All three were Air Force pararescue airman who were in helicopters shot down in 1965 while on missions to retrieve pilots who had already been shot down. They were the only enlisted men in the 4th Allied POW Wing in the prisons of Hanoi, North Vietnam. They were housed with, dressed like, and tortured like the officers. Although initially many POWs were held in solitary, eventually most were moved to cells containing several prisoners each. Because of their steadfastness to duty despite conditions, the Air Force and Navy officers in the cell with Black, Cormier, and Robinson decided that the three airmen should be commissioned. Over time, using small holes drilled through walls and toilet paper messages glued to thrown rocks, the officers received permission from the Senior Ranking Officer, a captain, at their current prison camp, and administered the oath in 1969. An "in cell Officer Candidate School" was established, and the new battlefield lieutenants were taught various subjects by both Air Force and Navy officers.
After the US raided Son Tay prison camp (an attempt to free the POWs there; unfortunately, by chance the communists moved the prisoners just before the raid), the POWs were grouped into larger camps in the Hanoi area. This brought the new lieutenants and their course instructors into the same area as the 4th Allied POW Wing commander, Col Flynn, although the senior officers were housed in a separate section. Another couple of rock/toilet paper air mails and Col Flynn gave his enthusiastic permission, also making it his personal mission to get the Air Force to recognized the battlefield commissions once the POWs were released.
When the POWs came home in 1973, now-General Flynn, and former fellow POW Admiral James B. Stockdale, wrote a document explaining the battlefield commissioning process used and began the push to get the official recognition of the commissions. At first the Air Force hierarchy was resistant, as it had no institutional precedent or regulation for battlefield commissions. Then Admiral Stockdale began talking with the Navy, which apparently prompted the Air Force to get off the dime and figure out a way to make it happen. The request then went to the SecDef, who approved and sent it to the White House. President Nixon is reported to have replied, "Heck yes!" Only he didn't say "heck."
On 9 April 1973, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, Black, Cormier, and Robinson were commissioned as lieutenants. It is a little hard to make the various histories on the internet jibe, but it appears that at least one of them may have been commissioned directly as a First Lieutenant. All three continued their Air Force careers, retired, and as far as I can tell are still living. William Robinson, Captain, USAF (Ret), holds the distinction of being the longest held enlisted POW in US History.
