History After Hours: Hope and Courage – A Vietnam POW’s Story with Captain Mike Penn

Join the American Heritage Museum for a special History After Hours presentation with Captain Mike Penn, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Vietnam War prisoner of war, airline pilot, and author of Hope and Courage.

Museum Hours: 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. | Presentation: 6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Penn dreamed of becoming a military aviator from an early age. After completing college and earning his commission, he entered the demanding world of naval aviation, where discipline, teamwork, leadership, and attention to detail were essential to survival. His career would ultimately test those qualities under circumstances few could imagine.

During the Vietnam War, Penn was shot down, captured, and imprisoned in North Vietnam. He spent eight months as a prisoner of war in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton,” enduring isolation, physical abuse, fear, and uncertainty. Through communication, teamwork, faith, and a determination never to give up, Penn and his fellow prisoners found ways to resist despair and preserve their sense of purpose.

In this deeply personal presentation, Penn will share the story of his captivity and the lessons he carried home. He will discuss how hope, courage, attitude, and deliberate choices can help people confront even the most overwhelming obstacles. His experience demonstrates how ordinary individuals can summon extraordinary resilience when circumstances demand it.

Penn will also discuss his book, Hope and Courage, which transforms the lessons of captivity into a broader examination of perseverance and the human capacity to overcome adversity. More than a wartime memoir, the book explores how people can respond to hardship with conviction, recover from setbacks, and continue moving forward when success appears impossible.

This special evening offers an opportunity to hear an extraordinary firsthand account of service, sacrifice, survival, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

About the Presenter

Captain Mike Penn served nine years on active duty with the United States Navy and an additional three years in the Navy Reserve. During his naval aviation career, he was recognized as a Distinguished Naval Graduate, a leading dive bomber pilot, and a top carrier-landing aviator aboard the USS Ranger. Following his release from captivity, he became the first returning military aviator from Vietnam to fly again.

Penn left military service in 1978 and began a long career in commercial aviation. He became an airline pilot and served as a chief pilot for Southwest Airlines, where he supervised hundreds of pilots and applied the principles of leadership, teamwork, professionalism, and positive attitude that had shaped his military service. He later became a professional speaker, sharing his POW experience and its lessons with audiences around the world.

Important Visitor Information

Guests should plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before the presentation begins at 6:00 p.m.

History After Hours takes place on the first Thursday of each month, opening the American Heritage Museum from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for evening admission and special programming. The presentation portion takes place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Standard museum admission rates apply. American Heritage Museum members are admitted free.

Get Tickets for History After Hours – Thursday, October 1st