Aviation Storytellers: Surviving the Hanoi Hilton with Lt COL (RET) Barry Bridger

[@joansemenec1387]

Thank you for your service and welcome home, Lt. Col. Bridger!! I definitely appreciate your good sense of humor at the very beginning of your story when you talked about your wife because that really made me laugh. There's no doubt in my mind that your wife loves your good sense of humor and the fact that you were such a brave warrior while you were in Vietnam. Again, thank you for your service and for protecting my rights and freedoms that are afforded me through the U.S. Constitution because what you did is really awesome. I can't imagine the amount of pain that you and your fellow soldiers went through as POWs in Vietnam. Hugs from me to you and your fellow soldiers who were POWs in Vietnam as well as all of the other wars that our country has fought in when it comes to our service men and women who have fallen victim to becoming a POW. I hope and pray that all of our POWs from the Vietnam War through the most recent war in Iraq will all be found and brought home before it's way too late so that they can all be accounted for as well as all of the MIAs from these wars (the same goes for WW1 and WW2).

[@jmp.t28b99]

Wonderful talk/speech by one of our brave warriors.

[@ridcomics9364]

Man this guy has been through some bad nightmare yet he talks so smart and right on the point. I really enjoyed listening to this man speak he has one hell of story people need to hear. Cheers to you and all those who where in that terrible place for so long.

[@tottosan]

This was true heros. I salute them and the poor souls that did not make it.

[@DonCarlosHormozi]

I met him. He's extremely hyper and full of energy even at his age. He couldn't stop talking about his business.

[@jimcampbell7045]

This dude Bridger is a genius

[@MrTwotimess]

I'd love to see and hear from other POWs who weren't kept at the Hilton, but survived in the dreadful jungle prison camps. We never hear their stories.

[@Marauder623]

Jeremiah Denton was kept at many different camps including ones in the jungle. Dieter (main subject of Rescue Dawn), the only known person to ever escape an NVA/Vietcong POW camp and live to tell the tale.

[@rickstandish6690]

Find the book "Survivors" by Zalin Grant.

[@jefflegg8139]

The POWS not withstanding we, the American citizenry, have not even begun to apologize and bring restitution to these brave men who, to this day, continue to live this period of their lives as now old men.

[@NanaSevers]

Jeff Legg unfortunately the returning soldiers and POWs were not treated with respect. They suffer to this day with their injuries and PTSD. They still need to have support from the VA. I remember watching the returning POWs get off the planes and crying I was so proud of them.

[@TheWorld4all]

Lt. Col Barry Bridger should be our president.

[@captainchaos3053]

It's amazing what we can endure to survive when we must. Training is only a glimpse. But could be worse, could of been a German concentration camp, or maybe a Russian gulag. But good for you sir, never give up.

[@jefflegg8139]

Michael Angel... You could not be more correct.

[@tr8rsn4k36]

Can we elect this guy for president? Seriously.

[@kevinhillman1201]

And your US Government did nothing to avenge the treatment of US POWs. At the return of the Pows it became obvious of the torture.

[@maureentanguay5607]

Lt. Col. Do you have the names of the people in your audience? I am almost certain the person on the end of 2nd row is my son. The one in the gold blazer. I have not seen him since he joined the USAF in 1980. Hope you can help.

[@annafrancis5530]

Maureen Tanguay I noticed that this was posted a few years ago. I don't mean to get personal or anything but if you have your son's full name, you can most definitely look him up online if you are trying to reach him, Im not sure if that's what you are trying to do, but you may have better luck doing it that way.

[@playinragz]

This story is why no American should knee during our anthem. Get that NFL players? Prolly not!

[@Marauder623]

Freedom of expression, like it or not that is framed in the constitution and human rights convention.

[@kellymay3774]

I guess you’re a white person not getting killed in the streets by police 👮🏿‍♂️

[@NotanAlt]

Those torturer people are the criminals for violating the geneva convention

[@joealvarez7891]

North Vietnam never subscribed to the Geneva Convention.

[@danielcastro8216]

@@joealvarez7891 They signed the 1962 Geneva Accords but they never abided by it

[@danielcastro8216]

Pathet Lao were brutal too. My friend's dad Charles E Shelton was captured by them 3 days after he was shot down and he was held in a cave in the Vieng Xai district which is near Sam Neua and he tried escaping captivity many times and was held in a pit with bars on top with three guardsstanding over him. One had a live grenade and the other two guards poked him with their bayonets to ensure he stayed awake 24/7 but hey here's the most courageous part of Shelton: During his interrogation when he was about to be chained to a desk he flipped the desk over and beat 3 of his captors to death with his chains before he was subdued. Sadly his fate may never be known since he never came home in 1973 and when he died in captivity may never be known. In 1992 the JTTF of Lao and Americans visited his alleged grave near the cave he was detained in was destroyed by an air strike but get this? No remains were found

[@96hoangkieutrinh84]

Have you ever thought of how brutally were Vietnamese prisoners and soilders treated?

[@erichaynes7502]

Maybe a good idea to make a video about this?

[@stephenvince9994]

Nope

[@NanaSevers]

I hope it was done according to the Geneva Convention. But personally, idc!

[@manueladarazsdi9675]

Oh for the love of god. We as Americans get to feel sympathy for our soldiers without being guilted and shamed into silence.

[@olentangyriver1191]

96. I have read about it it's terrible. I have to say Americans love to scream about our second amendment rights but damn well won't let anyone who opposed them to speak