Navy Lt. j.g. Jeffery Vignery is the first to board a chartered aircraft that will fly him from Haikou, China, to Guam.
Navy Lt. j.g. Jeffery Vignery is the first to board a chartered aircraft that will fly him from Haikou, China, to Guam, on April 12, 2001, during Operation Valiant Return. Vignery is one of 24 crew members detained for 11 days after their EP-3 Aries II reconnaissance aircraft made forced landing on Hainan Island as a result of a collision with a Chinese F-8 fighter aircraft. The crew will stop briefly in Guam to change planes and will then continue on to Hawaii for military debriefings before a final reunion with families and friends on the mainland. Vignery is from Goodland, Kan.