Robert Harper Shumaker is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy who went on to serve as rear admiral and naval aviator in the U.S. Navy. Shumaker is best known for his resilience as a prisoner during the Vietnam War, and for coining the phrase ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ in reference to the notorious North Vietnamese prison. During his captivity, Shumaker was instrumental in the implementation of the ‘tap code’ that the prisoners used to communicate with each other. After eight years of captivity, on February 12, 1973, he was finally released. After returning home to his family and country, he continued to serve in the Navy until he retired in 1988.
Surviving the Hanoi Hilton
There are very few people who embody the American spirit quite like Major General John Borling. The 35 year Air Force veteran was shot down in Vietnam and spent the next 6 and a half years in a prison camp. See how he found the will to survive under the most impossible circumstances.
