Captain Charlie Plumb: From Top Gun to Hanoi Hilton - A POW's Survival Story
September 18, 2025
Experience an extraordinary journey into one of naval aviation’s most profound stories as former POW Captain Charlie Plumb recounts his 2,103 days of captivity in North Vietnam. From ingenious communication methods and maintaining faith under extreme circumstances to crafting measuring devices from light bulbs, Plumb’s account offers powerful lessons in resilience, leadership, and human ingenuity. In this candid conversation with host Ryan Keys, Plumb reveals how military training, community bonds, and unwavering spirit helped POWs not just survive but thrive through unimaginable challenges.
In this deeply moving episode, host Ryan Keys welcomes Captain Charlie Plumb, a United States Naval Academy graduate, decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot, former Vietnam War POW, and renowned motivational speaker whose life was forever shaped by six harrowing years in captivity. A 1964 Naval Academy graduate, Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam before being shot down on his 75th, leading to 2,103 days in prison camps during the Vietnam War.
During his captivity, Plumb and his fellow POWs endured isolation, deprivation, and relentless mental and physical challenges. Yet they forged innovative ways to survive and stay connected—creating secret tap-code communication systems, organizing “post office” networks, even crafting measuring tools from discarded light bulbs. Plumb served as an underground communicator and chaplain for two years, helping sustain morale, purpose, and dignity within the POW community.
After his repatriation in 1973, Plumb resumed his Navy career, flying A-4 Skyhawks, A-7 Corsairs, and F-18 Hornets in reserve squadrons before retiring as a Captain after 31 years of service. Awarded the Silver Star for his resistance to extreme mental and physical cruelties while interned, he went on to deliver more than 5,000 presentations worldwide, becoming one of today’s most sought-after speakers on resilience and leadership.
In this conversation, Plumb reveals how faith, communication, and community became the three pillars of survival; how strict adherence to military chain of command preserved their structure and morale; and how teaching one another helped POWs find hope and purpose through suffering. He shares rare details about daily prison camp life, the ingenious ways they maintained time awareness and mental resilience, and how their experiences shaped modern U.S. Navy SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training.
The episode also features a special preview of the new “Return with Honor” exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum, showcasing authentic artifacts and interactive experiences from the Vietnam POW era. Through it all, Plumb demonstrates how the power of faith, communication, and community can carry people through even the darkest chapters—and how these timeless lessons remain vital for leaders in both military and civilian life today.
What You’ll Learn:
- How faith, communication, and community became the three pillars of survival in extreme captivity
- The innovative POW communication systems, from tap codes to “post office” networks
- Why military chain of command and structure proved vital for prisoner organization and morale
- How isolation and deprivation led to enhanced memory and creative problem-solving
- The unexpected ways POWs maintained time awareness and mental resilience
- Why traditional SERE training had to evolve based on real POW experiences
- The power of maintaining hope and purpose through shared teaching and learning
- How POW wives created support networks and advocated for their captured husbands
- The remarkable story behind the new “Return with Honor” museum exhibit featuring authentic artifacts and interactive experiences from the Vietnam POW era
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Highlights and YouTube Chapters:
- [00:00] From Farm Boy to Fighter Pilot: Captain Charlie Plumb's Journey
- [04:45] Why Traditional POW Training Failed in Vietnam
- [14:47] The Three Pillars of Survival: Faith, Communication & Community
- [21:25] Levels of Resistance: How POWs Maintained Unity and Power
- [29:55] Secret Communication Systems: From Tap Code to Prison Post Office
- [39:48] Measuring Time and Creating Order in Captivity
- [45:05] Engineering Under Pressure: The POW Bureau of Weights and Measures
- [53:08] Return with Honor: A New Museum Exhibit Preserving POW History
- [58:40] Final Thoughts: Sharing Stories to Inspire Future Generations
Episode Resources: