{"id":7808,"date":"2025-08-23T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7808"},"modified":"2025-08-23T18:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T18:30:00","slug":"former-pow-inspires-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7808","title":{"rendered":"Former POW inspires Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-08-23T18:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

In the lobby of the VA Outpatient Clinic in Conroe, Texas<\/a>, Navy Veteran Mike Penn often speaks with fellow Veterans, reminiscing about their military experiences and sharing war stories. As a Navy fighter pilot who served in Vietnam over 50 years ago, Penn has a remarkable story to tell.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Former POW and Navy Veteran Mike Penn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

On Aug. 6, 1972, during his 85th combat mission off the USS Midway, Penn was shot down and captured by enemy forces. He endured eight long months of brutal captivity in Hanoi, facing solitary confinement, beatings and starvation. He lost 60 pounds and struggled to recover from the injuries sustained in his plane crash. Defying the odds, he survived and returned home, opting to serve his country in the military for a few more years before embarking on a successful career as an airline pilot.<\/p>\n

However, his journey was not without challenges. Like many Veterans, Penn faced the invisible scars of war, battling PTSD and alcoholism. \u201cI thought I could handle everything on my own,\u201d he admitted. \u201cBut I learned that we all have triggers we don\u2019t recognize.\u201d<\/p>\n

The power of support<\/h2>\n

Penn credits his recovery and career success to determination and the support he received along the way, and he encourages other Veterans to be open to seeking help. A VA patient since 1985, he acknowledges the role VA played in discovering a life-threatening cancer during a routine scan. \u201cThe Houston VA saved my life,\u201d Penn said. \u201cI will be forever grateful to them for their role in helping me beat cancer a few years back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Navy Veteran and former POW Mike Penn inspires other Veterans by sharing his story of captivity and hope. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Today, Penn is not just a survivor; he is an inspiration to others. As a motivational speaker, he shares his story, urging Veterans to seek help when they need it. \u201cDrop the Superman complex,\u201d he shared. \u201cLet your guard down and accept help. It\u2019s okay not to be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his time in captivity, Penn and the other POWs <\/a>relied on one another for strength and support. \u201cOnce I got out of a couple of months of solitary confinement and was able to interact with my fellow servicemen, I knew I would be okay,\u201d he recalled. \u201cTo this day, I find that no one understands what it\u2019s like to be in combat like another Veteran who has been there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penn retired as an airline pilot just a few years ago and now enjoys spending time with his family, delivering motivational speeches and writing a book about his experiences.\u00a0His positive attitude is infectious. Even after being shot down, captured, beaten and imprisoned in Vietnam, he still considers it an honor to serve.\u00a0He routinely encourages his fellow Veterans to believe in themselves and maintain their focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy message to Veterans is to never give up and try to always maintain a positive attitude,\u201d he said. \u201cYou will be surprised at what you can achieve and overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A former POW inspires and motivates his fellow Veterans by sharing his experiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer POW inspires Veterans - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A former POW inspires and motivates his fellow Veterans by sharing his experiences.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7808\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former POW inspires Veterans - Its Veterans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A former POW inspires and motivates his fellow Veterans by sharing his experiences.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7808\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Its Veterans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-23T18:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/?p=7808#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/?p=7808\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4bf835f8c5375ef33978f3169f311668\"},\"headline\":\"Former POW inspires Veterans\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-23T18:30:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/?p=7808\"},\"wordCount\":547,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/?p=7808#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/vet-456-301.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"News & VA Updates\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/?p=7808\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/itsveterans.com\\\/?p=7808\",\"name\":\"Former POW inspires Veterans - 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