Reflections on Captivity

On October 17, 1965, Navy LTJGPorterHalyburtonwas 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.Halyburtonwas held captivefor morethansevenyears.Reflections on Captivity, is acollection offiftyshort stories aboutthis youngnavalofficer'sexperiences as a POW in North Vietnam. This bookrecountsdifficulttimes butfocusesmore on thepositive aspects -the humor, creativity, friendships, courage, and leadership of an amazing group of Americans and how they helped each other survive and even thrive. Thesevignettesdemonstrate 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 stronglybelieves one'squality of life is determined more by choices made than by circumstances, and themost liberating choice we can make is to forgive.Reflections on Captivityfurthersthe reader's understanding about the nature of captivity, race relations, human relations, aspects of the air war against North Vietnam, andhighlightsthe importance of leadership, ethics, and devotion toduty in difficult times.