Retired LTC Iceal "Gene" Hambleton died at 85 at his home in Tucsan this week.

He is most famous for his escape from enemy territory during the Vietnam War when the EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft on Easter Sunday 1972 was shot down. He was the only survivor.

He was able to evade capture for 12 days in hostile territory by cordinating his movement to rescue personel by using a code based on golf courses that he had played. During those 12 days he lost some 45 pounds of body weight.

At least seven military personell where killed during attempts to rescue him during those 12 days.

The rescue was later made into a movie called "Bat-21" with Gene Hackman playing Hambleton.