SOURCE | Spring 2022 15
CAPTAIN J . CHARLES PLUMB www . CharliePlumb . com
A testament to the strength of the human spirit , Charles Plumb endured the most extreme hardship and used the experience to transform his life in a profound way .
As a farm kid from a small town in Kansas , Captain Plumb fantasized about airplanes ; he never dreamed that he might , one day , have the opportunity to pilot one . It would be the United States Navy that afforded Plumb the opportunity to live out that dream .
Captain Charles Plumb graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis , Maryland in 1964 . In November 1965 , Plumb earned his Navy Wings , becoming a United States Naval Aviator . From this , Plumb reported to Miaramar Naval Air Station in San Diego . There , he made his mark helping to develop the Navy Fighter Weapons School , more commonly known today as “ TOP GUN .”
His next appointment was to the Aircraft Carrier Kitty Hawk where he was assigned one of the Navy ’ s hottest jets , the F-4 Phantom . Captain Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam and made well over 100 carrier landings . On his 75th mission , just five days before the end of his tour , Plumb was shot down over Hanoi , taken prisoner , starved , tortured repeatedly , and survived the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner of War , until he was released on February 18 , 1973 .
During his nearly six years of captivity , Charlie Plumb distinguished himself among his fellow prisoners as a professional in underground communications , and served for two of those years as the Chaplain in his camp .
Since his return home , more than 5,000 audiences in nearly every industry have been spellbound as Captain Charlie Plumb draws parallels between his P . O . W . experience and the challenges of everyday life . He has shared his message to an even wider public through appearances on Good Morning America , Anderson Cooper 360 , MSNBC with Thomas Roberts , “ The Seventies ” with Wolf Blitzer , CNN New Day with Chris Cuomo , Yahoo ! News with Bianna Golodryga , and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer .
One of the most sought-after achievement speakers of his time , Charlie Plumb ’ s presentations are as he is , sincere , straightforward , humorous , and tailored to motivate each specific audience he encounters . His insights on how to cope with the difficulties as well as the opportunities in life have a positive impact on those who hear his message , those who read his books , and those who come to know him as a friend .
Captain Plumb ’ s Military honors include the Silver Star , Legion of Merit , Bronze Star , ( 2 ) Purple Hearts , and the P . O . W . Medal .