Former POW inspires audience with experiences, wisdom

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amanda Dick
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Members of Team Ramstein honored prisoners of war or those missing in action at a luncheon Sept. 17 at the officers' club here.

The 435th Air Ground Operations Wing hosted the event in remembrance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, featuring guest speaker retired Navy Capt. David Hoffman.

"Thank you for that very warm welcome; I can't wait to hear what I'm going to say," began the 15-month Vietnam War POW, setting the light tone for the event.

Captain Hoffman chronicled his experience while held in Hanoi, Vietnam, describing how his aircraft tail was blown off at 650 knots, 25,000 feet above the north part of the country. His ejection caused a broken arm, and a bullet hole was shot through his foot as he descended in his parachute.

Once in North Vietnamese captivity, his time was less than comfortable as he was almost immediately chained to a plank and put in isolation.

As the guest speaker went on, he also gave uplifting stories with clear messages. During one Seattle Special Olympics event a child had fallen down during a run. The other children who were competing stopped, turned around, linked arms, and they all finished together. He said the message of this story relayed what was important.

"What matters in life is more than winning for ourselves, it's helping others win, even if it means changing our own course," Captain Hoffman said.

Continuing on with his time in the POW camp, the Naval Academy graduate described his food situation. He said for breakfast, they were given half a cup of powdered milk and half a baguette. The other meal consisted of soup -- either pumpkin or cabbage boiled in water, depending on the time of year. Though asked to clean up the camp, the American prisoners refused until a blockade caused their captors to replace the milk with sugar.

At this point, they stuffed the sugar in their clothes, and as other detainees distracted the guards, the sugar was poured into the gas tanks of trucks, so they wouldn't work -- trucks that were used to transport the North Vietnamese to the surface-to-air missile structures.

"The little things we could do to [irritate] them," the retired Navy captain said. "Because that meant, there were people who had to watch us, and they weren't shooting at our buddies. So, we were doing our part."

The former POW went on to reiterate a question that a fellow detainee in the camp, Charlie Plumb, asks to audiences -- "Who's packing your parachute?"

"Everybody has got somebody who provides what they need to make it through the day. There are many different kinds of parachutes ... physical, mental, emotional, spiritual," he said. "So sometimes, it's the daily challenges in life, the things we miss, that are really the important stuff. Too many times, we fail to say hello, please or thank you to somebody who's done something. Or, to congratulate somebody on something wonderful. Or, just to do something nice for no reason at all. So, go through this week, this month, this year and recognize someone who's packed your parachute."

This message particularly stood out to a member in the crowd, Christian Britton, Junior ROTC cadet and son of Senior Master Sgt. Vince Britton, 435th Contingency Response Group superintendent of contingency operations.

"I heard him speak yesterday, and one thing he stated today that he didn't yesterday was to take a look around at who packs your parachute," Christian said. "That struck me slightly more than anything else he said. Mostly because I haven't taken the time to take people seriously like I should ... sometimes, it's just the little things like that."

For Christian's father, that was one of the reasons Christian was brought to the luncheon.

"I wanted to meet a legend. I wanted to listen to what his words were and also remember POWs and those MIA," Sergeant Britton said. "It was for that same reason I brought my son. I wanted him to be able to experience it, especially being JROTC, with possible future endeavors of joining the Air Force."

As Captain Hoffman closed his remarks, he focused not only on the veterans of the past, but those veterans currently serving in the military today.

"Remember, it's the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion," he said. "It's the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It's the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It's the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to assemble. It's the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It's the veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote. It's the veteran who salutes that flag, who serves under that flag. And, I give thanks every day of my life that you're out there doing just that."