Vietnam POW is re-awarded medals lost in Harvey flood (Mike Penn)

When Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters swept away the military medals of retired Navy Capt. Michael Penn, he considered the loss just one among many.

“We spent about a week in shock,” said Penn, a Vietnam veteran who survived eight months as prisoner of war. “Not medical shock, but mental shock. We had lost so much, so many meaningful things. Our daughter’s wedding pictures, all kinds of memorabilia, plus the thousands of dollars-worth of furniture. There was so much lost, and that was just one thing on the list.”

About three months after the flooding, Penn was honored with new medals presented by U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Kingwood, in what has become a long recovery for the Penns.

Other Publications You Might Be Interested In

Col. Hall- P.O.W. Veteran at the Hanoi Hilton

One of the most honored occasions that I’ve ever experienced was meeting a Vietnam War Veteran and P.O.W., who was held at the infamous Hanoi Hilton in North Vietnam for seven-and-a-half-years. I had just concluded a meeting with a major supplier (ALCOA) at the Hattiesburg Country Club in south Mississippi,

Read More »

George E. Smith, Vietnam Veteran and Prisoner of War

I had the honor of photographing George E. Smith, a Vietnam Veteran and former Prisoner of War for 614 Magazine. The Vietnam War has resurfaced in the American consciousness lately thanks in large part to the documentary by Ken Burns.  The documentary tells the story of the Vietnam War through

Read More »