Credit: Doyle Glass
In May 1972, Captain William Reeder was shot down over Vietnam. He had a broken back and a badly swollen ankle but still managed to crawl for three days before being captured by North Vietnamese forces. After that, he was interrogated, tortured, and told he would be killed.
Reeder had been flying helicopters for the U.S. Army. He was captured in South Vietnam and kept in small cages deep in the Cambodian jungle. Later, he was forced to march hundreds of miles. He became the last U.S. Army prisoner captured during the war who survived and made it back home.
Today, William Reeder is a retired Army Colonel and has just released his second book, Through the Valley: My Captivity in Vietnam. In it, he shares detailed stories of his time as a prisoner of war in the infamous Hỏa Lò Prison — also known as the “Hanoi Hilton.” Throughout his time in captivity, Reeder held on to his faith, his love for his country and family, his loyalty to fellow soldiers, and his own personal values. These things gave him the strength to get through the worst times.
His writing is powerful and emotional. In one part, he describes watching a fellow soldier’s helicopter go down: “Larry’s Huey flew in fast and slowed to land next to a downed aircraft. As it did, gunfire broke out. A rocket hit the helicopter and exploded. I watched in shock as the entire chopper went up in bright flames. For a moment, I could still see the spinning blades through the fireball. Then it crashed to the ground and flipped over, still burning. My heart sank.”
Colonel Reeder made it back home on March 27, 1973. He was later awarded the Silver Star for his bravery in helping save many friendly forces and one American soldier during the Battle for “Charlie” in the spring of 1972.
His book is powerful and his story is deeply moving. I’ll be sharing a link to his book in the comments, along with more about this incredible man in the days to come. If you know anything about him or his story, feel free to join in and share.