Jim Gutterman was a pilot in the US Marine Corps who was shot down over enemy territory during the Vietnam War. He was captured by the North Vietnamese and held as a prisoner of war (POW) for five years.
Gutterman was born on October 8, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1963 and completed pilot training in July 1965. He was then assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
In 1966, Gutterman volunteered for a six-month tour of duty in Vietnam.
He was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362 (HMM-362), which was based at Chu Lai.
On March 26, 1967, Gutterman’s helicopter was shot down while on a combat mission over Quang Ngai Province. He was captured by the Viet Cong and held as a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton” prison.
Gutterman was released on March 14, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. He returned to the United States and was medically retired from the Marine Corps in 1974.
Gutterman died on December 11, 2006, at the age of 61.
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