Captured, Tortured ... Freed

Faith Lessons from More Than 7 Years as a Vietnam-Era POW

By: Carole Avriett

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

When everything you hold dear is suddenly stripped away, where do you turn?

IN 1965, USAF COL Thomas “Jerry” Curtis’s rescue helicopter was shot down over North Vietnam. He was immediately captured and spent the better part of 71/2 years confined in filthy cells throughout the notorious Hanoi prison camps. Thousands of miles from home and unable to communicate with his wife and children, Jerry endured months of solitary confinement, suffocating heat, freezing cold, grueling physical and psychological torture, constant hunger, and unimaginable mental distress. Yet, time and again, the Light that darkness cannot overcome became his beacon of hope, reminding him that no matter how dire the circumstances, there are some things that can never be taken away.

Now, for the first time in print, Jerry shares the full story of his 2,703 days in captivity and what he learned about faith, hope, and the indomitable power of the human spirit.

"After I read Jerry Curtis’ Vietnam memoir, I was reminded of the period in which the generation that followed you grew into adulthood: my generation. Watching closely the nightly news, as boys, we always accepted the fact that we would one day join the armed forces and go off to fight in Vietnam. It was a given. As such, we lived in the giant shadow of those brave souls who went before us. It was your strength that gave us courage to face the destiny of war and our own mortality. I myself arrived at that crossroads when I turned seventeen. No matter what came after, I carried with me the examples of faith and bravery you and yours left on that road. Nothing I endured or experienced came close to the suffering and sacrifice you and your brother POWs survived. Thank you for sharing your story and thanks to author Avriett for rendering it in such a compelling and memorable way."
--Gary Burns, Master Gunnery Sergeant, USM (ret), author and historian.