“You try not to worry too much about things you have no control over.” Audio Interview, 15:42.

Gordon Ross Nakagawa

War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Navy Unit: VA-165; VA-196; USS Ranger (CV 61); USS Enterprise (CVN 65); USS Constellation (CV 64); USS Yorktown (CV 10) Service Location: Vietnam Rank: Captain POW: Yes Place of Birth: Auburn, CA

In 1958, when Gordon Nakagawa became a Naval aviator out of college, the American military’s main concern was Cold War strategy. Ten years later, Nakagawa was flying bombing missions over Vietnam in a new A-6 Intruder, capable of flying at night and in all kinds of weather. On a subsequent tour of duty in Vietnam, Nakagawa’s plane was brought down and he became a “guest” of the North Vietnamese at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Nakagawa called on his training and the shared experiences of previous POWs to survive his stay.