On 9/11/1972, I was shot down while flying an Air Force F-4 on a combat mission over North Vietnam. After evading the North Vietnamese for about 28 hours, I was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.

In October of 1972, a tree in the city parking lot that had originally been planted as a deterrent to development was dedicated as a Freedom Tree. It was dedicated to me and all POWs and MIAs. My mother and father, Pat and Roy McMurray, attended that dedication. My wife Judy and our children were still living at the Air Force Base in North Carolina, from which I deployed into combat. As the tree was being dedicated, I was in a North Vietnamese prison that we called the Hanoi Hilton.

I was released from prison on the 29th of March 1973 followed by a short stay in the Philippines and Travis AFB, California. When I was ready to come home to Coeur d'Alene, Fairchild AFB sent a KC-135 aircraft to fly us home. When we arrived at Fairchild, there was a large crowd from Coeur d'Alene waiting for us. We drove in a caravan to the Idaho state line where we were joined by many more cars. We all drove to the Freedom Tree.

It was beautiful and I was extremely moved when I saw the tree that Coeur d'Alene had dedicated. The following week, Coeur d'Alene held a parade for me and my family and after the parade we all went to the Freedom Tree for a wonderful celebration of my freedom. For 40 years, the Freedom Tree was very special to me and my family.

When the city of Coeur d'Alene presented its proposal for McEuen Park in 2013, I could see that the Freedom Tree would be cut down. I attended one of the city's presentations of their proposal. Following the presentation, I talked to four men who were friends and acquaintances. Two of them were on the City Council and two of them were on the planning committee for the McEuen Park project. We talked about the Freedom Tree and they explained why it had to come down. They also said that there would be a new Freedom Tree and that it would be part of a much expanded and improved Veterans Plaza. They told me the city of Coeur d'Alene would work with me in the development of the park.

Some wonderful people from Betty Kiefer Elementary in Rathdrum contacted me and told me that they were saddened that my Freedom Tree was cut down. They organized a tree planting and then invited me to a ceremony that dedicated that tree as a Freedom Tree in my honor. I was touched.

Prior to the old Freedom Tree being cut down, Doug Eastwood from the Coeur d'Alene Parks Department contacted me and invited me to come down to his office. He wanted to go over the plans for the Veterans Plaza and the new Freedom Tree. From that day on he made sure that he kept me informed and he sought my input for anything having to do with the Freedom Tree.

When Doug retired, his successor, Bill Greenwood, continued to keep me involved with plans for the Freedom Tree. Bill has large sections of the old Freedom Tree and one of those sections will be carved and placed near the new Freedom Tree. Bill had me come up with the design for the carving. Due to other commitments, the sculptor, Jeff May, was unable to complete the carving in time for the Veterans Day dedication. It will be finished at a later date. That carving will have the original plaque at its base. Bill said he assumed the new Freedom Tree would be dedicated to me, however, I said it should be dedicated to all men and women of our armed forces. Bill coordinated with various groups and we came up with a date for the Freedom Tree dedication ceremony of 11 November, Veterans Day.

A number of people wrote letters to editor in the Coeur d'Alene Press that were kind to me and expressed their displeasure with the removal of the Freedom Tree. I thank them for their kind words and their support. I was sorry to see the old Freedom Tree cut down; however, the city of Coeur d'Alene and especially the Parks Department have treated me well. I am pleased with the new tree and I think the Veterans Plaza is great.

I was contacted by Sandy Doutre, the Secretary of the Kootenai County Veterans Council. Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Dan Gookin laid the groundwork for the dedication ceremony and then turned over the planning to Sandy.

The Freedom Tree dedication ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the McEuen Park Veterans Plaza and will include words by Mayor Steve Widmyer, my thoughts on the Freedom Tree, and music by the Powell brothers, who made an instrument from the wood of the old tree and wrote a song about the Freedom Tree. Also, some special quilts will be handed out. Sandy suggested that people bring folding chairs to sit on.

Also on Veterans Day, Pat Shelly of the American Legion, Greg Munden of the VFW and Jim Shephard have coordinated a Veterans Day Ceremony at the McEuen Park Veterans Plaza. If you plan to attend that ceremony, be there before 11. They will ring the Veterans Bell 11 times at 11 a.m. That date and time commemorates the Armistice after WWI.

When I came home from Vietnam I was welcomed with open arms. When many of our other Vietnam Vets returned home they were not treated well. Hopefully, that is in the past. I feel a bond to all Veterans, especially my fellow Vietnam Vets.

I would like to personally invite you to these ceremonies.