National POW/MIA Recognition Day is recognized on the third Friday in September every year. It is a day to reflect on the sacrifices and hardships endured by American prisoners of war (POW) and military members who are listed as missing in action (MIA).

Kenneth Cordier is a retired United States Air Force colonel and aviator. He was a POW for six years, three months and two days during the Vietnam War. He shares his story with the world in hopes of making people more aware of the importance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day and to inspire others to find their inner strength when it’s the only thing they have left to do.

In 1966, Cordier volunteered for a tour to Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam. This tour brought his combat record to 175.5 missions. On Dec. 2 1966, Cordier was escorting a B-66 north of Hanoi when his F-4C Phantom jet was directly hit from an enemy surface-to-air missile causing him and his co-pilot to eject from their aircraft. They landed in a rice paddy field when villagers carrying rifles nearby began to swarm them. They were quickly captured, marched to the nearest village, stripped of their uniforms, blindfolded and tied to the inside of a truck where they started their fateful journey to Hanoi where they would be imprisoned.

Cordier’s dreadful days in Hanoi started each morning with being forced to reflect on his so-called war crimes he committed. Cordier and his fellow POWs were fed twice a day with an unsatisfying diet of approximately 1,000 calories a day. They were allowed to bathe two to three times a week. Talking, reading, writing, exercising, singing, whistling – basically any form of communication, self-improvement and entertainment was prohibited throughout the camp. If they were caught, they’d be tortured in the most barbaric of ways. For years Cordier and the other POWs lived under these harsh conditions along with the question of, “When will the war be over?” lingering in the back of their minds.

Cordier admits how difficult it became to have any sliver of hope as the years drug on. He knew he had to shift his mindset to, “make big things out of little things,” in order to stay hopeful, and that’s exactly what he did. Since the POWs couldn't communicate out loud, they opted by tapping on the walls. This form of communication allowed them to get to know one another's names, family life, hobbies, backgrounds and even tell jokes. At the end of the day, they'd sign off by tapping abbreviations such as "GN" for goodnight and "GB" for God bless. This was the main outlet Cordier and his fellow POWs had to pass the time, smile and feel some sort of comfort in such cruel circumstances.

This went on for many years with their being no guarantee of when or if he would ever be released, Cordier explained how tiresome and fatalistic his life was becoming. Finally, after six years, three months and two days, Cordier was released along with 591 other POWs during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. Although he went back active duty after four months of being free, it took up to five years for his life to feel normal again.

Part of Cordier’s healing process was visiting Vietnam again five times over the years. On his fifth and final trip, he visited the crash site where those horrible years began back in 1966. Some of the older villagers came to him explaining how they recognized him from all those years ago. It was an uncommon reunion, but one Cordier needed. To this day, he has no animosity towards the Vietnamese.

Another significant part of Cordier’s healing is sharing his story. He doesn’t want sympathy, but rather asks people to understand the importance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day and to dig deep and find their own inner strength. He never anticipated the difficult circumstances and heartache he endured in Hanoi. However, he found a way to make big things out of little things and to tap into his inner strength – a lesson we can all live by.

Take time to pause and reflect on the meaning behind National POW/MIA Recognition Day this Friday, Sept. 15 2017.