Lessons still linger for former Vietnam POW
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
FARMINGTON, UTAH
When his F-105 fighter/bomber was shot down over Vietnam on Aug. 24, 1967, a 5½-year nightmare began for U.S. Air Force Captain Jay C. Hess that he had trouble escaping even during his waking hours — perhaps especially during his waking hours.
It is a story he has told many times before in different settings, and he often includes spiritual insights he gained through his experience as a prisoner of war.
Sitting in the cozy comfort of his Farmington, Utah, home recently as a blizzard raged outside, he told the story again. At times his delivery was matter-of-fact, at other times he had a look of reflection, often tinged with emotion, and it seemed he was remembering experiences as if they had occurred just the day before.
His audience was Alan Hess (no relation), Eugene P. Till and the Church News. In February 1968, Brother Alan Hess, while serving in the Southern Far East Mission, was one of the Church's first missionaries sent to Thailand, where U.S. bases were located during the Vietnam War. Brother Till had military and civilian duties in Southeast Asia during the war, and was later president of the Korea Seoul Mission.
Jay Hess of the Farmington 10th Ward, Farmington Utah North Stake, was one of numerous U.S. military prisoners who were detained at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prisoner of war camp.
"The main thing about day-to-day life was that it was long," Brother Hess recalled. Communication, even with cell mates, was severely restricted, as were activities. Of the food, he said it was soup made from whatever weed was growing out in the field at the time, and some rice. With luck, the soup might also include a chicken foot, Brother Hess said with a wry smile.
The prisoners were able to hold "school" during the afternoons, and Brother Hess said he sometimes used that time to teach the gospel.
Of his captors, he said they were not too bad. "Guards were just doing their jobs," he said. That is, all but one who was intolerant of Brother Hess being sick and struck him on the side of the head, causing permanent partial hearing loss in one ear.
Shortly before he was released, Brother Hess was moved to a prison camp outside Hanoi called the Plantation.
When he and fellow prisoners arrived there, "we looked like zombies," he said, because they were seldom allowed to go out into the daylight.
But things were better at the Plantation. The prisoners could go outside, exercise, and the food was better, Brother Hess said.
Finally, he was released on March 14, 1973. During his captivity, he had been promoted to Major, and retired later in 1973 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Going home wasn't easy, he said, because he had changed so much as a result of his captivity.
But even decades later he spoke of how his faith in God helped him through the horrible ordeal.
Before he entered the military, he served in the Western States Mission and at the time he was shot down he was the leader of his Air Force base LDS group in Takhli, Thailand.
He said, "In reality, a prisoner of war experience is pretty much a spiritual experience because you've never been that humble before. You pray a lot because sometimes there's nobody else to talk to."
He said that his group decided to make reciting the Lord's Prayer and saying the Pledge of Allegiance a Sunday worship ritual.
He believes the experience in captivity helped him better understand the experiences of Joseph Smith and his companions in Liberty jail. "You can say Joseph Smith was in jail and it was a bad place, but you don't relate to it unless you've been there," he said.
And just as Joseph Smith experienced growth through his trial in jail, Brother Hess recognized blessings that came from his experience.
"It's good for you," he said. "Thank God I was a prisoner of war. It changed my life. That's about the same with every bad experience we have. No, I wouldn't want to do it again, but that's how I grew."
FIRST LETTER HOME
After more than two years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi, Vietnam, Jay C. Hess was permitted to write a short letter home. Following is the content of that letter dated Dec. 13, 1969:
"Above all I seek for eternal life with all of you. These are important: Temple marriage, mission, college. Press on. I had a slight flesh wound and last summer some sickness. All is well now. Set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year."
