Charlie Plumb

Captain Charlie Plumb graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis and went on to fly the F-4 Phantom jet on 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam. On his 75th mission, with only five days before he was to return home, Plumb was shot down, captured, tortured, and imprisoned in an 8 foot x 8 foot cell. He spent the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner Of War in communist prison camps.

Captain Charles Plumb

During his nearly six years of captivity, Charlie Plumb distinguished himself among his fellow prisoners as a professional in underground communications, and served for two of those years as the Chaplain in his camp.

Since his return home, more than 4,000 audiences in nearly every industry have been spellbound as Captain Charlie Plumb draws parallels between his P.O.W. experience and the challenges of everyday life. He has shared his message to an even wider public through appearances on Good Morning America, Nightline, Larry King Live, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

One of the most sought-after achievement speakers of his time, Charlie Plumbs presentations are as he is, sincere, straightforward, humorous, and tailored to motivate each specific audience he encounters. His insights on how to cope with the difficulties as well as the opportunities in life have a positive impact on those who hear his message, those who read his books, and those who come to know him as a friend.

Captain Plumb's Military honors include two Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the P.O.W. Medal.

Overcoming Adversity -

Captain Charlie Plumb personalizes (for each audience) a highly motivational message of overcoming adversity... His and Yours.

View Captain Charlie Plumb on stage: (click on the 4 links to view videos)

Choose to be a Winner Tugging on the Wire Prison Thinking Packing Parachutes

Personal applications revealed in each spellbinding presentation include:

The Power of Choice: In a daily routine, or in a communist prison camp, each of us has the choice to succeed, to fail...or to become the victim of circumstances.
Adversity: Viewed as opportunity and challenge, adversity encourages growth, and propels us beyond self-imposed limits.
Teamwork: In a world where downsizing forces us to do more with less, we must empower the team. "Packing parachutes" can mean the difference in survival. Yours, and your teams!
Change: Invariably, just about the time things feel comfortable, change hits. And whether that change is positive or negative it can be disturbing and difficult to adjust to. Yet, it's during those times that ones true value shows up, in taking the risks necessary to adapt to change.
Empowerment: Each of us has assets we often times don't tap into until we're challenged. Whether or not we realize it, we each have the inner strength and resources to meet whatever business or personal challenges come our way.