An Amazing Story of Hope and Courage
When everything is stripped away –
your freedom, your dignity,
even your name – what remains?
On August 6, 1972 Navy pilot Mike Penn’s A-7 Corsair was shot down
over North Vietnam. What followed were eight months in the infamous
Hanoi Hilton, where he learned the most important lesson of life:
you can live a month without food,
a week without water, but not one day without hope.
From the cockpit to the prison cell to corporate management, Penn discovered that the same principles that kept him alive in captivity could transform every aspect of life:
• How hope becomes a daily choice, not just a feeling — why courage must be practiced, not just summoned in crisis.
• The power of community in overcoming impossible odds... how your greatest wounds can become your greatest strengths... why serving others is the ultimate measure of success.
Book Release: Available in Paperback
and Kindle on Amazon.com
IF YOU ARE FACING...
combat, addiction, illness, loss or simply the daily struggle to live with purpose,
this book provides a battle-tested framework for not just surviving,
but thriving. Penn’s principles have been proven in the
ultimate laboratory of human endurance — and they work.
His story proves that recovery isn’t just about surviving crisis — it’s about using
that experience to build a life of meaning, purpose, and service to others.
Mike’s Corsair II from the Vietnam era.
Photo credit J.J. Penn
“The connection between hope and survival isn’t metaphorical — it’s physiological. Penn’s story provides crucial insights for anyone treating trauma, managing crisis or simply trying to understand the unbreakable power of the human spirit.” — Dr. Paul Fine, MD, Military Physician, Police Captain & EMS Medical Director
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“Mike’s journey takes you from simple definitions to real meaning.
• Beyond Teamwork to Brotherhood, in the police and in war.
• Not simply Success, but Heroism and Never Losing Hope.
• Far greater than to React, but to Survive 8 months as a POW, Recover,
• and Lead critical businesses. A deeply inspiring American Hero’s Story.”
— Tom Gerry, U.S.A.F., Vietnam Veteran, Author, Payments Power
Mike Penn, former U.S. Navy Lieutenant, worked his way through college playing in a rock band before serving as a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas. After graduation, he became a fighter pilot, flying combat missions over North Vietnam. He was shot down, captured, and endured eight months in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton.”
Following his Naval service, Mike flew for both Continental and Southwest Airlines, meeting his wife while at Continental. He later became Chief Pilot in Houston for Southwest and continues to work as an inspirational public speaker, focusing on leadership, teamwork, customer service, and his prisoner-of-war story.
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Mike is known as “Dad” to his three children and “Pop” to his grandchildren.
After retiring from Southwest Airlines, Mike enters the world of motivational speaking.