John M. McGrath, a young Navy pilot who was captured in 1967 after being shot down over Vietnam, vividly presents a straightforward and compelling tale of survival, of years of suffering, and of the human will to endure. During the era of the unpopular Vietnam War few issues united the American people as did the emotion-laden problem of POWs and MIAs. When the peace treaties were finally signed and the POWs returned to American soil, the nation was collectively relieved by their safe return. A self-taught artist, the starkness of McGrath’s drawings underscores his remarkable and moving chronicle of the lives of these prisoners, who were constantly in peril, attempting to survive a brutal captivity almost unimaginable in civilized times.
Outlaw Lead
During a bombing raid over North Vietnam, Kenneth R. Hughey takes flak in his F-4 Phantom. With both their aircraft’s engines burning, Hughey and fellow crewman Mel Pollack eject at 22,000 feet and 620 miles an hour. The Vietcong capture Hughey as soon as he reaches ground, beginning what would
