OK Air Force Veteran Remembers Events That Inspired 'Bridge Of Spies'

An Air Force veteran whose actions overseas in 1962 inspired one of last year's Academy Award-nominated movies, is right here in Tulsa.

Remember last year's movie Bridge of Spies - about the negotiation and eventual swap of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, who we had, and U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, who they had – well, Frank Mazikowski was there for the swap.

"The unit I was in charge of in Berlin was asked to provide translators," he said.

Mazikowski was in Air Force intelligence - his unit had the Russian speakers that might be needed.

"They had a Russian boat that picked up the prisoner," he said.

The translators were there to make sure everything was on the up and up.

Rick: "It all went well?"
Mazikowski: "They got that jerk on the boat and hauled him off."

He didn't have much regard for Russian spies then, or now.

That Bridge of Spies thing was toward the end of his career; early on, he was a crew member on a B-29, flying bombing missions over Italy.

The now retired Senior Master Sergeant got a Purple Heart when he got hit by a piece of anti-aircraft shrapnel.

You can show your appreciation for him and many other veterans during the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade; Mazikowski will be riding with the folks from Town Village Retirement Community.