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Chained Eagle: The Heroic Story of the First American Shot Down over North Vietnam
On August 5, 1964, while Lt. (jg) Everett Alvarez was flying a retaliatory air strike against naval targets in North Vietnam, antiaircraft fire crippled his A-4 fighter-bomber, forcing him to eject over water at low altitude. Alvarez relates the engrossing tale of his capture by fishermen, brutal treatment by the North Vietnamese, physical and mental endurance, and triumphant repatriation nearly nine years later in 1973.
Alvarez spent more time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than any other flier. As Senator John McCain, a fellow POW, has written, “During his captivity, Ev exhibited a courage, compassion, and indomitable will that was an inspiration to us all.” Indeed, the book, which was written with Anthony S. Pitch, is remarkable for its lack of rancor. Alvarez directs his strongest words against the small number of POWs who broke ranks and collaborated with the enemy. As one reviewer wrote, Alvarez “relates the misery of his condition with a detachment that robs it of its shock value.” Chained Eagle also tells the story of the Alvarez family’s ordeal during his years of imprisonment: His sister became an anitwar activist, his wife divorced him, and relatives died. Yet throughout his time as a prisoner of war, Alvarez remained duty-bound and held steadfast to his religious faith and the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Alvarez spent more time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than any other flier. As Senator John McCain, a fellow POW, has written, “During his captivity, Ev exhibited a courage, compassion, and indomitable will that was an inspiration to us all.” Indeed, the book, which was written with Anthony S. Pitch, is remarkable for its lack of rancor. Alvarez directs his strongest words against the small number of POWs who broke ranks and collaborated with the enemy. As one reviewer wrote, Alvarez “relates the misery of his condition with a detachment that robs it of its shock value.” Chained Eagle also tells the story of the Alvarez family’s ordeal during his years of imprisonment: His sister became an anitwar activist, his wife divorced him, and relatives died. Yet throughout his time as a prisoner of war, Alvarez remained duty-bound and held steadfast to his religious faith and the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2005
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About the author
Anthony S. Pitch
16 books9 followersAnthony S. Pitch is the author of “They Have Killed Papa Dead!” on the Lincoln assassination, The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814, and Our Crime Was Being Jewish. A journalist on four continents, he has appeared on C-SPAN TV, the History Channel, National Geographic TV, Book TV, NPR, and PBS. He lives in Potomac, Maryland.
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April 17, 2017
Story of pain, heroism, courage, and endurance by an American pilot POW
This book should be required reading by every high school senior in America, as a requirement for graduation from high school. How Mr Alvarez did not go insane as a result of brutal beatings at the hands of the North Vietnamese is a story in and of itself. The feeling of loss based on his wife's disloyalty, while he was still imprisoned. The obvious disloyalty of several fellow officers added to the pain and consternation suffered by Alvarez and his fellow pilots, who chose to resist their captors. The events detailed in the book occurred about fifty years ago, but, we cannot nor should we cheapen the sacrifices made by Alvarez and his fellow pilots by forgetting what they experienced. I highly recommend this book.
This book should be required reading by every high school senior in America, as a requirement for graduation from high school. How Mr Alvarez did not go insane as a result of brutal beatings at the hands of the North Vietnamese is a story in and of itself. The feeling of loss based on his wife's disloyalty, while he was still imprisoned. The obvious disloyalty of several fellow officers added to the pain and consternation suffered by Alvarez and his fellow pilots, who chose to resist their captors. The events detailed in the book occurred about fifty years ago, but, we cannot nor should we cheapen the sacrifices made by Alvarez and his fellow pilots by forgetting what they experienced. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review