 May 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 170300 North 1065720 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4E
Missions: 55
Other Personnel in Incident: Timothy Ayres, returnee, pilot
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS: 730328 RELEASED BY DRV
SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).
UPDATE - 09/95 by the P.O.W. NETWORK, Skidmore, MO
THEODORE S. SIENICKI
Captain - United States Air Force
Shot Down: May 3, 1972
Released: March 28, 1973
Others in Incident: Timothy Ayres, Returnee
In no way could I even begin to thank the American people for the support
they gave us, both before and after release. There is so much I am looking
forward to, in once again living together with our own people; and there is
so much I shall never forget, about the ordeals we lived through to try to
insure the continuation of our American way of life.
I can never forget the prisoners who were shot down prior to 1972; because
they made so many sacrifices in helping the newer prisoners as we came in.
The organization and dedication of those men, who served the longest and
most arduous times in those prisons, was the greatest inspiration
imaginable.
An unparalleled amount of free time provided us with the great opportunity
to relearn many things which we must have had knowledge of, but had
permitted ourselves to forget. The poor living conditions brought out the
highest ideals, noble conduct and loyalty, as well as true unselfishness in
most of the men It helped me realize that if everyone sincerely tried to
live the most honest and sincere life he could, with the greatest amount of
integrity he could muster, we would all be true patriots in the full sense
of the word; a living testimony to the heritage this country represents.
BIOGRAPHY: Born 24 March, 1948 to Meslow and Casimera Sienicki in
Irvington, N.J., where he was raised and went to school until time for
college, when he went to Brown University, in Providence, R.I. from which he
graduated in 1969.
Married Christine Getz 10 August, 1968, while still going to college, where
the couple acted as Resident Managers of International House of Rhode Island
during his senior year. Christine contracted leukemia; and after a twenty
day illness, died at the hospital at Travis Air Force Base on 5 February,
1971.
His sister, Christine, joined the Air Force in 1972, after the shoot down of
Theodore's plane, and he was listed as missing in action. She hoped to learn
of his whereabouts by going into Thailand herself. She remained as an
Intelligence Officer; and is still working as close to the M.I.A. issues as
possible from her position as Second Lieutenant.
3 May, 1972 Captain Sienicki's F-4 was shotdown by anti-aircraft fire and he
and Tim Ayres, although both captured, were listed as Missing in Action; as
the North Vietnamese did not inform American authorities of their capture.
Upon release and return home, Captain Sienicki decided to continue training
with the Air Force; to go to Lackland Air Force Base and subsequently to
Williams Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona.
He remarried on 4 August, 1973, to a girl he had known for twenty years, and
the two of them plan to make the Air Force a lifetime career.
December 1996
Theodore Sienicki retired from the United States Air Force as a Major. He
lives in New Jersey.
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