News and Media

Captain Coffee’s Recommended Reading

Vietnam

• “Walk with Me: A Vietnam Experience”
  http://www.amazon.com/Walk-With-Me-Vietnam-Experience/dp/1585970344
• “The Politically Incorrect Guide to The Vietnam War”
  http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Vietnam-Guides/dp/1596985674
• “Vietnam: A History” A comprehensive report of the war.
  http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-A-History-Stanley-Karnow/dp/0140265473
• “Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that led to Vietnam” The secret history of Vietnam and the men that led the U.S. into a war.
  http://www.amazon.com/Dereliction-Duty-Johnson-McNamara-Vietnam/dp/0060929081
• “Honor Bound: The history of American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973” The narrative report compiled by the department of defense on the experience of the P.O.W.’s in Vietnam.
  http://www.amazon.com/Honor-Bound-Prisoners-Southeast-1961-1973-ebook/dp/B00AVXTGHO
• “The Last Battle: The Mayaguez Incident and the End of the Vietnam War” The untold story of the fight for the S.S. Mayaguez, an American merchant ship and the end of the Vietnam War.
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Battle-Mayaguez-Incident/dp/B0002DVK86
• “We Came Home: P.O.W.s of Vietnam” A complete anthology of every American P.O.W. held during the Vietnam conflict.
  http://www.amazon.com/Came-Hardcover-Barbara-Powers-Wyatt/product-reviews/B000TYRT88
• “Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton” Leadership among the P.O.W.s of Vietnam maintained honor for seven years, hear the stories of this leadership under imprisonment.
• “Vietnam, Now” The story of a wartime reporter who returned to Vietnam years later to find a country completely changed.
  http://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Now-A-Reporter-Returns/dp/1586481835
• “In the Presence of Mine Enemies” The story of fellow POW Howard Rutledge and his wife, Phyllis.
  http://www.amazon.com/Presence-Mine-Enemies-1965-1973-Prisoner/dp/0800706242/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432943123&sr=1-2&keywords=in+the+presence+of+mine+enemies
• “Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton” A compilation of the poems memorized and composed in the Hanoi Hilton by fellow P.O.W. John Borling.
  http://www.amazon.com/Taps-Walls-Poems-Hanoi-Hilton/dp/0615659055
• “Code of Honor” The tale of a Vietnam P.O.W.’s time in Hanoi.
  http://www.amazon.com/Code-Honor-John-A-Dramesi/dp/0446360554
• “First Heroes: The POWs left behind in Vietnam” POW’s that may have never been released after the war ended.
  http://www.amazon.com/First-Heroes-Pows-Behind-Vietnam/dp/082902008X
• “Six years in Hell: A returned POW views captivity, country, and the nations future” An account of Lt. Col Jay R. Jensen’s six years as a Vietnam POW and returning home to a changed America.
  http://www.amazon.com/Six-Years-Hell-Returned-Captivity/dp/1877898058
• “They Wouldn’t let us Die: The Prisoners of War Tell Their Story” A write up of the experiences of Vietnam POWs, derived from interviews and research.
  http://www.amazon.com/They-Wouldnt-Let-Us-Die/dp/0824601572
• “Code of Conduct” By POW Everett Alvarez, the longest held prisoner.
  http://www.amazon.com/Code-Conduct-E-Alvarez/dp/1556113102
• “John McCain: An American Odyssey” A biography on Senator John McCain’s life from boyhood to midshipmen, from POW to senator.
  http://www.amazon.com/John-McCain-An-American-Odyssey/dp/141655985X
• “Worth the Fighting For” A memoir by John McCain about his life after his release from prison in Vietnam.
  http://www.amazon.com/Worth-Fighting-For-Education-American/dp/081296974X
• “Faith of my Fathers” A tale of generations by John McCain who discusses how the influence of his ancestors helped him maintain honor as a Vietnam POW.
  http://www.amazon.com/Faith-My-Fathers-Family-Memoir/dp/0060957867
• “Kontum Diary: Captured Writings Bring Peace to a Vietnam Veteran” The story of a Vietnam War Veteran’s journey to inner peace through the reconciling of his former enemies.
  http://www.amazon.com/Kontum-Diary-Captured-Writings-Vietnam/dp/1565302052
• “Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot”by POW Admiral James Stockdale:
  http://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Philosophical-Fighter-Pilot-Reprint/dp/0817993924
• “When Hell was in Session”by POW Jeremiah Denton:
  http://www.amazon.com/When-Session-Admiral-Jeremiah-Denton/dp/1935071157
•  “Prisoner of War: Six Years in Hanoi”by POW John M. (Mike) McGrath:
  http://www.amazon.com/Prisoner-War-Six-Years-Hanoi/dp/1591145074
•  “Why Vietnam Still Matters: The War and the Wall”:
  http://www.amazon.com/Why-Vietnam-Still-Matters-Wall/dp/B001M76F7M
•  “Before Honor” By POW Eugene McDaniel:
  http://www.amazon.com/Before-honor-Eugene-B-McDaniel/dp/0879810467

Cuban Missile Crisis

• “One Minute to Midnight”
  http://www.michaeldobbsbooks.com/one-minute-to-midnight.html
• “Blue Moon Over Cuba” Detailing the daring missions for photographs that U.S. pilots undertook during operation Blue Moon.
  http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Moon-over-Cuba-Reconnaissance/dp/1780960719

Life

• “Blind Courage” The story of a blind man’s journey on the Appalachian trail with his faithful seeing-eye dog.
  http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Courage-Bill-Irwin/dp/0941539865

Military

• “Expendable Elite” The detailed account of the CIA operation to kill the Crown Prince of Cambodia.
  http://expendableelite.com

Links

Cuban Missile Crisis

• “Supersonic Hooligans”
  http://www.vfp62.com/cuban.html
• History Channel coverage and resources of the event:
  http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis
• Information from JFK presidential library, includes online exhibit: http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx
• Detailed information on aerial reconnaissance for operation Blue Moon. http://www.commandposts.com/2012/10/aerial-reconnaissance-during-the-cuban-missile-crisis-executing-the-first-blue-moon-mission/

 Vietnam

• The Vietnam War:
  http://thevietnamwar.info/vietnam-war-major-battles/
• POW List:
  http://www.pownetwork.org/bios.htm
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.:
  http://www.nps.gov/vive/index.htm
• Photo gallery from the Denver Post:
  http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/04/30/captured-a-look-back-at-the-vietnam-war-on-the-35th-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-saigon/1781/
• Vietnam War timeline by PBS:
  http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index.html
• National Archives “Teaching War Through Documents”:
  http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/vietnam-photos/
• Nam POW page, information compiled and told by POW’s:
  http://www.nampows.org
• Robert E. Mitchell Center for RPOW Studies, produces research on POW experiences:
  http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/rpow/Pages/default.aspx

Recommended Movies

• “Return with Honor”
• “Faith of My Fathers”
• “Rescue Dawn” – 2006 starring Christian Bale
• Vietnam POWs: Stories of Survival- Discovery Channel
• Jerry Coffee: Faith and Courage of a Vietnam POW- part of the Victories series
• Jerry Coffee on PBS Hawaii “Long Story Short”:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htw5Hrgjp0E
• PBS Cuban Missile Crisis: three men go to war:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBpE1KzJOE4