Vietnam POWs honored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (William Thomas)

Colonel Benjamin Purcell: 5 Years in Hell

Colonel Benjamin Purcell was executive commander of the 80th General Support Group in Vietnam when his helicopter was shot down on February 8, 1968. He and five other passengers were captured by the Viet Cong. Colonel Purcell was the highest ranking Army officer captured during the Vietnam War. He spent more

Army Says It Will Not Punish P.O.W. Captured While AWOL (Richard Springman)

When Pvt. Ferdinand Rodriguez of Brooklyn arrived at Valley Forge General Hospital on a stretcher 22 days ago after nearly five years as a prisoner of war, his infirmities were listed as malaria, exhaustion and apprehension. The apprehension eased considerably Wednesday when Defense Department aides told him that he would

Called to Serve: Vietnam Veteran and UF Alumnus Recalls Experiences During, After War (Keith Lewis)

Chaplain Col. Keith Lewis visiting the University of Findlay Veterans Honor Wall during 2018 Homecoming and Family Weekend. For Chaplain Col. Keith H. Lewis, USAF (RET), it was the little, yet profound things that kept him alive while he was a POW during the Vietnam War. For instance, a clock

Escaped Vietnam POW, lifelong Akron resident Bruce Graening dies at 67

Almost 50 years after escaping his Viet Cong captors, a lifelong Akron resident has passed away. Bruce Graening was born on July 30, 1946, and lived his 67 years in Kenmore. After graduating from Kenmore High School, he was drafted to serve in the United States Army or, as he

This photo was the start of over 5 years of living hell for POW Pete Schoeffel

You can’t breath because your chest is compressed during the process,” Captain Peter Schoeffel explains. He’s talking about being tortured by the communist North Vietnamese, who were trying to force captured American military personnel to talk. Schoeffel, a retired navy pilot living in Jacksonville, tells about his experience as a