It has been 54 years since Air Force 1st Lieutenant James McEwen’s plane was shot down in Vietnam. On a gray and rainy Wednesday in Washington, local veterans, city leaders and others gathered to honor the Washington native. They took the wraps off of a sign along Duncan Avenue to honor McEwen who grew up on the street. His sister Jean Jacquin, who now lives in Michigan, was on hand for the ceremony which included a 21-gun salute and taps. Jacquin tells WJPA News she is “very grateful for the fact that after 54 years some people still want to honor my brother.” She says “he loved his country” and “he was defending the principles our country was built on”. He was a 1958 graduate of Washington High School. McEwen’s plane was shot down October 22, 1965 while on a classified night mission.