Beyond Survival

This book reads like a novel. Not only is it about Captain Coffe as a POW but as a son, husband, father and a friend. His courage, faith and humor leave one feeling that they too can have all of these principles, no matter who you are or where you've come from. That there's nothing that life throws at us that we can't overcome and prevail. You walk away feeling as if you know Capt. Coffee and would be honored if he was your friend. An experience not to miss - highly recommended for any age group.

Heard BEYOND SURVIVAL: THE NEXT CHAPTER, writtenand narrated by Gerald Coffee, Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.), whoendured seven long years in a communist prison in NorthVietnam . . . this was a live recording of a speech he has madethroughout the country, in which he tells how he survived andwhat lessons he learned from his experience . . . he advises thelisteners to have faith, as well as to learn to rely upon themselves, others, country, and their God . . . doing so will enable us to get through our own "struggles for survival," which only speaking for myself, seem insignificant to what Coffee had to endure . . . my only regret was in not being able to hear Coffee deliver this powerful message in person . . . he seems like he is quote some guy, and I was so impressed by his message that I had to listen to this powerful tape twice . . . in fact, I'm now going to seek out his original book: BEYOND SURVIVAL.

Gerald Coffee was a POW in North Viet Nam for seven years, most of it spent in a small cell alone, out of visual contact with the other POWs. In this powerful tape, the first thing evident is the love of life and spirit of community heard in his voice. There doesn't appear to be a hint of bitterness or revenge. Instead he tells how he survived and what he learned from the traumatic experience to become a wiser and more generous person since his release in 1973. He advises the listeners to have faith, and learn to rely upon themselves,others, Country and their God. He gives examples of how he was able to survive by practicing what he preaches and encourages all of us to apply the same lessons to our own lives and our own "struggle for survival". Gerald Coffee survived for a reason. The message he gives could be that reason. It is very inspirational and highly recommended.

Gerald Coffee really goes "Beyond Survival" with his seven years of POW experience in a North Vietnamese Prison, (the infamous "Hanoi Hilton") during the Viet-Nam War. Just when I thought things could not get any worse for Coffee, they did. Broken and beaten he continues to survive one day to the next by maintaining his faith in God and a belief that the US Government would someday come to his assistance. Father, Husband, Soldier, and Hero, his story struck deep in my heart. He is an inspiration to all of us to "make each day count".

What would you do if everything you hold dear was forcibly taken away? Jerry Coffee had that happen to him in North Viet Nam. After being shot down and wounded, he spends years in torturous conditions in Hanoi prisons. One thing that moved me most was the fact that even though he was confined alone in a tiny cell, he still gave himself so many chores and educational assignments to perform (such as studying French) that on some days he was unable to finish all of his tasks. Now that is optimism!