Pound in Wise County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Francis Gary Powers — U2 Pilot

Photographed By J. J. Prats, October 17, 2015

1. Francis Gary Powers — U2 Pilot Marker

Inscription. Francis Gary Powers (1929-1977) was raised here in Pound and graduated from Grundy High School. Powers enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950 after graduating from Milligan College in Tennessee. In 1956, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited him to fly espionage missions over the Soviet Union. On 1 May 1960 the Soviets shot down his U-2 spy plane. Parachuting to safety, he was captured, tried, and sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage. Powers was exchanged in 1962 for a Soviet spy. The CIA and the military decorated him for his efforts. He died 1 Aug. 1977 in a helicopter crash and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Erected 2005 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KA-20.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 1, 1960.

Location. 37° 6.025′ N, 82° 35.977′ W. Marker is in Pound, Virginia, in Wise County. Marker is at the intersection of Orby Cantrell Highway (U.S. 23) and Indian Creek Road (Business U.S. 23), on the right when traveling north on Orby Cantrell Highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pound VA 24279, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Pound, Virginia (approx. 1.3 miles away); Pound War Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); Dotson-Mullins Field (approx. 1.6 miles away); These Men Gave the Supreme Sacrifice for Our Freedom (approx. 1.6 miles away); Pound High School (approx. 1.6 miles away); Daniel Webster Dotson (approx. 2.4 miles away); Wise County / Dickenson County (approx. 3½ miles away); a different marker also named Daniel Webster Dotson (approx. 3.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pound.

Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry. “Soviet intelligence was aware of encroaching U-2 flights since 1956 but lacked effective countermeasures until 1960. On May 1, 1960, Powers’ U-2, which departed from a military airbase in Peshawar, Pakistan with support from the US Air Station at Badaber (Peshawar Air Station), was shot down by an S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missile over Sverdlovsk. Powers was unable to activate the plane’s self-destruct mechanism before he bailed out and was captured.” (Submitted on November 22, 2015.)

Photographed By J. J. Prats, October 17, 2015

2. Francis Gary Powers — U2 Pilot Marker

Powers Wears Special Pressure Suit <br>Ф. Г. Пауэрс в специальной экипировке image. Click for full size.

RIA Novosti archive, image #35172 / Chernov / CC-BY-SA 3.0, via Wikipedia Commons, November 22, 1960

3. Powers Wears Special Pressure Suit
Ф. Г. Пауэрс в специальной экипировке

Francis Gary Powers wearing special pressure suit for stratospheric flying was an American spy whose Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down by a Soviet surface-to-air missile outside Sverdlovsk. Фрэнсис Гарри Пауэрс в специальной экипировке для длительных полетов в стратосфере - американский шпион, чей самолет-разведчик "Локхид У-2" был сбит советской зенитной ракетой под Свердловском. Россия, Москва

Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,515 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 22, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.