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Tap Code “By tapping covertly on our cell walls using an alphabet code we maintained our unity. We encouraged and cared for each other. We passed information, learned poetry, even learned new languages. I got to know my fellow prisoners like brothers, though I’d never even seen them.”
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Beyond Survival Building on the Hard Times - A POW's Inspiring Story Captain Gerald Coffee US Navy (Ret.)
When life loses its meaning, when suddenly the world is turned upside down, when there's nothing left that resembles life as we've known it, where do we find the strength and sustenance to go on? For naval aviator Jerry Coffee and others who were held as prisoners of war in North Vietnam, there was only one choice: to go within. Beyond Survival is a journey into the invincible human spirit that unites heart and mind in a compelling and unforgettable experience. Drawing from his seven years as a POW, Captain Coffee provides timeless lessons that apply to the physical, emotional, and ethical challenges of everyday life. Proving that leadership and creativity are possible in difficult and uncertain circumstances, Captain Coffee offers a message we can draw on in any trying situation. His story demonstrates that conviction must come from within, and in telling that story he touches the place inside of us where growth begins. Beyond Survival is a positive statement about love and commitment in the midst of war and division. It contrasts the cold reality of war, degradation, and torture with the warmth of human connections, inner serenity, and kinship with all of life. It poignantly illustrates that to be stripped of everything that is familiar and by which we identify ourselves leaves us with only what unites us - our human identity. It conveys truths about relationships at every level - with ourselves, with others, with our country, and with God. Without inflaming the wounds inflicted by America's involvement in Vietnam, Beyond Survival explores an issue at the heart of every free society: the willingness of ordinary individuals to maintain a passion for freedom so compelling that adversity strengthens rather then weakens personal resolve in the worst of circumstances. Through Gerald Coffee's story you will discover the universal principles of survival and triumph that empower anyone to overcome adversity.
"A lesson in living for each one of us. Beyond Survival is a brutally honest account of Captain Coffee's experience as a POW and how he used this experience as an opportunity for promoting his own personal and spiritual growth. I celebrate its publication." Wayne W. Dyer, author of You'll See It When You Believe It and Pulling Your Own Strings
"Beyond Survival yanks you right out of your easy chair and into the terrifying world of North Vietnamese prison. This is more that a POW story, it is a moving and inspirational message of hope. It stirs the inner strengths we all need to survive our own Hanoi Hiltons." Nelson DeMille, author of Word of Honor and The Generals Daughter
"His story is fascinating and compelling - a real inspiration." Larry King, author of Tell It to the King
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