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On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, two EB-66 aircraft, call signs Bat 21 and Bat 22\xa0were flying pathfinder escort for three B-52s,\xa0which were assigned to bomb\xa0the two primary access routes to the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos.\xa0Gene Hambleton, a navigator aboard Bat 21,\xa0was shot down behind North Vietnamese lines. His rescue became known as the largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue operation during the Vietnam War.\xa0In this episode, Gene Hambleton recounts his dramatic story.\xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices