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

Wasn’t it Patrick Henry who said “Give me liberty or give me death”? He wasn’t even speaking of his own personal liberty then—only of the liberty of a nation in which he was free at the time. How much more would he have said if he was locked in a cell at the time?

Darling, I probably shouldn’t be writing all this to you. You have enough trouble of your own, because of me, and here I am trying to make you share my own personal moods and depressions. It is good to get these thoughts out of my mind though and writing to you is somewhat like talking to you.

No matter what happens to me or how long I stay here there is one thing that will never change, one thing I can depend on to last much longer than ten years, and one thing to keep my spirits up even though they do get low at times. That one thing is my love for you. You know that I love you very much and prison or nothing else except you yourself can ever change that.

Please try to tell your mother how very grateful I am that she accompanied you here and how much I enjoyed seeing her. She has been more like a mother to me than a mother-in-law and I love her like a mother. Tell her for me that as long as you are with her I know you are in safe hands.

Tell your sister Nell and her husband Fred that I think of them very often and miss them much. Tell them to take care of Tammy Gay. She will be a big girl when I see her again. Don’t let her forget her uncle Gary. Tell Fred that he and I will go fishing again one of these days. When we do I hope we have as much luck as we had before. That was a good trip.

Well Darling, I guess that is about all for this time except once again I want to say, I love you very much. I wish our life could have been different but it is too late now to change what has happened. Don’t worry about me for I will be okay. I will have my moods but that is all they are, they don’t last too long. I know I will be okay as long as I know that you are. Take care of yourself and continue to love me and everything will work out all right.

P.S. My address is the same as before until further notice. 36

The prisoner was settling into his new cell at Vladimir by the time he received his next letter from his parents:

Sept. 12, 1960

My Dear Son,

If I had known you could receive letters we would have written several before this. We just recd your letter. You heard them tell us while there that you could write and rec. one letter a month. That is why I haven’t written. Has Barbara wrote you. I talked to her on the phone Fri evening and she wanted to know if I had heard. She said she hadn’t heard anything but would call me when she heard. We didn’t know if you had moved or not. Sure hope we can hear from you once a month any way. It’s so far to where she lives and we have no way to talk with her only by phone.

You can never know how we hated to leave you there. I’m so glad you got the testament. Read it and study it well and you can find great comfort from its teaching. The book of Acts tells how you are to be saved and the other books tell us how to live a Christian life. The first four books tell the teaching of Jesus so it’s all the best book written if possible tell others of its teaching it would[n’t] hurt anyone to learn the truths found in it.

We will do our best to stay well and pray that we can all be united again as soon as we can. God is our help and without him we can do nothing. So take him with you where ever you go. And pray that he will give you strength to stay well and keep you safe till we meet again.

Daddy plans to try to see Mr. K. [Khrushchev] in N.Y. around the 20th of this month. Don’t worry too much. Everyone thinks everything will turn out OK. We sent two men home that was sentenced 10 and 20 years soon after their trial and maybe you won’t have to stay the full time. Every one is for you and no one can be too far against you. Just remember how we have taught you to live and every thing will turn out all right.

I don’t think Grandpa realizes the trouble. He always asks when you will be home. He can’t remember things very long and asks over and over.

We have thanked every one that has helped us. We will thank them again.

Who has the pictures now? Does the lawyer have them yet? I wondered if you would get to see them.

We didn’t have any trouble on our way back. Every one was so nice to us. I think air travel is the best way to go. It’s so pretty up among the clouds.

If you need any thing, please let us know of if we can do anything. You know we would do any thing for you we could any time. So do let us know if we can see about anything or do anything any time. Try not to worry about us and remember every one is thinking and praying for you. May God bless all.

Write when you can. Everyone loves you. Let us know if you move and where to write.

Soon it became clear that Frank’s budding friendship with Zigurd—whom he called “one of the finest people I have ever known” 38—helped keep his mind occupied and his spirits up, as he explained in a letter to his wife:

21 September 1960

Dearest Barbara,

I am now at my permanent place of residence. I have been moved to a prison about two and one-half hours from Moscow by car at a city called Vladimir. I will remain here I suppose until my three years of prison are finished and then be transferred to a work camp.

The conditions here are very similar to the conditions in Moscow except I have a cell mate. He is a very nice person. He is thirty three years old and speaks English fairly well. He also speaks German and Russian. I don’t think I could have done better if I had chosen him myself. He also is not a Russian.

He is a very interesting person to talk to and helps me a lot when I need any translating done. He is also helping me to learn Russian which I am sure is going to be a big job for him because it is very difficult for me.

I have been here a little over a week now and am getting into the routine. I don’t think it is going to be too bad. Of course it could be a lot better but one cannot expect too much from a prison.

It sure is nice having someone to talk to. My cell mate says he hasn’t spoken much English for the past eight years and says that as soon as he has had some practice it will come back to him. He has improved since I have been here and I think speaks good English. I wish I could speak Russian as good as he speaks English.

There is also a radio in the cell which helps a lot. Of course I cannot understand what is said but the music is very good. It is especially good after the long hours that I spent in solitary confinement in Moscow.

I will be allowed to write four letters a month, maybe two to you, one to my parents and one to a different sister each month. Things will be more or less routine and there will be very little for me to write about. I am sure my letters will soon become boring.

I suppose I should be getting a letter from you soon. I am anxiously awaiting one. It has been a long time since I heard from you. I would also like to know what arrangements you made about cigarettes, etc.

Darling they offered to let me wear my ring and watch but it is against the rules so I decided not to take them. I might lose them so I will give them to you to keep for me when I see you again. Time doesn’t mean very much in prison and a watch would probably keep reminding me not only of the time but of the time remaining. I try to forget about that.

I am allowed to receive one package from you a month. I won’t need too much but there are a few things which would come in handy. I would like to have an English dictionary, a couple of pipes and some pipe tobacco, cigarette paper for rolling cigarettes in case I run out at any time, chap stick of lips, a double edge razor with blades, shaving cream (tube), and after shave cream (not liquid), also a shaving brush. In the food line I could use some dried fruit (apples, peaches, etc.), some [Borden’s] Eagle Brand milk (cans).