Few men have literally been blown out of the sky and lived to tell about it. If you can call being starved, beaten and otherwise tortured living. But not only did Phil Butler survive, he came out of the experience a new man…a war hero, a loving husband, a warrior for peace and justice. Now he is telling his story, a compelling tale about becoming a warrior, from the seeds of his childhood in Oklahoma, the tempering of his character as a POW for 2855 days and nights, and his conscious growth when he returned to the United States. Phil Butler’s story is not only interesting, it is instructive; he defines a path for the willing and the courageous. No, a man – or a woman – doesn’t have to be tortured to be a warrior and it doesn’t even always help. But most people who would evolve to that higher level do so after confronting great demons and daunting tasks. Phil Butler’s account of his journey is part road map, part history, and always an engaging tale.
Operation Thunderhead: The True Story of Vietnam’s Final POW Rescue Mission–and the last Navy Seal Kil led in Country
In the last year of the Vietnam conflict, even as American troops were leaving for home, there were still those fighting for their lives: prisoners of war being held in the Communist north. There were two operations launched to rescue the POWs. One—the legendary Son Tay Raid—was revealed to the public.
