WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and SportsA prisoner's tale

A prisoner's tale

Eau Claire (WQOW) - An Eau Claire man reminded residents Wednesday what sacrifice many troops make to fight for our country.

A retired U.S. Air Force colonel shared his experience as a POW during the Vietnam War. Dan Doughty was shot down over Vietnam and held captive for 7 years. News 18's Steve Betchkal was at a Veterans Day breakfast with the Sunrise Exchange Club as Dan shared his memories.

"I went to Hanoi, like I said, just a little over a month after I was shot down. Assuming I'd be going into a compound like you see on the TV, movies, like World War II or Hogan's Heroes or such and got there and here I was put into a little cubby hole room, probably eight by ten, and I was in there all by myself. After we got done eating our meal, our arms were tied behind our back, the door was locked and we stayed that way until after dark. At night they'd come around and untie us and give us our second meal.

Interrogations went day and night and the treatment was absolutely brutal. At one point I had the interrogator tell me you might as well tell us what we want to know because I can make the dead man talk. And I thought, well you've never dealt with me before but about a day later I started to believe what he told me.

I don't think it's anything that you really prepare for it's just when the situation presents, you know, survival instincts kick in and you do what you have to do. You know, if I can make it through the next minute, I'll be okay. We had this saying that 'I'm going home soon. Maybe not next year, but soon.'

I was on the third airplane home out of Hanoi on February 4th. Flew into Philippine's Clark Air Base. Spent a few days there giving medical check-up and then back to Scott Air Force Base down in St. Louis. Illinois, where I met my family for the first time in over 7 years.

Like a friend of mine says...any day's a good day when you get up and you have a door knob on the inside of the room that you're in."

--Comments from Dan Doughty, a POW of the Vietnam War