“As soon as I was shot down, I felt a sense of bewilderment. What was I to do now?” recalls Air Force (then) Capt. Thomas “Jerry” Curtis, when his HH-43 helicopter was shot down over the jungles of Vietnam searching for a downed F-105 pilot, Sept. 1965. “I knew my first priority was for my two crew members and me to evade the Viet Cong and get to a SAFE area – an acronym for ‘superior area for evasion’ and wait for our own rescue.”
Unfortunately within three hours, the search and rescue pilot and crew were captured. Then, during seven days, they were marched to the prisoner-of-war fortress known as the Hanoi Hilton.
And so began Curtis’ recounting of his seven-and-a-half year imprisonment during a special chapter meeting of the Military Officers Association of America Lake & Sumter counties, Wednesday at the Eisenhower Recreation Center.
He had been invited to discuss his ordeal and that of some of America’s other heroes that he had chronicled in his just published book, Under the Cover of Light.
He talked about how he and his 18 cellmates had been moved from prison to prison to avoid being rescued by American troops.
“In November 1970, we heard the explosions and commotion caused by the nearby raid by our special forces,” Curtis said. “Unfortunately, we had been relocated to a nearby facility the previous July and so we ‘weren’t home.’ Years later, I met some of those who participated in that rescue attempt. They thought they had failed. But, we had jumped for joy knowing that we had not been forgotten.”
Curtis never met another Hanoi captive: Naval pilot Lt. Commander John S. McCain II who had been captured in 1967.
“He did everything that was asked of him as a POW. Because of his father’s and grandfather’s ranks of admiral, McCain could have been released. But he refused and served honorably,” Curtis said.
He also spoke of the “lessons learned” during the years of torture, solitary confinement and unimaginable living conditions.
“I had to have trust and faith. First was faith in myself that I was up to the task to survive. I also had to believe in my fellow POWs that they would do all they could to remain strong and not reveal secrets. These are qualities that cannot be taught in survival school.”
After the war, Curtis remained in the Air Force and retired as a colonel after receiving several distinguished awards including the Air Force Cross, Silver Star and the Legion of Merit.
He addressed a maximum capacity crowd of 155 MOAA members and their guests.
“We are thrilled that Col. Curtis would share his story with us,” said Paul Hauser, chapter president. “Vietnam veterans came home to a country that was very different than it is today. They received short-shift. Now, we are beginning to lose them at an increasing frequency. These vets may not be as bold to share their experiences. But, each one has a story that must be told and remembered.”
