Why Didn't You Get Me Out
by Frank AntonReviews
americal.org said:
Many people associate Prisoners of War in Vietnam with Air Force pilots who were shot down over North Vietnam and imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton. While this was certainly the case for a large number of POWs, it was not the case for all.Frank Anton was a chopper pilot for the Firebirds, a top gunship unit of the Americal Division. On January 5, 1968, Anton was answering a call for help from a ground unit engaged in a bitter night fight. He called on the raido "How can we assist you?" But before he could come to the aid of the embattled infantrymen, he himself was in need of assistance.
The enemy was waiting for Anton's chopper. Tracers from fifty-caliber machines guns streaked from the ground and found their mark. "Nine-Zero is taking hits, taking hits!" radioed Anton. But it was too late. Firebird 90 was on its way down as Anton and his co-pilot tried frantically to find a safe place to crash.
Anton and the other three crew members survived the crash. They split up, with Anton deciding to stay near the downed chopper. Near dawn he dozed off and awoke to see a NVA soldier standing over him. The captor handed Anton a card printed in English: "You are a prisoner of the People's National Liberation Front. You will not be harmed..."
Anton was shot down in South Vietnam and that is where he would remain a prisoner for the next three years. He and other Americans were held in crude jungle camps under the most severe conditions. With little to eat and almost no medical care, several of Anton's fellow prisoners died in captivity. In 1971, he and the others were moved to a prison in North Vietnam.
So why the title "Why Didn't You Get Me Out?" This seems to imply that the U.S. military knew where Anton was being held captive and that they had the means to free him. According to Anton, this was exactly the case. Upon his return to the United States in 1973, he was shown photographs and maps which indicated the location of the POW camps where he was kept. With U.S. forces still active in the area, they could have been sent to rescue him and his fellow prisoners. So why not?
Anton answers this question and many others. He also describes his encounters with Bobby Garwood, the ones in the camps in Vietnam as well as those in the courtroom at Camp Lejeune. Surprisingly, the only thing Anton wanted from Garwood was for Garwood to tell the truth. Be prepared: reading Anton's book may change your mind about some of the issues surrounding the POW/MIA debate.
After retiring from the Army, Anton spent several years flying for a major airline. He is now residing in Florida. If you would like to read Franks own words, go to Frank Anton's Page on the internet.
Amazon.com Editorial Review
Frank anton went to Vietnam in 1967 to serve the country he loved. Now, more than thirty years later, he tells the story of how his own government failed him...For give hellish years, American soldier Frank Anton was held as a POW in Vietnam. Subject to disease, starvation, and physical and psychological torture, Anton and his fellow prisoners held out hope that the U.S. government would find and rescue them.
When he was finally freed in 1973, Anton returned to the United States bruised and battered. And the most devastating blow of all had yet to even be struck. Upon his release, Anton and debriefed by the government and saw both aerial photographs of the prison camps where he was held and a close-us picture of himself walking the grueling Ho Chi Minh Trail. The government had known all along where and when Anton and his fellow soldiers were being held--and made no attempt to rescue them.
now, in this harrowing first-person account and shocking expose, Frank Anton recounts his years as a POW and the aftermath--devoting his life to understanding why and how his own government left him and others to suffer and possibly die in the Vietnamese prison camps. And the answers he's uncovered will forever astound and disturb you.
With eight pages of dramatic photos
A main selection of the Military Book Club
Where to get the book
Amazon
Written by: Frank Anton
15 December 2005
