I realize that at this time of year we try to lighten the mood, focus on family and friends, count our blessings and remind ourselves of what we should be thankful for.

However, one of the things we should remind ourselves to be grateful for is the service of military personnel such as the P.O.W.s who were captive at the North Vietnam "Hanoi Hilton" prison. Some of them 'celebrated', such as it was, up to 8 Christmases while there.

There is a local radio host, Mike Boyle, who does a weekend restaurant show. Mike Boyle grew up as a So. Cal surfer and after college enlisted in the Army with the expectation of serving in Vietnam, however the Army had other plans for him and sent him to Germany. He was offered an OCS slot but elected to stay enlisted infantry. After the Army Mike got into the administrative/ management side to professional baseball. After spending years in baseball he left to start his own restaurant. His restaurant became popular with United airline pilots and it was in his restaurant that he was first introduced to John "Mike" McGrath, whom he was to learn was a former P.O.W. at the Hanoi Hilton.

After selling his restaurant Mike Boyle got into radio and has been doing his Mike Boyle Restaurant Show for 30 years now. Although it is primarily a restaurant show, Mike Boyle is an avid book reader, world traveler, baseball and sports fan, and movie fan and so his shows cover a number of topics besides restaurants and food.

Every year for 30 + years now Mike Boyle brings on his friend Mike McGrath just before Christmas, and interviews him about his experiences as a P.O.W. at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, including what celebrating Christmas was like there.

The annual interview always moves me, but while listening to it this year it dawned on me that some of the forum's younger members may not know the P.O.W.'s story or the service and sacrifice these men gave to their country.

Although some of the stories are heartbreaking, Mike McGrath does his best to tell them sincerely and honestly...but also with a sense of humor.

His official military record says he flew 179 combat missions, but he likes to point out that he actually flew 178 and 1/2...and it was that 1/2 that got him into trouble.

Some of the stories are tough to listen to, but there is also a sense of inspiration and joy to some of their stories, and the stories of the families that waited for any news of them.

While the P.O.W.s were in captivity they received virtually no medical treatment for the wounds they suffered, either while ejecting from their aircraft or from the torture they were regularly subjected to. Many of the men had open bleeding wounds for years. Among his numerous serious injuries, Mike McGrath was covered in infected boils, and as he had a knack for drawing he squeezed his own blood and pus out and used it to draw pictures on the walls of his 7'x7' cell. He wanted to tell the story of what he saw when he got back home and could remember his prison cell artwork in vivid detail and so he recreated his drawings and they have been featured in art exhibits and he has also published them in a book.

Prisoner of War: Six Years in Hanoi

I've received permission from Mike Boyle to share the audio files of his most recent interview with Mike McGrath, from a couple weeks ago.

The MP3 audio files have the commercials edited out and the interview runs @ 45 minutes. Click on the link below and then click on the 5 audio files, starting numerically with Segment 1:

https://filetransfer.salem.cc/...euvLML6DB0EOFxqmhElL


This is the Return with Honor vintage film coverage of the return of the Hanoi Hilton P.O.W.'s. @ 20 minute video.



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xizM5vdfoC8


Sometime around 1998 actor/ producer Tom Hanks put together a documentary on the story of these P.O.W.s with many of them appearing in it, and returned to Vietnam to film the Hanoi Hilton prison and the surrounding area. As with most Tom Hank's productions, this documentary is very well done and worth the 1 hour and 45 minutes to watch it. For those that do make the time to watch it, be sure to stay through the credits as a few interviews continue to the very end.



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCazT5gM84c

I was too young to appreciate what was really going on, but I vividly remember my parents glued to the tv as the POW's came off the plane. Occasionally Dad would mutter "Jesus-he's still alive....."

Dad flew nearly 200 missions over the North serving in VA-164 Ghostriders, USS Oriskany. '65, '66.

Not a long term prisoner to be sure but notable in that he was the last POW released. I served with him on his last duty assignment as XO of NAMTRAGRU HQ.

https://www.militarynews.com/n...f4-abbac728c195.html

http://www.veterantributes.org...ail.php?recordID=582