Glory Denied - Vietnam Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War - INCOMPLETE

*******************INCOMPLETE FILEMissing Chapter 1, download alternate copy from this site.****************The unforgettable saga of Jim Thompson, America's longest-held prisoner of war is a heartbreaking story of courage, and resilience in the wake of unthinkable torture in Northern Vietnam. Tom Philpott, a military historian and journalist, combines oral history and historical research to interlace Thompson's wrenching experience as a POW with the trials of his wife Alyce, who lived for nine years with the uncertainty of her husband's fate. Upon his release, Thompson's troubles only multiplied as his family endured the fallout of severe alcoholism, adultery, teen pregnancy and a murder charge against Thompson's son. Based on extensive interviews with Thompson, his family, and dozens of people close to him from various stages of his life, Glory Denied is an epic work about the far-reaching implications of one man's sacrifice and the larger story of a generation ravaged by the effects of the Vietnam War. He was born in New Jersey in 1933 & only dreamed of being a military man. Marrying shortly after high school, he joined the army in 1956 & was dispatched to Vietnam in 1963 when America still seemed still innocent. Jim Thompson would have led a perfectly ordinary, undistinguished life had he not been captured four months later, becoming the first American prisoner in Vietnam and, ultimately, the longest-held prisoner of war in American history. Forgotten Soldier is Thompson's epic story, a remarkable reconstruction of one man's life & a searing account that questions who is a real American hero. Examining the lives of Thompson's family on the home front, as well as his brutal treatment & five escape attempts in Vietnam, military journalist Tom Philpott weaves an extraordinary tale, showing how the American government intentionally suppressed Thompson's story. "Jim's story, as movingly portrayed in Tom Philpott's oral history, is in many ways America's own."--Senator John McCain. Thompson was captured March 1964, three months after arriving in Vietnam, and was held until 1973. Philpott, author of the weekly column Military Update, recounts his childhood, marriage, early days in the army, years as a prisoner of war, release and return, and the family and personal problems that awaited him after so long "He had dreamed as a youngster during World War II of being a military man. Marrying shortly after high school, he was drafted by the army in 1956 and sent to a faraway land called Vietnam in 1963, at a time when America still seemed innocent. In fact, Floyd "Jim" Thompson might have led a perfectly ordinary life had he not been captured on March 26, 1964, just three months after arriving in Vietnam, becoming one of the first Americans taken prisoner and, ultimately, the longest-held prisoner of war in American history.". "Now, for the first time, Thompson's epic story and that of his family, who also paid dearly for his sacrifice, are brought to life in Glory Denied, a searing reconstruction of one man's tortuous journey through war and its aftermath. Weaving together scores of interviews with Thompson and his family; comments from friends, fellow soldiers, and former prisoners of war; and excerpts from service records, medical reports, and intelligence briefings, Tom Philpott delivers an exceptionally nuanced and moving portrait of a man, a family, and a nation."--BOOK JACKET. Prisoner: Dying -- Pit -- Key West -- America's son, 1933-1963 -- Bergenfield -- Alyce -- Marriage -- Army -- Special forces -- Orders -- Gone again -- War and dreams, 1964 1973: In-country -- Camp Khe Sanh -- Patrols -- Friendly fire -- Final letters -- Captive -- Missing -- Confinement -- Harold -- Massachusetts -- New life -- Settling in -- North Vietnam -- Christmas '67 -- Bao Cao -- Camp K-77 -- Roommates -- Shaping up -- Rockpile -- Escape -- Peace talks -- No bracelet -- Going home -- War comes home, 1973-1980: First lie -- Reunion -- Children -- Pulling up roots -- Power of faith -- White house -- Hurting time -- Wild streak - Dreamhouse -- Broken-hearted -- Divorced -- New partners -- Tennessee -- Simple negligence -- Place in the sun -- Bridge players -- Turnaround -- No reprieve, 1981-1992: Captive once more -- Rehabilitation -- Disappeared -- Separate moves -- Murder suspect -- Tennessee trial -- Survivor -- Epilogue -- Postscript: 10 years on

Now hailed as a classic, one of the most unforgettable and heartbreaking books ever written about the Vietnam War.

Glory Denied—the harrowing story of America’s longest-held POW, the wrenching agonies faced by his family, and the larger story of a nation divided—returns to Norton a decade after its much-heralded publication. Excerpted in The New Yorker and later made into an opera, it is the heroic story of Floyd “Jim” Thompson, captured in March 1964, who became the longest-held prisoner of war in American history. Tom Philpott juxtaposes Thompson’s capture, torture, and multiple escape attempts with the trials of his young wife, Alyce, who, feeling trapped, made choices that forever tied her fate to the war she despised. “One of the most honest books ever written about Vietnam”
(Oliver Stone), Glory Denied demands that we rethink the definition of a true American hero.

Now hailed as a classic, one of the most unforgettable and heartbreaking books ever written about the Vietnam War. Glory Denied —the harrowing story of America's longest-held POW, the wrenching agonies faced by his family, and the larger story of a nation divided—returns to Norton a decade after its much-heralded publication. Excerpted in The New Yorker and later made into an opera, it is the heroic story of Floyd "Jim" Thompson, captured in March 1964, who became the longest-held prisoner of war in American history. Tom Philpott juxtaposes Thompson's capture, torture, and multiple escape attempts with the trials of his young wife, Alyce, who, feeling trapped, made choices that forever tied her fate to the war she despised. "One of the most honest books ever written about Vietnam" (Oliver Stone), Glory Denied demands that we rethink the definition of a true American hero. **__Glory Denied__―the harrowing story of America’s longest-held POW, the wrenching agonies faced by his family, and the larger story of a nation divided.** JIM THOMPSON I don't really know how far they would have gone, whether they would have killed me or not.