Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing James A. Mulligan, Jr. Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953; Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Service Unit/Ship: USS Enterprise (CVN 65); VA-36 (Attack Squadron)
- Location of Service: Vietnam; Gulf of Tonkin; South China Sea; Korea
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/1656
James Mulligan, Jr.'s memoir offers an astounding amount of detail on the 2522 days he spent as a captive of North Vietnam, after his plane was shot down in March 1966. Mulligan called himself a memory bank for the other POWs, memorizing names and details about over 400 of them, which he mentally reviewed three times every day. "We were in terrible straits," he recalled, "but the mutual support we gave each other...tied us together in an iron-like chain of resistance." Mulligan made a point of giving his captors false information and shunned their attempts to "educate" him on the error of his ways, even if it meant foregoing better treatment.
About this Item
Title
- James A. Mulligan, Jr. Collection
Names
- Mulligan Jr., James A.
- Mulligan, James A.
Home State
- Virginia
Headings
- - Mulligan Jr., James A.
- - Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
- - Prisoner of War -- United States
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
- - Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Form
- Memoir
Extent
- 1 item
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Service Unit/Ship: USS Enterprise (CVN 65); VA-36 (Attack Squadron)
- Location of Service: Vietnam; Gulf of Tonkin; South China Sea
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Dates of Service: 1944-1975
- Prisoner of War: Yes
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran was shot down in 1966. He spent 42 months in solitary confinement in a Vietnamese prisoner of war (POW) camp, being freed in 1973.
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Dates of Service: 1944-1975
- Military Status: veteran
-
Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Location of Service: Korea
- Dates of Service: 1944-1975
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Manuscript: Memoir [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1981)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/1656
Online Format
- image