CAPT Charlie Plumb '64 (USN Ret.) Speaks at the NALC 2021
Channel: United States Naval Academy Leadership Conference
Date: 2021-03-01

A native of Indiana, CAPT Charlie Plumb always dreamed of flying planes.  The Navy offered him an opportunity to see the world and to fulfill his dream of flying.  He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis and went on to graduate from Top Gun, one of the Navy’s most prestigious accomplishments for a fighter pilot. CAPT Plumb flew the F-4 Phantom jet on 74 successful combat missions over Vietnam. On his 75th mission, with only five days before he was to return home, CAPT Plumb was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam and was captured. CAPT Plumb spent the next 2,103 days in an 8-by-8 cell as a Prisoner of War where he was tortured and starved. During his nearly 6 years of captivity, CAPT Plumb distinguished himself among his fellow prisoners as a professional in underground communications and served for 2 of those years as the chaplain in his camp, providing comfort and hope to fellow prisoners. After being rescued and returning home, CAPT Plumb continued his Naval Service before retiring after 31 years of flying. After retirement, CAPT Plumb brought his own personal experiences from being a Prisoner of War and an officer in the Navy to everyday life. He has since worked as a business consultant and is most well known for being a motivational speaker. Since his return home, more than 5,000 audiences in nearly every industry have been spellbound as CAPT Charlie Plumb shares his story and the lessons he learned from it, while teaching people how to apply these lessons to any leadership role.