Francy Powers Jr. - Spy Pilot - Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy

Powers: Yes, it looked like everything I saw there was part of it. 22

Completely shut off from the outside world, and unaware what his family had been told about the incident, the pilot was eager to contact his parents and his wife. Several days after visiting the wreckage, he was allowed to begin writing letters. The first was to his wife.

26 May 1960

My Dearest Barbara,

I want you to know that I love you and miss you very much. I did not realize how much until I found myself in this situation. Not knowing, when, if ever, I will see you again, has made me realize how much you mean to me. I have had plenty of time to think since I have been here and plenty of time to regret past mistakes.

I am sincerely sorry to cause you the suffering you must have had before you found out that I am still alive. I am also sorry to be the cause of any suffering or pain that you may be having because of the situation that I am presently in.

I hope with all my heart that you are well and everything is all right with you. I hope your trip back to the States was a good one. It looks like we will not get to take the boat trip back that we were planning on.

It is very hard to write this letter even though I have been wanting to write ever since I have been here. I don’t know what to say or how to say it.

I have been told that there is a lot of publicity in the U.S. papers about me. I was also told that you had returned to the States and that you are presently with your mother.

Barbara tell me how my mother and father are taking this. Is my mother all right? I was afraid that it might be too much of a shock to her. I am going to write to them as soon as I finish this letter but if my mother is ill they might not let me know like they did once before. I am depending on you for this information.

Well to get back to me, I am getting along as good as can be expected. I get more than I can eat and plenty of sleep. I have also been reading a lot. I have been treated much better than expected. For the first week or so I had no appetite at all but I am doing fine now.

When I had to bail out of the plane I skinned my right shin a little and carried a black left eye for two weeks. A lady doctor treated them both and they are well now.

That was my first experience with a parachute and I hope I will never have another. I could not use the ejection seat because of the G forces and had to climb out. My chute opened immediately how I don’t know, I don’t remember pulling anything. The people here tell me I am lucky to be alive but only time will tell me whether or not I was lucky.

Things happened pretty fast after that. Before dark that night I was in Moscow. I have been in the same cell since then. It gets pretty lonely here by myself but they have given me books to read and it helps to pass the time. I also get to walk in the fresh air every day that it doesn’t rain. One day I even took a sun bath. It has been a little too cold to do that every day.

On May 2nd I was taken on a tour of Moscow which I enjoyed very much. These people are real proud of their Capitol city and it is a beautiful city. Another time I was taken to a park to review the remains of my plane. Those are the only two times I have been out of this building.

Just now a guard asked me if I wanted to walk but I prefer to finish this letter so I said no.

Barbara, I don’t know what is going to happen to me. The investigation and interrogation is still going on. When that is over there will be a trial. I will be tried in accordance with Article 2 of their criminal code for espionage. The article states that the punishment is 7 to 15 years imprisonment and death in some cases. Where I fit in I don’t know. I don’t know when the trial will be or anything. I only know that I don’t like the situation I am in or the situation I have placed you in. I will try my best to make the most of it and I hope you will do the same.

I was told today that I could write letters to you and my parents. That was good news. I was also told that there appeared in one of the U.S. papers a statement that my father had made that he would like to come here and see me. I was told that if the U.S. government would let any of you come that you would be allowed to see me. I would rather you waited until the trial or after so that I could tell you what the results were. But I will leave the decision of when to come up to you.

I did take a walk after all. I just came back from it. It was getting pretty smoky in here and I needed the fresh air. I am still smoking too much. By the way these cigarettes here are pretty good.

I want to assure you Barbara that I am getting along fine. I am being treated very good and as I said before, much better than I expected. You probably have the idea that I had before that the treatment would be bad. Well it isn’t. It isn’t like home but a person can not expect to be treated at home in any prison. I don’t like to be locked up but under the circumstances I don’t expect anything else.

Darling I wish I had good news to give you. I know you worry about me but I don’t know what is going to happen. I will let you know of any new developments if I am allowed to.

Darling you are in charge of everything now. You have those Powers of Attorneys so use them as you see fit. Everything is in your hands and I trust to your judgment. I don’t want to hear anything about what you do with the money you and I saved, use your own judgment and do what you think is best but don’t bother me with your decisions. You are on your own now and I do not know for how long. Just be careful and maybe we can still buy a house some day. It is a pleasant thought, owning our own home, especially as I sit here in my cell thinking about it.

Well Darling, it is dark outside now and I guess I had better go to bed. I have written a lot more than I thought I could. At first I didn’t seem to think of what to write but it kept coming out.

Barbara, once again I say I am very sorry for everything. I hope that you are all right and I want you to know that I love you very much. I am sending you, with this letter,

As the production and consumption of correspondence quickly became a central part of his existence, my father wrote steadily to his wife and parents, including this second letter to Oliver and Ida:

21 June 1960

Dear Mom and Dad,

I received your answer to my letter yesterday and was very glad to hear that all of you are well. Several days ago I received your note that you sent in care of the American Embassy. I did not answer it but waited for an answer to my letter.

I have not heard a word as yet from Barbara. Do you know if there is anything wrong that she hasn’t written? I was told that it was written in the newspapers that she had received my letter. I should have had an answer by now. I guess it is on the way. Maybe I will get it tomorrow.

You stated in your letter that you would be leaving for the USSR in about fifteen days or when you received my answer to your letter. By this I take it that permission has been granted for you to visit me. I would like to see you very much but I still think it would be best for you to wait until the trial or after it when we could know what my fate is to be. I have no idea when the trial will take place but I could let you know when I find out.

If you come now the only thing you could find out is that I am getting along fine and am healthy. I don’t know how long you could stay but I am sure with your work back there that it couldn’t be long. You would then have to return not knowing any more about what is to happen to me than you did when you came. If you come after the trial than you could see me and know the results too.

Maybe you think that you will be able to help me in some way. I wish that you could but I see no way that you can. Your presence here could not alter the outcome of my trial.