Code-Name Bright Light: The Untold Story of U.S. POW Rescue Efforts During the Vietnam War

by George J. Veith

Book Overview

The history of the U.S. POW/MIA intelligence and wartime rescue operations has long remained concealed under the shroud of national security, unknown both to the public and to the families of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684835142
• ISBN13: 9780684835143
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A tremendous work on U.S. POW rescue and recovery.......

Code Name Bright Light is a fascinating and highly revealing look into rescue operations in Vietnam performed under the auspices of the Joint Personnel Recovery Center (JPRC) during the longest war ever fought by the United States. In a six year period, more than 125 rescue operations would be launched to recover U.S. prisoners of war. Attempts to retrieve U.S. servicemen would also be tried by ransoms and prisoner exchanges. The latter methods were minimally successful at best due to the dismal cooperation from the North Vietnamese government and their unwillingness to recognize humanitarian overtures. The actual rescue attempts themselves were outstanding examples of bravery, courage, and audacity in the most harrowing of situation but were also mired in endless problems. Rescue teams would suffer the indignity of inter-service rivalries and competition, mediocre intelligence information, numerous bureaucratic breakdowns, compromised missions, and bad luck in many cases. Much of this would lead to slow response times to initiate raids on POW compounds which in turn produced many near misses when trying to extricate POW's. On countless occasions, rescue personnel would assault POW camps only to find that prisoners and camp cadre had relocated to new areas only hours before. Although some missions conducted were successful, they would also be bittersweet at the same time. The JPRC teams, during their tenure in Vietnam, were able to rescue hundreds of South Vietnamese POW's but were unsuccessful in ever freeing any living Americans held in confinement. Leaving no stone unturned, geographically speaking, George J. Veith covers the entire spectrum of Vietnam regarding rescue efforts with serious emphasis placed on Laos which has always been, and continues to be today, highly controversial concerning Americans that are missing in action in that country. In addition, Code Name Bright Light uncovers further high profile operations and rescue missions such as the Son Tay POW camp raid, Operation Thunderhead, the Bat-21 incident, and the notorious Lima Site 85 in Laos. George J. Veith has composed a meticulous and brilliant narrative in Code Name Bright Light which probably deserves recognition for being one of the finest books ever written about the Vietnam war. For those interested in this subject matter, this book is immensely satisfying and comes highly recommended.

Detailed research by an author dedicated to the issue.

Jay Veith, while working outside the bureaucratic infrastructure said to be "dedicated" to the PW-MIA issue, has made a major contribution to the families of those missing by compiling this study of wartime efforts to recover our men in captivity. His dedication in making the facts available to the public continues today, and serves as an excellent example to our civil servants, who could do more were they of a mind to do so.

Was The Enemy US ?

"Code Name Bright Light" is an extremely well-researched and documented story about the efforts (failures! ) of the United States to rescue its' POWs during the Vietnam War. Just count the footnotes in each chapter! There can be no doubt that the story you will read is authentic. And that is a problem because most Americans will be saddened to learn that the blame cannot be heaped upon a cruel and intransigent enemy but with our own political. military and especially diplomatic leaders. Inter-service rivalry, intra-service rivalry, poor planning and just plain Vietnam-style bad luck all played a large part in the story. But there is so simple "sin-loi" here. Ambassador to Laos William Sullivan and Ambassador to South Vietnam Bunker wholeheartedly emphasized politics over POW rescues. One must ask even now whose side was Mr. Sullivan on? And where was the Johnson White House? Where was Robert McNamara? All very disturbing. There are many better "Vietnam" books but for those interested in the POW story, this is the Bible. I have read 4 other books on POWs, including Ms. Stephenson's "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" and seen the tape "We Can Keep You Forever", but "Code Name Bright Light" tells it all the best. A serious, disturbing but excellent job!

Explains the very emotional and complicated POW operations.

During my military career, the year I spent in JPRC-SOG was my proudest. This book by Jay Veith explains our memories, frustrations and efforts to assist in a small way our countrymen and their families. We worked in a classified and constrained environment, but we had the total support from the chief of SOG (COL Sadler), the SOG staff and the recon teams. It is a great book telling about a great job-I would do it again without hesitation!

With so much bravery and effort-why no results??

Jay has spent years researching this true yet frustrating story. He details the absolute heroic effort by so many Brave American Soldiers to find and free their captured compatriots. I, as one of those who "waited" for that rescue, greatfully salute, and thank those who so vainly, yet valiantly made that bold and endless effort. I also commend Jay Veith for telling this story. This book so aptly defines the frustration that was, and still is, Vietnam. A great book that demands reading......