Gary Powers: The U-2 Incident and His Release
On February 10, 1962, U.S. spy plane pilot Gary Powers was released on the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin. Powers had been shot down over Soviet Russia in May 1960 while flying a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft on a mission.
The Downing of the U-2 and Its Aftermath
Following his capture, Soviet authorities interrogated Powers and put him on trial for espionage. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The incident led to the cancellation of a planned summit between U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
The Bridge Exchange
Behind-the-scenes negotiations between American and Russian officials resulted in an agreement for Powers to be released in exchange for high-ranking KGB officer Rudolf Abel, who had been arrested in the United States.
The exchange occurred on the Glienicke Bridge, connecting East and West Berlin, where both men walked across a central dividing line.
Return to Controversy and Recognition
Upon his return to the United States, Powers encountered criticism from some who believed he should not have allowed himself to be captured alive, despite carrying a hidden dose of poison for such an event. Powers was subsequently cleared of any blame for the loss of his U-2 plane by both the CIA and the Senate.
He later left the CIA and worked as a helicopter pilot for a Los Angeles television station. Powers died in a helicopter crash in 1977.
In 2000, 40 years after his plane was downed, he was posthumously honored by the U.S. Air Force following years of campaigning by his family for official military recognition.