came out victorious.
This is a true story of courage and perseverance
about a former Vietnam POW.
Howard Rutledge was a US pilot who was shot down and taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. He spent 7 years as a POW.
He was tortured and abused as prisoners were and
struggled to survive in appalling conditions...
At one time, he spent many days tied up in an extremely painful position in a very hot cell in solitary confinement.
His faith in God sustained him, along with the prayers of many including his devoted wife, Phyllis.
The title of his novel describing the experience is from Psalm 23,
one of the scriptures he drew strength from. He and the other prisoners did not have Bibles and tried to recall as much scripture as they could.
First published in 1973, this book is not easy to get today.
Growing up, I had the comic book edition and it made a lasting impression on me.
who was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967.
He was in the same prison ("Hanoi Hilton") as Rutledge.
McCain's father was a very high ranking
Navy officer. When the North Vietnamese learned this,
they offered a deal to McCain that he could be released.
McCain knew the enemy would use such a release for propaganda purposes and that his release would hurt the morale of his fellow prisoners so McCain refused the release because it broke a military code that prisoners be released in the order in which they were captured.
McCain was a POW for five and a half years, before his release in 1973. Because of his defiance and the struggle of wills with his captors, he suffered many beatings, incurring lasting and painful injuries that are with him today. He was put into solitary confinement for two and a half years.
Faith of My Fathers is McCain's memoir about the experience.
Besides the book, it was also made into a TV movie.
