Captain Mike Cronin, USN (Ret.), Hanoi Hilton POW, Captivates Potomac Kiwanis Club Audience
by Bob Cressy, Past Governor - Potomac Kiwanis Club 27 January 2009

United States Navy pilot now Captain Mike Cronin (right) began his address and slide presentation to a room overflowing with the Kiwanis Club of Potomac members and guests with "This is a tale of a very lucky man". You see, as a more junior flight officer in 1967, Mike Cronin became a POW, a prisoner of war, in the infamous Viet Cong, North Vietnam Hanoi Hilton. He was held for over six years during the Vietnam conflict after his A4 Sky hawk aircraft was hit by a missile, disintegrated and he parachuted into enemy hands.

Can you imagine yourself in this situation? Well, you really can't have even a close idea unless you have heard the tale from someone who lived through the experience. One of the ways a Kiwanis club can serve is to bring its community a better idea of the heroism of those serving our country by offering such programs to the public. These are the highlights of such heroism and his ordeal. His audience was spellbound as I was.

CPT Cronin is a 1963 United States Naval Academy graduate and completed Navy flight training in 1964. His initial assignment after flight training was aboard the USS Midway in the Tonkin Gulf in May 1965. During the following sixteen months, while flying from the Midway and the USS Coral Sea he completed 175 combat missions.

Mike built his story chronologically first describing and showing photographs of Coral Sea nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Over 5,000 people keep the ship combat ready, the size of a small city, from the pilots and maintenance crew, to running the ship's missions in all kind of weather, and including food preparation, laundry and all the chores of daily living. He showed us a Russian Bear recon aircraft tracking the carrier while our Navy tracked him. And, we saw taking on supplies ship-to-ship while underway in rough seas.

His squadron consisted of 14 planes, 18 pilots plus service maintenance crew. Thirty five planes would be launched on a mission then immediately thirty five others returned to ship from their mission. In combat, this went on virtually 24 hours a day. (Right, not the best photo angle, but a decent view of an A4 Skyhawk attack aircraft on the deck of the USS Coral Sea being catapulted off the 250 foot deck attaining 150 mph for launch against the VC.)

(Left) The tail section of the A4 Skyhawk jet attack aircraft is shown with the arresting hook, necessary to stop the plane when it lands on the carrier deck. There are three cables to catch the hook and you better catch one of them. The tail section of CPT Cronin's jet was blown off when hit by a missile leading to his capture.

He was hit and ejected from his disintegrating A4 on January 13, 1967 and was taken prisoner and held until March 4, 1973. Over six years. His raid was on the Hanoi power plant. He was tied and blind folded and taken to the 'Hanoi Hilton', an actual prison built during the French Indo-China War, not like the prison camps often seen in other theaters. The interrogation room was stark with a table and chair. He said, "I saw a ceiling hook, bloody rags. I was questioned and I lied. We were tortured. I was not of the rank to know of future missions so there was little I could tell them of any use. The cells had a plank platform for sleeping and leg irons if they wanted to use them. We tapped messages to one another. No one gave up any secrets that I knew of."

"During U.S. bombings of 1967, many prisoners were moved around the power plant so we'd either kill prisoners or not bomb at all. We did bomb. Holes were dug in the street for VC to hide in during bombings. I visited Hanoi later and the prison is a museum now. The "Highway of Tears" is still just a two lane road. Many anti-aircraft gun emplacements still exist as reminders."

The war ended in 1973 for the United States with never having lost a battle, but we 'lost' the war. Prisoners were released FIFO - first captured, first released in 1973. Two years later the South Vietnamese were over run in Saigon by the VC as combat and materiel support to them had been withdrawn. In 1996 the U.S. and the Peoples republic of Vietnam established 'normal' relations.

The Q&A was equally fascinating.

Q. Were you tortured?
A. "Yes, universally. I lied. You don't get good information by torture."

Q. Were you brainwashed?
A. "Brainwashing is watching CNN", he said.

Q. Did they break you?
A. "You don't break, but bend."

Q. Did it change you?
A. "Who knows?"

Q. Did you see Senator John McCain?
A. "No, but we met afterwards."

Q. Could you write letters to home?
A. "No, not for most of the time, then later, yes, but only six lines. It was four years before the VC acknowledged our 1967 capture. We were listed as 'missing, presumed captured" and families knew nothing. The Red Cross was never allowed to visit."

Q. What did you learn?
A. "Hope springs eternal. Hatred corrodes me, not them. Communism is a religion more than a philosophy but they compete for minds."

Captain Cronin has been awarded the Silver Star (2), Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star (4), Air Medal (15), and Navy Commendation Medal (2), all with the combat "V". He left the active Navy in 1976 to pursue a career as an airline pilot and lawyer. He resides in Maryland with his wife and children.'

(Right) Left to right are Jerry Joseph, Treasurer, Andy Thebo, CPT Cronin and Potomac Club President David Drake who put on a well organized and presented program for fifty-seven attendees.

What is learned from such a program?

Kiwanians learn many things from programs like this. First, is that a Kiwanis Club can provide a valuable service to their communities by searching out educational, inspirational programs, then especially by inviting many quests to the program. Programs are draw for potential members and help retain members through good, interesting meetings for all. Kiwanians are a source of program ideas, either their own experiences or from those they know. It is both respectful and allows the community to express our thanks for those who have served our nation to keep us free. So, do Memorial Day and Veteran's Day programs. Thank a veteran, because without their service and sacrifices we would have no freedom.