Dedication of the Richard G. Fecteau Monument | April 30, 2025

A dedication of the Richard G. Fecteau Monument was held at Flax Pond on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Elected officials, organizer Al DiVirgilio, CIA historian David A Welker, and members of the Fecteau family spoke before Richard Fecteau himself got up to say a few words. There was also a performance of the National Anthem by Dan Clark, presentation of the colors, and more. At Flax Pond there will now be a monument with informational sign recognizing what Fecteau went through as a P.O.W. from 1952-1971.

Richard G. Fecteau, born 1927, is an American Centra Intelligence Agency operative who was captured by the People’s Republic of China during a CIA-sponsored flight in the Korean War. News of the capture of Fecteau and John T. Downey reached the United States in November 1954, sparking a nearly two decade battle of wills between the U.S. and the PRC. Fecteau was released in December 1971.

Richard was Awarded The Distinguished Intelligence Cross. Thisis the highest decoration awarded by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It is given for a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage. Only a handful of people have been awarded this medal in the history of the agency, most posthumously. As a consequence, it is one of the rarest awards for valor in the United States.