ion to Compton (his superior). ‘Sorry boss,’Stafford said ‘I’ll see you after the war.’”5 He later had to throw awayhisradio, his only contact with the people that cod save him, in fear that hewould be tortured by the Vietnamese till he called for a rescue. He eventhough of committing suicide by overdosing on the morphine he carried, butinstead decided on throwing it away, so that he wouldn’t be able to. Soeventhis early in the war, the horrors of the POW camps were already known. I believe the worst torture Stafford had to endure was being withoutwater. “As time passed, Stafford’s awareness shifted away from his physicalpain and the uncertainty of his situation and focused on one single fact andsensation: he was thirsty... He got down off the stool, onto his knees, andlicked the floor where he tiles joined, hoping some water had a accumulatedthere. When that failed, he tried licking damaged places on the wall,hopingthat some water had sweated through.”6 It was only his second day withoutwater, and he had to wait three more. The book continues to describe the horrible conditions in the rooms,the small amounts of food, and the torture that they had to go through onoccasion, but never was any soldier’s ordeal described the way Stafford’shad been. Its amazing how some people can persevere. After spending eightyears as a Vietnam POW Stafford was released. When he returned homehis wife was still waiting for him, and the only problem he suffered wasoccasional depression....
