colonel "bud" day served 30 months in the south pacific during ww ii as an enlisted member with the us marine corps. he served as an army reservist, and army guardsman between ww ii and korea, and then in the air force during the vietnam war (3 different services over the span of 3 different wars.) after being shot down on august 26, 1967, and serving 7 years in captivity, colonel day was repatriated in 1973. a recipient of virtually every other available combat decoration, he is widely considered the most decorated airman in history. his autobiography is titled "return with honor" and he later expanded upon that book in a second autobiography titled "duty, honor, country."