Kirk, Tom

Tom Kirk was born November 10, 1928 in Richmond, Virginia. He grew up an avid musician, and by the end of high school he was playing gigs 3-4 nights a week – time he should have been studying according to his father.  So the decision was made to send him to the Virginia Military Institute – to expose him to more rigorous discipline and to give him the opportunity to study medicine, which his mother championed.  He graduated with that degree but was not interested in becoming a doctor, so he chose a different path that led him to the USAF.  Pilot training followed, and during that time the Korean War broke out, and Tom found himself in a B-29, one of many brought out of retirement from WW2.  He was not interested in this direction and was fortunate to be redirected to single-engine aircraft, ending up in a T6 flying forward observation missions in Korea.  He also served as a Forward Air Control officer with the 7th Infantry Division and was a briefing officer in Seoul.  He was able to use connections from that experience to find his way into the F-86 Sabre.  The next phase of air force career began at this point – on the front lines with SAC and the policy of nuclear deterrence – as Tom was flying missions out of Aviano AFB in Italy, tasked with potential one way missions against the USSR and Warsaw Pact nations if the Cold War were to turn hot.  During that period the war in Vietnam began to intensify, and Tom soon found himself in the mix there, flying F-105s.  On a fateful mission over Hanoi where he was in the lead, Tom was shot down.  He bailed out and was captured, and his life as a POW began.  He endured harrowing physical and emotional torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese for six years:  he was one of the many POWs at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, and his release came only with the end of the war in 1973.  Tom was able to transition back to life in the US, and he maintained his career in the air force for a few more years until he retired.  After that he had a successful career as a businessman and entrepreneur, and he has kept up his love of jazz too – and all of his experiences comprise his American dream.  Tom has spoken many times about his experiences, and he is an active advocate for veterans’ causes.  Tom Kirk was interviewed by Zach Dunn and Scott Masters in September 2025.