Hubert E. Buchanan (born April 24, 1941) is a former United States Air Force captain and fighter pilot in the Vietnam War who was shot down, captured, and spent 2,362 days as a prisoner of war in Hanoi and surrounding areas.

His next assignment was as an F-4 Pilot Systems Operator with the 16th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, from December 1965 to August 1966, followed by service as an F-4 Pilot Systems Operator with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, from August 1966.

[3] On 16 September 1966, Major John L. "Robbie" Robertson, pilot, and then-First Lieutenant Buchanan, weapons systems operator, comprised the crew of the #3 aircraft (F-4C-20-MC, s/n 63-7643) in a flight of four, call sign "Moonglow 3".

The flight departed Ubon at 15:00 hours to conduct an armed reconnaissance mission against the Dap Cau Railroad and Highway Bridge located approximately 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Kép Air Base, between the major cities of Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam.

Shortly after the flight departed Ubon, one of the Phantoms developed fuel problems and was forced to return to base.

The #3 MiG was flown by North Vietnamese ace Nguyễn Văn Bảy, who was credited with seven kills by the end of the war.

In a 1997 meeting between the North Vietnamese pilot and Ralph Wetterhahn, another friend of Robbie Robertson who was also assigned to this strike mission and flying in another flight of F4C aircraft from the 555 TFS, the following information was established.

The MiG's flight leader gave permission to give chase, but expressed doubt that they could catch the much faster American aircraft.

As the MiG-17s moved toward the Phantoms, Nguyễn Văn Bảy saw Moonglow 3 initiate a climbing left turn.

That turning maneuver allowed the MiG pilot to cut the diameter of the circle and close the distance between the opposing aircraft to 100 to 150 meters (330 to 490 ft) to achieve an appropriate angle of attack.

Nguyễn Văn Bảy lined up, fired again and saw a wheel come out from beneath the F4's wing and sail past his canopy.

My helmet was bouncing around - I really don't have a clear memory of ejecting, however, I do sort of have a dream - I can kind of imagine pulling the handle the F4 had between your legs."

While some villagers were armed with rifles and machetes, most were unarmed and even fetched Buchanan drinking water.

A farmer named Le Cong Su was officially credited by the North Vietnamese government for Buchanan's capture.

The political officer roused the crowd to become angry and paraded Buchanan around through many villages encouraging people to be violent with him, some tried to kill him.

"[5] Upon arrival at the prison camp, Buchanan was taken into interrogation where political officers attempted to solicit classified information regarding future air strike targets.

A short stool to sit on, a blue cloth over a desk, it was completely the same.Initially, Buchanan was regularly subjected to various forms of torture and beatings in attempts to elicit military secrets.

[5] Buchanan was later awarded the Silver Star (second award), Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star medals for resisting the demands of his captors in the face of "harassment, intimidation, crulties... and torture" In December 1991, Japanese television company Mirai, USA offered to send Buchanan back to Vietnam as part of an ongoing series about MIAs.

But it's so ironic to be there in this place halfway around the world with a guy standing there wearing a Boston Red Sox hat."

He and the villagers laugh a lot when a Japanese television crew photographs him with Le Cong Su, his capturer.