Reflections on Captivity: A Tapestry of Stories by a Vietnam War POW

"Reflections on Captivity" is a collection of fifty short stories about a young naval officer's experiences as a POW in North Vietnam. It focuses on the positive aspects of captivity, such as humor, creativity, friendships, courage, and leadership, and how the human mind, body, and spirit can adapt and find meaning in challenging circumstances. The author believes that one's quality of life is determined more by choices made than by circumstances and that the most liberating choice is to forgive. The book furthers the reader's understanding of captivity, race relations, human relations, and the air war against North Vietnam, and highlights the importance of leadership, ethics, and devotion to duty in difficult times.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2022
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

On October 17, 1965, Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Porter Halyburton was shot down over North Vietnam on his 76th mission and listed as killed in action. One and a half years later, he was found to be alive and a prisoner of war. Halyburton was held captive for more than seven years. Reflections on Captivity is a collection of fifty short stories about this young naval officer's experiences as a POW in North Vietnam. This book recounts difficult times but focuses more on the positive aspects—the humor, creativity, friendships, courage, and leadership of an amazing group of Americans and how they helped each other survive and even thrive. These vignettes demonstrate how the human mind, body, and spirit can adapt and find meaning in life in the most challenging circumstances. There are powerful lessons learned from this complex experience that continue to guide the author's life to this day. Despite hardship, suffering, and long separation, Halyburton strongly believes one's quality of life is determined more by choices made than by circumstances, and the most liberating choice we can make is to forgive. Reflections on Captivity furthers the reader's understanding about the nature of captivity, race relations, human relations, aspects of the air war against North Vietnam, and highlights the importance of leadership, ethics, and devotion to duty in difficult times.

Dimension: 203 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781682478257