The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum will host a Veterans Tribute Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 10th, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The celebration includes a musical performance, vendor tables, luncheon and comments from retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Larry Spencer who spent nearly seven years as an American prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Spencer was born in Wichita, Kansas and grew up in Earlham, Iowa graduating from Earlham High School in 1958. He entered the U.S. Navy in February 1963, completing aviation officer candidate school at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. During Vietnam, Spencer had two deployments to Southeast Asia serving aboard the USS Ranger and USS Enterprise from 1964-1966.

On Feb. 18, 1966, while flying an F-4B Phantom II on reconnaissance escort mission over North Vietnam he was shot down and captured near Thanh Hoa. Spencer spent six days shy of seven years in captivity as POW, for a total of 2,551 days. Spencer was one of the first 20 American POWs to return from North Vietnam, arriving back in the United States on Feb. 14, 1973. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1985 after 22 years of service.

During the celebration the museum will host a supply drive for veterans with a collection point sponsored by Operation Barnabas of Des Moines. All donations will go to benefit veterans in central Iowa. Some examples of what to bring include coffee, canned goods, chewing gum, bath soap, and cleaning supplies. For a complete list go to www.iowamilitarysupport.org

The lecture will take place in the Col. Al Rolfes Education Center at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum on Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Admission to the museum is free.