Join the U.S. Naval Institute on 23 March 2023 at 1030 EST at the Jack C. Taylor Conference Center, in Annapolis, MD for a discussion about the Vietnam War POW experience.
On October 17, 1965, Lt (jg) Porter Halyburton and Lt. Cdr. Stan Olmstead catapulted off the deck of USS Independence bound for a target north of Hanoi. Before they arrived on station, their F4b was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Olmstead died in the cockpit. Halyburton ejected safely but was captured when he hit the ground. His 76th combat mission became the first day as a POW. He was held in the Hanoi Hilton for 7 years, 3 months, and 28 days. Fifty years after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and the end of his captivity, Halyburton takes the stage with author Taylor Kiland discuss the Vietnam War POW experience.
As of Monday 20 March, we are accepting only VIRTUAL registrations and IN PERSON registrations from attendees who have DoD clearance to drive on military bases. Anyone who registered previously to attend in person without DoD credentials is on a list of names at Gate 8.
Live-stream on the U.S. Naval Institute’s YouTube Channel.
Registration is required.
Moderator: Ward Carroll flew in F-14 Tomcats for fifteen years after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He was named Naval Institute Press Author of the Year in 2001 for his novel Punk’s War and is also the author of Punk’s Wing and Punk’s Fight. He is the host of the popular Ward Carroll YouTube channel.
Panelists:
Porter Alexander Halyburton survived captivity as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 1965 until 1973. Those seven and half years were not wasted. Halyburton shares the valuable lessons he learned in the Hanoi Hilton and 8 other POW camps, along with many unknown stories in REFLECTIONS ON CAPTIVITY. These include: the significance of choices made under difficult circumstances, the importance of communication in forming a unified and well-functioning community, and the freedom of forgiveness. His many awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, and seven Air Medals.
Porter Halyburton is from Davidson, NC, a graduate of Davidson College (BA), University of Georgia (MA), and the Naval War College. He was awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees from the University of Rhode Island and Greensboro College. Retired as Commander, U.S. Navy in 1984 and as Professor of Strategy Emeritus from the Naval War College in Newport, RI, in 2006, he currently resides with his wife Marty in Greensboro, NC. They have three grown children.
Taylor Baldwin Kiland has written, coauthored, ghostwritten, or edited twenty-one books, including three about our nation’s POWs: Unwavering: The Wives Who Fought to Ensure No Man is Left Behind, Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High-Performance Teams and Open Doors: Vietnam POWs Thirty Years Later.
A former naval officer—the third generation in her family to serve in the Navy—Taylor was raised in Coronado, California, and Virginia, where she grew up with many of the Vietnam POW and MIA families. She lives with her husband and daughter in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.
 Ward Carroll |
 Porter Alexander Halyburton |
 Taylor Baldwin Kiland |
This event will take place at the U.S. Naval Institute's Jack C. Taylor Conference Center, which is located on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy. All guests must register in advance and must have a valid government-issued ID. Directions and parking information will be shared with you closer to the event date.
AGENDA
10:30 am - 11:30 am (EST)
Panel Discussion
Audience Q&A
11:30 am
Panelists and moderator will be available to sign books upon the conclusion of this discussion.
This event is made possible through general support to the U.S. Naval Institute.