By Don Vaughan

More than 750 Americans servicemembers — the majority of them officers — were taken prisoner during the Vietnam War. Here are the stories of four of those servicemembers and how they made the most of their lives in the years that followed.

Air Force 1st Lt. Leon 'Lee' Ellis

Ellis was captured when his F-4 Phantom was shot down during an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam Nov. 7, 1967. During the two-week trek to Hanoi, he almost was killed by angry locals and was strafed and bombed by American planes.

Ellis found himself at Hoa Lò Prison (more commonly known as the “Hanoi Hilton”), where he stayed for nine months before being transferred to Camp Faith in Son Tay, North Vietnam. Two years later, he returned to Hoa Lò Prison and was released March 14, 1973. Ellis worked as a flight instructor, then as a flight commander at Moody AFB, Ga. Because of his exemplary performance as a POW, he received an early promotion to major.

After 25 years of service, Ellis retired from the Air Force to be closer to his parents and went into business for himself. He wrote the book Leading With Honor: Leadership Lessons From the Hanoi Hilton, and today he works as a leadership consultant, trainer, and coach.

“My experience as a POW settled me down and matured me,” Ellis says. “I became more serious about the world and more committed to doing the right thing. That has served me well over the years. To be the person you want to be, you have to have courage. Lean into the pain of your doubts and fears to do what you know is right, to do your duty, and you’ll always come out ahead.”

Army Col. Harold 'Hal' Kushner

Kushner was a flight surgeon with the 1st Cavalry Division when the helicopter in which he was riding crashed into a mountain near Duc Pho, South Vietnam, Nov. 30, 1967. Kushner survived with several broken bones, severe burns, and bullet wounds received when M-60 rounds popped off as the helicopter burned. The rest of the crew perished.

Kushner was captured by the Viet Cong a few days after the crash and marched for weeks to a small prison camp in the mountains, where 10 of his fellow prisoners eventually died. From there, Kushner and 11 other prisoners were sent to a camp in Hanoi called the Plantation. Later, Kushner was transferred to Hoa Lò Prison, where he experienced threats and abuse.

Kushner was released March 16, 1973, retired from the Army in 1985, and went on to establish a successful ophthalmology practice. “I feel very fortunate that I came through this crisis with some physical scars but no mental scars,” he says. “I’m not proud I was captured, but I am very proud of the way I have behaved since I came back. I just went back to work and tried to set a good example for my employees and family. I haven’t made my captivity a big deal; it was just an unfortunate bump in the road of my life.”

Navy Capt. Giles Norrington

Norrington was on his 22nd combat reconnaissance mission when his RA-5C Vigilante was hit by antiaircraft artillery May 5, 1968. He and his navigator, Dick Tangeman, ejected and were captured within a few minutes of each other. Following three days at a small prison camp near Vinh, North Vietnam, Norrington was transferred to Hanoi, where he experienced several weeks of interrogation and brutality.

The brutality eased a bit with the death of Ho Chi Minh in September 1969, and life in the prison became “a live-and-let-live situation,” Norrington says, though his captors continued to pressure him to engage in anti-American propaganda, which he resisted.

Norrington was released March 14, 1973. He served two tours in the Pentagon and a couple of commands, including the naval base at Diego Garcia, and retired from the Navy in 1988. “What I experienced as a POW prepared me for life afterward,” Norrington says. “There was no hardship that could come my way that was worse.”

Among the lessons Norrington learned during his time as a POW was he and his comrades could be remarkably resilient. “There were those who were captured who had not received [POW] training, and yet they still distinguished themselves,” he says.

Air Force Col. Robert Certain

Certain’s B-52 bomber was hit by a surface-to-air missile during a raid over North Vietnam Dec. 18, 1972. He quickly was captured and transported first to Hoa Lò Prison and then to the Plantation, where he was presented to the International Press Corps. “I was on the front page of the Washington Post the next day,” Certain reports. From there, he was returned to Hoa Lò Prison.

A man of deep faith, Certain actively ministered to others in the prison camp. He returned home March 29, 1973, and followed his dream of becoming an Episcopal priest. Certain left active duty in 1977 and served as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., until retiring from the Air Force in 1999. Certain also was associate for pastoral care at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church in Scottsdale, Ariz., and rector at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, Calif.

“I came out of the POW experience knowing I could face adversity and uncertainty and do well,” Certain says. “It also gave me greater insight that was particularly helpful as a clergyman: how people deal with adversity, how they deal with being imprisoned — with life not being in their control — and how people can work with that to survive and prosper.”

Certain took his "Fini" Flight in March 2018 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in honor of National Vietnam Veteran's Day and the 45th annual Freedom Flyer Reunion. This reunion salutes the return of 684 U.S. POW from Vietnam in 1973.

Don Vaughan is a freelance writer based in North Carolina. This article was originally published in 2016. It has been reviewed for accuracy.