This memorial plaque honors Captain Lance P. Sijan, USAF, a Medal of Honor recipient who died as a prisoner of war in January 1968 after evading capture for weeks following his aircraft's loss over Laos. The replica headstone shown here recalls the original marker the North Vietnamese Army placed at his gravesite — later returned with his remains in 1974, a gesture many veterans view as rare recognition of Sijan's extraordinary courage, even by his captors. Project: 218972