Mothers at what is still considered the largest dinners ever held at the white house. As president nixon said, it rained all day and much of the evening, and the south long was south lawn was soggy when the guests started arriving for dinner. Many of the womens long dresses got splattered with mud, but nothing would dampen the spirits of that night. In the first year of his presidency, nixon met with the wives and mothers of the pows during the christmas season. He wrote that the women spoke respectfully and passionately about the need to get their husbands and sons returned home to american soil. From that time on, each pow was an individual to me, obtaining their release became a burning cause. Our distinguished speaker on this memorial day will tell this important story. Her name is heath hardage lee. She is a historian, writer, and museum curator, and holds a ba in history with honors from davidson college, and an ma from the university of virginia. A 2017 robert j curatorial fello
On this memorial day we honor the follow the fallen. We are we honor those who were killed in action during the vietnam war. President nixon was commanderinchief. This week marks the 46th anniversary of when the president and first lady welcomed the american prisoners of war held captive in vietnam, and their spouses and their mothers. It is still considered one of the largest dinners ever held at the white house. As president nixon said, it rained all day and much of the evening. Many of the womens long dresses got splattered with mud, but nothing would dampen the spirits of that night. With the wives and mothers of the pows during the christmas season. He wrote that the women spoke respectfully and passionately about the need to get their husbands and sons returned home to american soil. From that time on, each pow was an individual to me, obtaining the release became a burning cause. Our distinguished speaker on this memorial day will tell this important story. Her name is heath har
Im going to call everybodys attention. It seems like youre all having great, which is the goal i to hear some talk about leadership at the tables with i want to introduce mr. Alvin townley name and as i introduce him i could stand up here and introduce him as youd introduce so many speakers could talk about the six books hes written are the emmy documentary that he was part of or that hes landed on three aircraft carriers in three oceans. But im not going to do that im actually going to talk about why we asked mr. Townley to be. So i was introduced to mr. Townley through mr. Sears, the director of innovation leadership innovation, the Stockdale Center, and he that mr. Townley would be a great speaker to kick off our homecoming 50th commemoration and and and as he talked about mr. And his writing of the alcatraz 11 and the p. O. W. S of vietnam and their families. But this is interesting could be a great start. And so i called mr. Townley and instantly i felt like i was sitting at the K
Interviewed by a japanese prisoner and during the interview he blinked torture on morris code. A portion of that interview on cspan 3s american tv. And wrote the book defiant and the most infamous prison. First of all, thanks for having me with you and he was a native in alabama and United States Naval Academy graduate flying off the u. S. S. Independence off the coast of North Vietnam and a very well respected leader and the father of 7 children and a husband to a wonderful wife named jane. How was he treated . He was shot down in lets see july of 1965. He didnt know how he was going to be treated. He didnt know anything that was going to be fall him so he realized that the rules of the Geneva Convention did not apply and he was obstructed to an increasingly rough experience there and was continually hounded for intelligence and propaganda statements and not allowed to ride home and communicate like he had hoped to. Commander denton was interviewed on may 2nd, 1966 by a joop these new
Audiences. 50 years ago in may 1966, Jeremiah Denton, interviewed by , hepanese news network inked morse code. Mr. Townley, can you tell us who was Jeremiah Denton . Mr. Townley thank you for having me with you. Jeremiah den 10 was an extraordinary american inn denton was aneremiah extraordinary american. A very wellrespected leader among his peers and fellow aviators and the father of seven children and a husband to a wonderful wife named jane. Announcer how is he treated . Was shot downe july 1965. He didnt know how he was going to be treated. Not Many Americans had been shot down at that point. He did know anything would the fall him. When he got to hanoi, he realized that the rules of the Geneva Convention did not apply in North Vietnam and he was subjected to an increasingly rough experience there. He was continually hounded for intelligence and propaganda statements. Not allowed to write home a comedic it with his family. Wasuncer commander denton interviewed by a japanese news n