Vietnam POW shares lessons learned

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Stay positive, confront your doubts and fears, and use your challenges and suffering as opportunities for growth were just a few messages shared by former Vietnam prisoner of war Lee Ellis during multiple presentations to base members Oct. 19 and 20.

Ellis, a retired Air Force colonel, is a highly respected motivational speaker and leadership coach who travels the country sharing his experience and teaching lessons learned as a Vietnam prison of war from 1967 to 1973. He was a fighter pilot on a bombing mission during the Vietnam War when his aircraft received serious damage, and he had to eject from his aircraft. He was immediately captured when he landed on the ground.

After two weeks of traveling through various regions in a Vietnamese military vehicle, he and other prisoners arrived at the Hoa Loa Prison in Hanoi, also known as the Hanoi Hilton. For the next five and half years, Ellis was a prisoner of war. In addition to regularly being physically tortured for information, Ellis was subjected to psychological torture, as the prison would broadcast anti-American propaganda several times a day throughout the entire camp as a means of breaking their spirit and confidence.

Ellis lived in extremely difficult conditions. For the first nine months, he lived with three other prisoners in a cell about the size of a modern bathroom (6.5-foot by 7-foot). They slept on hard beds without a mattress and he was always cold, especially his feet, as the prisoners were not given socks or shoes. His diet consisted of pumpkin soup six months of the year, cabbage soup for three months and sewer green soup for three months. He said he was always hungry, especially in the winter.

He said early on, he contemplated his conditions and thought about what he needed to do as an Air Force officer.

"I thought, 'What's my duty and responsibility here?  What's at stake?'" Ellis said.

He realized he needed to not only survive, but to live by the Air Force Code of Conduct.  He was determined that if was going to eventually return home, he was going to do so with honor.  He said it wasn't always easy.

"Sometimes you just have to hang on," he said. "You just have to gather yourself together and hang on and wait for things to get better. If you can, you have to do something to make things better."

Ellis said they'd take it one day at a time.  They'd just try to get through the day and hopefully the next day would be better. This attitude helped him grow, and he said any situation that's difficult or challenging can be an opportunity for growth.

"Suffering is painful, but in the end, we learn so much from it," Ellis said.

He said one way he survived the constant physical and mental torture was staying positive. He said it's a powerful life lesson. Regardless of whatever challenge we are facing, staying positive can influence our own behavior and success, as well as the behavior of others.

"A positive attitude is one of a leader's greatest assets," Ellis said. "Keep your chin up, because when it goes down, you do too, and many others will follow right behind you."

Ellis said trying in living the Code of Conduct, it was important he and the other prisoners confronted their doubts and fears. While in prison, they would hear guards coming and their fear and apprehension would spike in anticipation of a possible interrogation and torture. He learned to overcome that and face every day with courage.

"We had to learn to confront our fears and doubts.  We didn't have a choice," he said. "Doubts and fears are normal.  You can't avoid them, but you can manage them. You can choose to lean into the pain for the good of others and yourself.  You can override those feelings and do the right thing."

Ellis discussed other lessons learned from his time in prison, such as bouncing back from adversity, being resilient, building meaningful relationships and staying connected with others. His experiences can be found in his book "Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton."