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Vietnam POW shares lessons in resiliency, leadership during Offutt visit

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  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
It was Nov. 7, 1967 and U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Leon Ellis was co-piloting an F-4C Phantom over North Vietnam when his aircraft was suddenly hit by enemy fire. It exploded into pieces and was quickly tumbling to the ground.

He managed to eject safely, but found himself parachuting into the same enemy territory he was attacking - not a good situation. He was almost immediately surrounded by North Vietnamese soldiers and captured.

His life changed quickly that day as he would soon become a prisoner of war at the notorious Hoi Lo Prison, facetiously nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American POWs.

Ellis would spend the next 5½ years of his life there until he was released in 1973. He returned to the U.S. where he continued to serve in the Air Force before retiring as a colonel in 1990.

Today, he is a well-respected leadership consultant, motivational speaker and an award-winning author who uses his experience to motivate others.

Some of his lessons in resiliency and leadership were shared with hundreds of 55th Wing members during a recent visit to Offutt. Ellis spoke about his time as a POW where he was subjected to unthinkable conditions that would test even the strongest man's character.

His primary messages to wing members were to confront your doubts and fears, and to believe that there will always be a better day.

"If we believe we can, we probably will," Ellis said.

This mindset is what helped Ellis endure captivity inside the Hoi Lo Prison where he was faced with constant hunger, bug-infested food, cramped cells that were cold in the winter and hot in the summer, interrogations, torture and anti-war propaganda. But through it all, he never gave up and he never lost hope.

"We wanted to stay in the fight," Ellis said. "Mentally, we had to stay resilient and we had to keep our heads with us so we could bounce back and continue to resist them."

Ellis said that resisting and "bouncing back" was part of the culture that was instilled throughout the POW camp. He said that every organization should strive to build the right culture.

He credits his leadership in the camp, specifically U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robinson Risner, U.S. Navy Cmdr. James Stockdale and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeremiah Denton, for building a culture that encouraged the POWs to resist up to the point of severe injury, but to never completely give in.

He said that even though the senior leaders were subjected to the majority of the torture, and were frequently sent to solitary confinement, they always "bounced back" and continued to resist.  They would also provide guidance and support whenever possible through subversive communication methods such as hand signals and a tap code.

Ellis said openness and willingness to lead by example are two of the biggest lessons in leadership he shares when consulting organizations.

"When you're vulnerable and real, people respect you more," Ellis said.

Ellis also encouraged wing members to over-communicate to ensure their messages are received, and to always provide praise to subordinates when they do a good job.

He concluded his remarks by describing what it was like to return home after being confined for more than five years in some of the most inhumane living conditions.

"Our honor was battered and beaten and scarred and rusty, but we came home with honor," Ellis said. "We never gave up on doing our very best to represent our country, our teammates and our families."