Day: After the Son Tay raid by U.S. forces in 1970, the Commies moved us into large rooms containing about 45 prisoners. We were overjoyed to have roommates, as many had been in solitary for 48-52 months. After a few days together, we decided that we were going to have a church service. This would consist of a couple of hymns by 4-5 people who could sing, a short sermon by Col. Robinson Risner, a recitation of some bible verses by a couple of our members, concluding with another hymn. We explained to the Commies what we had in mind on the day before. They advised that this would not happen, and if we persisted, there would be dire consequences -- meaning torture.
We started the church service, and the guards went a bit berserk, ordered us to stop, pointed guns into the room, and issued more orders to stop. We did not stop. They then entered with weapons and ordered everyone involved in the singing or speaking, out of the room, and as they were marched out, I stood up on the cement bed and started singing the Star Spangled Banner. The next room then joined in, and soon every room in the camp was singing. We then sang God Bless America, every song that anyone could remember the words to, and continued to sing for about an hour.
The Commie leadership went berserk, put some people back in leg irons, and solitary and sent me and several "black criminals" out to a crummy camp called Skid Row, where we stayed for several months in small cells. More solitary.
Just before we got exiled to Skid Row, the senior commie came up on the radio and stated that it was always the policy of the Commies to let people enjoy religious expression. The reason for that was that they knew that there was going to be a church service again on the next Sunday and there was. We had a church service every Sunday from that time until we were released in the spring of 1973 -- some two years. They never interfered with church service again.
Thanks for the post!
* Ping
Col. George "Bud" Day.
We are all humbled, SIR !