Former POW shares story with Moody Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Melissa K. Mekpongsatorn
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  On May 17, 2013, Airmen at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., had the opportunity to hear retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Barry Bridger tell his story about being a survivor of North Vietnam's "Hanoi Hilton" prison camp.

On Jan. 23, 1967 Bridger was shot down over Son Toy, North Vietnam, where he was captured, and then imprisoned for six years at the infamous "Hanoi Hotel" prison camp in Vietnam.

Bridger spoke about his experiences in Vietnam and offered advice to the Airmen in the audience.

"I have a purpose for my remarks today. It is to talk about values," said Bridger. "The most cherished value that we Americans hold in common is liberty.

"None know better than you, none know better than the combat veterans, that the call to freedom is high, and the blessings of liberty priceless.

"But liberty is not just for Americans, our allies and friends," he added. "Liberty is a God-given national right for all mankind."

Bridger continued to talk about values and the struggles he endured

"I want to impress upon you that we Americans have learned that the desperate crushing environment of a POW camp can destroy the mind, it can destroy the body, but it cannot touch the values of a good heart and good spirit."

Bridger spoke of the torture they suffered and how they overcame the tremendous amounts of psychological punishment. One of the ways he coped with it was through humor.

"You have to have a sense of humor to put up with tough times," said Bridger. "Americans have an incredible sense of humor."

He went on to share several stories about how they made each other laugh and the jokes they shared to keep spirits up.

Bridger not only shared stories, but he also showed a short video clip and walked the audience through the different phases of the Vietnam War.

He also explained and answered three questions. Those questions were; why were we so brutality treated by the North Vietnamese for all those years? What were our greatest challenges? Why and how did we endure efforts to destroy our allegiance to America?


Before Bridger finished his presentation, 23d Medical Group commander Col. Alvis Headen presented Bridger with a commander's coin and spoke of how he was speechless after he heard Bridger's story.

Headen also spoke about talking with Airman about building their resiliency and how the story Bridger told reinforced that.

Bridger finished his lecture and said these parting words to the audience: "You can't out leverage someone physically in a POW camp, you just can't. You can only fight with your spirit and your heart. Your conduct would have been predetermined by the values you brought to the fight, you are in life what you value, and you will take out what you took in."