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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Larry Spencer, the Iowa native who spent seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, will be laid to rest later this month – the day after Memorial Day. Spencer passed away over the weekend at the age of 82.

The Earlham-native and Navy pilot was shot down in 1966 over North Vietnam. He was imprisoned in the same POW camp as future Senator John McCain in Vietnam. Spencer was finally freed from captivity in 1973. Spencer spoke with our Roger Riley in 2018 about his years of imprisonment.

Memorial services for Spencer were announced on Monday. His funeral will be held on Tuesday, May 31st at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines beginning at 9:00 a.m. A service will follow at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. that day.