The State Historical Society of Missouri Executive Director Joel Rhodes interviewed Colonel John W. Clark (USAF. Ret.), chronicling the Columbia, Missouri, native and University of Missouri graduate’s inspirational journey as a Prisoner of War in the infamous Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. Colonel Clark’s Phantom II jet was shot down during a reconnaissance flight on March 12, 1967. For the next six years – 2,176 days – the North Vietnamese held him in captivity under squalid and horrific conditions. Listed first as Missing in Action and presumed dead for three-and-a-half years, Clark endured cruel mistreatment, torture, and suffering as a POW. His courage and perseverance speak to an indomitable spirit and faith that still carries him forward.
Colonel Clark’s decorations include the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and two Purple Hearts, and his engraved name on metal POW/MIA bracelets was worn by thousands of Americans in the Vietnam era. During their conversation at the State Historical Society's Center for Missouri Studies, the public was invited to learn Clark's story of POW brotherhood, 1973 homecoming, and a life of service.