Description

Through the Valley is the captivating memoir of the last US Army soldier taken prisoner during the Vietnam War

In 1971 William Reeder was a senior captain on his second tour in Vietnam He had flown armed fixedwing OV1 Mohawks on secret missions deep into enemy territory in Laos Cambodia and North Vietnam on his first tour He returned as a helicopter pilot eager to experience a whole new perspective as a Cobra gunship pilot Believing that Nixons Vietnamization would soon end the war Reeder was anxious to see combat action To him it appeared that the Americans had prevailed beaten the Viet Cong and were passing everything over to the South Vietnamese Army so that Americans could leave

Less than a year later while providing support to forces at the besieged base of Ben Het Reeders chopper went down in a flaming corkscrew Though Reeder survived the crash he was captured after evading the enemy for three days He was held for weeks in jungle cages before enduring a grueling forced march on the Ho Chi Minh Trail costing the lives of seven of his group of twentyseven POWs Imprisoned in the notorious prisons of Hanoi Reeders tenacity in the face of unimaginable hardship is not only a captivating story but serves as an inspiration to all