Surviving Hell: A POWs Journey

Roy Thompson the British Press Lord once said, "What makes a hero truly great is that they never despair." Such a man is Leo Thorsness, a former Air Force fighter pilot who endured six long years of constant torture and mind numbing boredom with unflinching courage and gritty determination. The experiences of this remarkable man are chronicled in his recently published book, Surviving Hell, A POW's Journey.On April 19, 1967, Thorsness secured a place in Air Force history when he and his backseater, Harry Johnson, came to the rescue of a fellow F-105 crew who had been shot down by a MIG and were encircled by four or five more MIGs as they dangled in their parachutes. In the ensuing battle, Thorsness shot down two of the MIGs and then, in a courageous act of sheer bluff, drove the remainder away even though he was out of ammo. Years later, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. Meanwhile, he and Johnson needed just twelve more missions to reach the magic number of one hundred, which would allow them to return home. But it was not to be. Less than two weeks later, Thorsness and Johnson were shot down while attacking a SAM site in North Vietnam and were subsequently taken prisoner.Like many downed American airmen, Thorsness was badly injured during his high speed ejection. Severe damage to both knees plus back injuries made it virtually impossible to walk when he was captured. But this seemed to matter little to his captors who kicked, beat, and half dragged him through the long journey to Hoa Lo prison, otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton. It was there that his journey through hell truly began.Many of the details of his POW life I had read in other books. I was familiar with the tap code, the way POWs communicated with each other without speaking; and had read several descriptions of the filth, disease, inhumane living conditions; and of course, the brutal torture the North Vietnamese subjected their prisoners to every day of their lives. What impressed me about this book, however, is how simply and elegantly Thorsness tells his story. Surviving Hell is a sparse 127 pages, yet in it he manages to describe his experience in rich detail, naming names when appropriate, defining unfamiliar terms when necessary and providing vivid descriptions of the things he saw and did as a POW. At the same time, he did not dwell on the details of his torture nor was he judgmental of his fellow prisoners. Instead, his focus seemed to be on explaining how he managed to maintain his dignity and his sanity during his ordeal, especially during long periods of solitary confinement.Surviving Hell was released in December 2008. Ironically, this is the same month that Jane Fonda, the actress turned antiwar protestor who once famously declared that American POWs were being treated humanely, was inducted into the California Museum's Hall of Fame. Readers will no doubt draw their own conclusions about this coincidence.

The youth of today (Vietnamese and Americans) know nothing of our Vietnam experiences. That’s possibly just as well.These men are good examples for anyone. And Vietnam has turned out well.

Leo Thorsness has been a hero of mine since I first read about his Medal of Honor mission when I was a teenager. I was one of the first to buy the Matthew Waki print "Rendezvous with the Rattlesnake" depicting his MOH mission, and it still hangs on the wall of my study today. Having read the majority of the F-105 biographies, I had been hoping for years that Colonel Thorsness would write one of his own. He finally has, and I was not disappointed.This book, more concisely than any other, conveys the purpose and mentality of the American pilots in the Vietnam war; more importantly, it details the brutality of the Communist regime that held him prisoner, and the kinship and devotion to God, country, and duty that kept him alive during his horrendous incarceration and torture. The book is short, direct, and earnest, and makes me thankful to live in a country where men of this caliber are willing to defend us despite enormous personal risk, including torture that most of us (thankfully) cannot even begin to comprehend.I appreciated the revealing details of not only his imprisonment, but his repatriation as well. I was amazed by how he (and the other POW's) adapted to the country and their families after many changes (many for the worse) had occurred during their confinement. I was especially interested in how he responded to the Nixon vs. McGovern debate in the country and within his own household, and refer readers to page 111 for the best and briefest analysis of McGovern's foreign policy faults, a lesson that is doubly important to remember in these times.Leo Thorsness is a genuine American hero, and this book is everything I had hoped it would be. I recommend it to everyone everywhere, and want to personally thank Colonel Thorsness for his bravery, steadfastness, and morality during times of unimaginable difficulty. I salute you, sir.

This book is a tribute to one of the most marvelous men who ever graced this earth and who touched my life in in a personal way.In his story, Col Thorsness, (Leo to those who had the honor to have been stationed in Takhli with him), related how he not only served with valor and without regard to his own safety, actions which earned him the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor, but how he survived under the most horrendous of circumsances. As you read his account of captivity, you are drawn into the realities of his circumstances as he describes in riveting detail the trials he faced and the creativity of his and his fellow prisoners' survival instinces. You cannot help but revel in his partiotism and his profound love of God and country.I was privileged to serve with Leo as his Flight Medical Officer and I knew him from the flight lines and the Officers' Club. Whenever I spoke with him upon his return from combat missions I'd marvel when he would refer to his mission, a mission when he was under attack, as "just another day at the job." I recall the pall that come over the squadron when it was reported that his plan was "hit" and the renewed hope when we heard he and his "gib" successfully "punched out." We were sad to know that he was captured but knew that he had what it took to survive.What happened during that captivity is enshrined in this book, one that should be required reading for every patriot to remind him that his pride in this country is well-placed, and for all others to show them that if it were not for heroes such as Leo, they would not have the liberty to protest as they do. Leo knew that when, in chapter 12, he considered himself, a captive, more free than his captors who lived under a system controlled by a brutal government. This book is a "must read" for all Americans.

Excellent qwik read. I highly recommend this book!

Horrifying tale of torture and strength under duress of the worst kind.