Chapter 9: The Son Tay Raid

07/10/23 • 32 min

1 Listener

In November of 1970, fifty-six U.S. Special Forces soldiers executed the most ambitious rescue mission of the Vietnam War, raiding a North Vietnamese prison camp known as "Son Tay," just outside of Hanoi.

In this episode, we hear from Terry Buckler, the youngest of the Son Tay Raiders. At the time, he was a 20-year-old Buck Sergeant who had never before seen combat. Despite this lack of experience, Terry was selected out of thousands of top-tier applicants to participate in this hazardous mission.

Terry walks us through the events leading up to the raid and details what happened when their chopper touched down in Son Tay on that cold night -- and how it impacted Everett's, Red's & the other POW's captivity.

Colonel Bull Simons, the leader of the raid, also chimes in via the archived recording of a 1974 interview with Murphy Martin.

For more info and photos specific to this episode, visit www.capturedpodcast.com.

CAPTURED: Shot Down in Vietnam is a docuseries from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Foundation, produced by the team at Foundwave, and respectfully created in honor of Ross Perot, Sr.

If you're interested in learning more about Vietnam POWs, you can visit the new exhibit "CAPTURED" at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA.

This series is produced by Steph Weaver-Weinberg. Original music compositions, foley effects, and mastering from Jonathan Rock. Research, background, and history from Jason Schwartz. Executive production from Joe Lopez & the team at Richard Nixon Foundation and Kali Mason from Perot Family Collections. Co-executive production, interviewing, and hosting by Tyler Russell McCusker.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colonel Bull Simons, the leader of the raid, also chimes in via the archived recording of a 1974 interview with Murphy Martin.

For more info and photos specific to this episode, visit www.capturedpodcast.com.

CAPTURED: Shot Down in Vietnam is a docuseries from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Foundation, produced by the team at Foundwave, and respectfully created in honor of Ross Perot, Sr.

If you're interested in learning more about Vietnam POWs, you can visit the new exhibit "CAPTURED" at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

Chapter 8: Seal Team Six in Pearls

In Part 2 of our two-part focus on the League of Wives, we examine how exactly this courageous band of women was able to organize under Sybil Stockdale and make a significant impact on the return of their lost men.

We rejoin Andrea Rander, wife of Chief Warrant Officer Donald Rander, and Pat Mearns, wife of Lt. Col. Arthur Mearns, in 1967. Andrea has been notified that Don was a confirmed POW, being held in North Vietnam with several hundred other American servicemen; a surprising phone call in '69 launches her and fellow wives to new heights on a flight to Paris as the women take on a North Vietnamese delegation face-to-face.

Pat had not had the luxury of an update on Art's condition. She shares with us the particular kind of agony that she and the other MIA wives/families were faced with -- that of the unknown.

Soon, Pat and Andrea's paths would cross at the White House, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Richard Nixon in their efforts to bring their men home.

We also hear from Pat and Art's daughter, Missy, who shares what it was like for her to cope with the loss of her father at such a tender age.

Expert historian and author Heath Hardage Lee helps break it all down.

You can find Heath's book The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home on Heath's website www.heathleeauthor.com or anywhere books are sold.

For more info and photos specific to this episode, visit www.capturedpodcast.com.CAPTURED: Shot Down in Vietnam is a docuseries from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Foundation, produced by the team at Foundwave, and respectfully created in honor of Ross Perot, Sr.

If you're interested in learning more about Vietnam POWs, you can visit the new exhibit "CAPTURED" at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Chapter 10: Freedom Bird

The finale of our story brings us to December 1972, as President Richard Nixon's administration strives to bring an end to the stalemate in peace negotiations with the North Vietnamese.

In this episode, we'll hear how Operation Homecoming came to bring 591 POWs home in February of 1973, 8.5 long years after Everett's capture.

For more info and photos specific to this episode, visit www.capturedpodcast.com.

CAPTURED: Shot Down in Vietnam is a docuseries from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Foundation, produced by the team at Foundwave, and respectfully created in honor of Ross Perot, Sr.

If you're interested in learning more about Vietnam POWs, you can visit the new exhibit "CAPTURED" at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices