Joseph Charles Plumb Jr.

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Joseph Charles Plumb Jr.
Born (1942-11-03) November 3, 1942 (age 75)
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Nationality American
Other names Charlie Plumb
Occupation Author, motivational speaker, safety lecturer, ex-POW, volunteer, pilot, sailor, world traveler
Website charlieplumb.com

Joseph Charles Plumb Jr. (born November 3, 1942), also known as Charlie Plumb, is a former Navy Fighter Pilot captain and an ex-POW (Prisoner of war) [1] [2] turned author and motivational speaker. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Early life and education

Born on November 3, 1942, in Gary, Indiana during World War II, he was raised in a three-room home in rural Kansas, with no indoor plumbing until he was 11. His father, Joseph Charles Plumb, Sr. was a carpenter, his mom, a homemaker. The family moved to Overland Park, a Kansas City suburb, in 1956. Plumb graduated from Shawnee-Mission High School at the age of 17. [9] [10]

Gary, Indiana City in Indiana, United States

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States, 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Chicago, Illinois. Gary is adjacent to the Indiana Dunes National Park and borders southern Lake Michigan. Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. The city is known for its large steel mills, and as the birthplace of the Jackson 5 music group.

Kansas State of the United States of America

Kansas is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka and its largest city is Wichita, with its most populated county being Johnson County. Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east; Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west. Kansas is named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the (south) wind" although this was probably not the term's original meaning. For thousands of years, what is now Kansas was home to numerous and diverse Native American tribes. Tribes in the eastern part of the state generally lived in villages along the river valleys. Tribes in the western part of the state were semi-nomadic and hunted large herds of bison.

Military career

Charlie Plumb graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964. He earned his Navy Wings of Gold in 1966 and went on to fly the F-4 Phantom jet with fighter squadron VF-114. He was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Kittyhawk and flew 74 successful combat missions over Vietnam. [11] On his 75th mission, with five days before he was to return home, his plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, [12] resulting in his capture and torture. [13] He spent a total of 2,103 days as a POW in North Vietnamese prison camps. [3] [4] [14] [14]

USS <i>Kitty Hawk</i> (CV-63) aircraft carrier of the US Navy

The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight. Kitty Hawk was both the first and last active ship of her class, and the last oil-fired aircraft carrier in service with the United States Navy.

During the nearly six years of captivity, [6] Charlie Plumb was distinguished among his fellow prisoners for his creative methods of underground communication. He also served for two years as the camp chaplain. [3] [4] [15]

Upon returning home, Plumb continued to fly A-4 Skyhawks, A-7 Corsairs and F/A-18 Hornets in Navy Reserve squadrons. His last commands as a Naval Reservist were aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, and with a Fighter Air Wing in Lemoore, California. [4] [16] After 31 years of service, Plumb retired from the Navy with the rank of captain. [3] [4] [15]

USS <i>Coral Sea</i> (CV-43) Midway-class aircraft carrier

USS Coral Sea (CV/CVB/CVA-43), a Midway-class aircraft carrier, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career. Initially classified as an aircraft carrier with hull classification symbol CV-43, the contract to build the ship was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia on 14 June 1943. She was reclassified as a "Large Aircraft Carrier" with hull classification symbol CVB-43 on 15 July 1943. Her keel was laid down on 10 July 1944 in Shipway 10. She was launched on 2 April 1946 sponsored by Mrs. Thomas C. Kinkaid and commissioned on 1 October 1947 with Captain A.P. Storrs III in command.

Captain (United States O-6) rank in the United States uniformed services, O-6

In the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, captain is the senior-most commissioned officer rank below that of flag officer. The equivalent rank is colonel in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

After his repatriation, Plumb became an Author and Professional Speaker, [17] [18] sharing his POW experiences with audiences around the world. [1] [14] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] One of his signature messages describes the chance meeting with the sailor who packed his parachute, which ultimately saved his life. [6] [7] [12] [24] Captain Plumb continues to receive media coverage as he represents his fellow POWs and their return with honor. [6] [7] [12] [24] [25] [26]

Captain Charlie Plumb has been awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, 2 Purple Hearts, Legion of Merit and the POW Medal for his service and attained the rank of captain in the Naval reserve. [16] [21] [27]

Books

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References

  1. 1 2 Howes, Craig (1993-01-01). Voices of the Vietnam Pows: Witnesses to Their Fight. Oxford University Press, Incorporated. ISBN   9780195358698.
  2. ↑ "Blitzer Brings 'The Seventies' to Newseum". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "POWs Mark 40 Years of Freedom". ABC News. 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Captain Charlie Plumb: Winning Through Adversity". Smart Hustle Magazine. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  5. ↑ R., Phil. "Captain Charlie Plumb". Empower America Hour. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Thank Your Parachute Packer" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  7. 1 2 3 "Who's Packing Your Parachute? | Darren Hardy, Publisher of SUCCESS Magazine" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  8. ↑ "Modern American Heroes · Capt. Charlie Plumb". www.modernamericanheroes.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  9. ↑ "Former Navy Fighter Pilot & P.O.W." Charlie Plumb. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Bio, Plumb, Joseph C. "Charlie"". www.pownetwork.org. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  11. ↑ "The Importance of Communication by Captain Charlie Plumb" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  12. 1 2 3 "Stories - Who Packs Your Parachute?". www.axpow.org. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  13. ↑ "Keep your parachute packed: Rotary hears famed speaker, former POW Captain Plumb - Santa Paula Times". www.santapaulatimes.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  14. 1 2 3 "Santa Ynez Valley Journal | MAKING THE MOST OF IT". www.syvjournal.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  15. 1 2 "LESSONS IN COMMUNICATION FROM A PRISONER OF WAR - passion for fresh ideas" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  16. 1 2 "Smashwords – About Charlie Plumb, author of 'Im No Hero'". www.smashwords.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  17. ↑ BAKER, BOB (1985-12-15). "'Triumph of an Ordinary Man' : Ex-POW Resurrects Pain, Pathos to Motivate Others". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  18. ↑ "Vietnam veterans welcome home: Tavares celebration to welcome home Vietnam veterans" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  19. ↑ "Former Vietnam POW tells his story to Suffolk club" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  20. ↑ "Communication Skills: The Key to Getting More Clients and Better Clients in Any Economic Environment". www.billbachrach.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  21. 1 2 "40 years ago in a land far away, positive thinking saved his life | www.theacorn.com | The Acorn". www.theacorn.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  22. ↑ "SUCCESS Achiever's Series MP3: Charlie Plumb - By Media". store.success.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  23. ↑ "Charlie Plumb: Making choices, taking risks" . Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  24. 1 2 "Strategic Business Network (SBN)". Strategic Business Network. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  25. ↑ "ABC News: Nixon Library POW Reunion Rekindles Memories". nixonfoundation.org. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  26. ↑ "Tony Orlando Donates Gold Record to POW Exhibit". nixonfoundation.org. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  27. ↑ "Captain charlie plumb vietnam pow". smcmillin31community.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  28. ↑ Plumb, Charlie; DeWerff, Glen (1995-01-01). I'm No Hero: A POW Story as Told to Glen DeWerff. Tremendous Life Books. ISBN   9780937539385.
  29. ↑ Frank, Bill (13 September 2011). "Charlie Plumb Gives The Lessons He Learned In A Vietnamese Prisoner of War Camp Contained In His Book I'm No Hero". Brainstorminonline. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  30. ↑ Budler, Bob, ed. (1994-08-01). You Can Do It! (Second ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Executive Books. ISBN   9780937539194.
  31. ↑ Noble, Barnes &. "Speaking Secrets of the Masters; The Personal Techniques Used by 22 of the Worlds' Top Professional Speakers". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  32. ↑ Associates, Speakers (1988-01-01). INSIGHTS INTO EXCELLENCE: WINNING GAME PLANS FROM 19 MASTERS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS (1St ed.). Hdl.
  33. ↑ DeGreen, Keith, ed. (1978-01-01). Stand Up, Speak Out, and Win!. Summit Enterprises.
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