Eugene “Red” McDaniel, 94, a Navy pilot shot down over North Vietnam who spent six years as a prisoner of war (POW) and later retired as a captain, died of congestive heart failure on August 7, 2026, in his home in Mount Vernon (Alexandria), Virginia.

Captain McDaniel was shot down near Hanoi on May 19, 1967, and was missing in action until March 1970, when the Hanoi government acknowledged he was being held as a prisoner of war. He was released on March 4, 1973, after the Vietnam cease-fire and returned home to his wife Dorothy and his three children, who were living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. When he returned from Vietnam, he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's highest award for bravery. Among his other military decorations are two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit with Combat “V”, the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars with Combat “V”, and two Purple Hearts for wounds received during his torture as a prisoner of war. He is the author of “Scars and Stripes”, a book telling of his experiences in a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam.

When Captain McDaniel returned from Vietnam, he returned to flying the A6A Intruder and later served as Commanding Officer of USS Niagara Falls and aircraft carrier USS Lexington. He retired from the Navy in 1981, after serving as Navy/Marine Corps Liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Following his retirement, Captain McDaniel founded the American Defense Institute and the American Defense Foundation, non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting a strong national defense. He served as president of the two organizations until 1998. He also founded a home health care agency, ACCFamily, based in Alexandria. He spent the past four decades pursuing the truth about the men who were missing in action and didn't return from the war. He believed his bombardier navigator, LT James “Kelly” Patterson, had been sent to the former Soviet Union due to his vast technical knowledge about their state-of-the art A6A aircraft. He was a leader among thousands across the country pursuing the truth about the POW/MIA issue.

Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Dorothy Howard McDaniel of Alexandria; three children, Michael Howard McDaniel (Captain, US Navy (retired) and Leslie McDaniel Lindsay, both of Alexandria; and David Eugene McDaniel of San Diego, California, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

No flowers please! Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to:

American Defense Institute 

9316 Craig Ave, Alexandria, VA  22309

ADI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization