‘Where Do We Get Such Men?’

In this installment of “When Character Counted” is the story of a man whose phenomenal grit and courage became legendary in the U.S. Air Force.

(L) 1st Lt. Lance P. Sijan in front of a F-4 Phantom II aircraft; and in a formal portrait. Public Domain

In the 1954 film “The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” based on James Michener’s novel and set during the Korean War, Adm. George Tarrant ponders the bravery of the Navy carrier pilots he commands, and then wonders aloud, “Where do we get such men?”

That same question occurs when we consider the life and death of Lt. Lance Sijan.