RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – The Library of Virginia will present a free talk by journalist, historian and author Marc Leepson on his latest book, “The Unlikely War Hero: A Vietnam War POW’s Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton” on Thursday, April 24, from 12 to 1 p.m. Registration is required at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/14214711.

Leepson explores the extraordinary story of Doug Hegdahl, the youngest and lowest-ranking American to be captured in North Vietnam and held prisoner in the notorious Hỏa Lò Prison in Hanoi. Hegdahl, a 20-year-old Navy seaman apprentice, fell off his ship on April 6, 1967, and survived several hours in the South China Sea before he was picked up by a fishing boat and taken to the prison known as the Hanoi Hilton. He made Vietnam War history by memorizing the names of his 254 fellow prisoners and sharing the information upon his return to the United States in 1969. Hegdahl also told the Pentagon about the systematic torturing of the American POWs and reported many other unknown details about life inside the Hanoi POW camps. 

A book signing will follow the talk.

Marc Leepson, author of 11 books, is a senior writer, arts editor and columnist for The VVA Veteran, the magazine published by Vietnam Veterans of America. A former staff writer for Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C., he has written for many publications, including the Washington Post, New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and for the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.

Leepson graduated from George Washington University. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969, including a year in the Vietnam War, he received his honorable discharge and earned a master’s degree in history from George Washington University.
 

ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA 
The Library of Virginia is the leading source of information on Virginia’s history, government and people. The Library’s collections, containing more than 134 million items, document and illustrate the lives of both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. Our online resources draw nearly 2 million website visits per year, and our on-site records, exhibitions and events bring in thousands of visitors annually. The Library is located in downtown Richmond near Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov.

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