Truly inspirational

A Senior TechNickel Shack post about Captain J.Charles Plumb, recently scrubbed from Geek Wyrld, got my attention. A short investigation revealed a history of Internet-circulated "embellishments" which dilute the referenced fundamental message.

This excerpt was sufficient for my attention:

"Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam . After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!"

The rest of the post was interesting, and I wanted to know more. You can find the original dialog, reprinted with permission from its inclusion in a 1993 publication. If you want a properly embellished version, get it from Plumb. Forward, if you must, Captain Plumb's inspiration; but please, don't facilitate dilution.