Maj. Schierman's silver medal, POW artifacts now at St. John Museum

Steve Schierman of Puyallup and son, also Steve, a student at Whitworth, stand next to the portrait of the late Maj. Wesley D. Schierman at the St. John Museum. An Air Force pilot, Maj. Schierman was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for more than seven years.

Artifacts from the late Wesley D. Schierman, the St. John High School graduate who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than seven years, were donated to the St. John Museum last week by his son, Steve Schierman of Puyallup, and grandson, Steve, a student at Whitworth University in Spokane.

Maj. Schierman, who retired after a career as a pilot with United Airlines, died Jan. 4, 2014, at the age of 78. He resided on Whidbey Island and later at Everett.

The son of Waldo and Nora Schierman, Wesley Schierman graduated from St. John High School with the class of 1953. He joined the Washington Air National Guard while he was attending Washington State University and later went into the Air Force where he began a career as a pilot.

Schierman was shot down while flying a F 105 Thunderchief fighter/bomber about 100 miles west of Hanoi. He bailed out of the jet and was taken prisoner Aug. 28, 1965. He was taken to the prison camp which became known at the Hanoi Hilton and remained a POW until his release Feb. 13, 1973.

Years after their release, a group of former POWs went back to North Vietnam when the Hanoi Hilton was being razed.

Steve Schierman presented the museum with a brick from the Hanoi Hilton. He also presented Maj. Schierman's Silver Medal and a cigarette holder the major carved during his captivity. A bag of cigarette paper and tobacco were also presented.

These articles will be displayed with an original watercolor portrait of Maj. Schierman which his wife, Faye, presented to the museum.

Maj. Schierman is also survived by two daughters and two other grandchildren.