Angela Street brought this week's guest speaker, Bob Hayhurst, and gave him a detailed introduction.

 

According to Angela's intro, "Bob was born in 1943 in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  He spent most of his youth growing up in New Richmond, Wisconsin, graduating from New Richmond High School in 1961. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 5, 1966, and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in September 1966.  Pvt Hayhurst next attended the USAINTS (United States Army Intelligence School) at Fort Holabird, Maryland, from September 1966 to January 1967. 

His first assignment was as Special Agent with the 66th Military Intelligence Group in Stuttgart, Germany from January to October 1967 . Sgt Hayhurst then served as Special Agent with the 525th and then the 1st Bn of the 135th MI Group in Hue, South Vietnam from November 1967. He was captured during the Tet Offensive of 1968 in the city of Hue."

 

Next, Bob took the mic and began to tell his harrowing story. He was captured by N. Vietnamese soldiers along with a few of his other intelligence officers after engaging with them in a fire fight for nearly two days. It was only after they ran out of amo when they finally decided to surrender. 

 

Bob was 1 of 26 people captured (including several civilians). The soldiers marched them through thick jungle trails and feed then only rice for most of the trip (they were feed dog meat on only one occasion). 

 

At some point towards the end of their captivity some of Bob's group formulated a plan of escape, and on the 24th day they made their attempt and succeeded. 

 

Finding their way back to allied territory they were provided with showers, food, and clean clothes. Bob and one of his fellow intelligence officers were the only two of his team to survive, and were both given the choice to go anywhere in the world for the rest of their tour of duty. They both got there first choice.