Into the Mouth of the Cat

The rules say: The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medel of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who, while a member of the Army, Navy or Air Force, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyone the call of duty.They also say that the actions of the person receiving the award cannot be performed while he is acting under orders, he must have originated the action himself, and that if the recipient had not performed this action other people would not have thought less of him.That's a pretty tall order. Lance Sijan won the medal in Viet Nam. What more can you really say of him that has any meaning?The book tells his story. On November 9, 1967 he ejected from his crippled fighter bomber over Laos. Badly injured, and virtually without supplies he evaded capture for six weeks. Finally caught he overpowered his guards and escaped, only to be captured again. He resisted his captors to the end. He died two weeks later.

I handed a strip map to Lt. Sijan just minutes before he began his last mission and had believed for years that he had been shot down and that perhaps I had failed to mark AAA emplacements or a SAM site on his map. I was relieved to know after so many years that I had no bearing in what happened. I've read many stories of courageous men, but never a story that compares with this one. Lance Sijan is a person that no young person could make a mistake in emulating. It is a book that I plan to give to my young son when he is at an age when he is ready to comprehend the strength of Sijan's character and I hope that he will endeavor to become the kind of man Sijan was. I believe that Sijan's story should become required reading in high school civics class - I think every young person should know what the true meaning of the word "hero" means and what the true connotation of "sacrifice" is.

I read this book while stationed at the USAFA. It is powerful and moving. It was then I began to understand the sacrifice of honor and dedication. It is a moving and stirring representation of just one of America's heroes of the vietnam conflict. Once read it will stay with you forever!

I FIRST READ THIS BOOK ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, WHILE WORKING IN A BOOK STORE. I HAVE SINCE READ IT SEVERAL TIMES. LANCE SIJAN IS ONE OF THE MOST COURAGOUS AND HEROIC MEN WHO HAS EVER LIVED. HE IS THE PERFECT ROLL MODEL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT READ THAT WILL NOT ONLY BRING THE PLIGHT OF THE VIETNAM WAR, BUT ALSO THE POW/MIA ISSUE INTO REAL LIFE. LANCE SIJAN IS A TRUE AMERICAN HERO, WHO WILL NEVER FORGOTTEN!!

Lance Peter Sijan is a hero of our time! His story unfolds in the book "Into the Mouth of The Cat" and we are instantly capitvated by not only his courage in the face of his captors but we are also amazed at his will to survive, and assist his other fellow captives in the Hanoi Hilton Prison. We are so unaware of the heros of the Vietnam War and there were many who displayed great courage and perserverance despite the fact that others viewed the war as unwinnable or corupt. Please read this story and then you too will understand why the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs decided to name their freshman student dorimtory after Capt Sijan, a hero of our time.