
Into The Mouth of The Cat: The Story of Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam
The riveting account of an Air Force pilot, prisoner of war and Medal of Honor Recipient
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Narrated by:
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Virtual Voice

This title uses virtual voice narration
About this listen
He was without food, very little water, and no survival kit; nevertheless, he evaded enemy forces for 46 days while crawling through jungles eating nothing but various plants and bugs. During this entire period, Lance Sijan was only able to move by sliding on his buttocks and back along the rocky limestone ridge and later along the jungle floor.
After managing to move several thousand feet, Sijan crawled to a road along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, where he was captured by the North Vietnamese on Christmas Day, 1967.
Emaciated and in poor health, Sijan was transported to a holding compound in Vinh, North Vietnam, where he was placed in the care of two other recently captured POWs, Air Force Major Robert R. Craner and Air Force Captain Guy Gruters. Although in terrific pain from his severe wounds and brutal beatings and torture by his captors, Sijan had not disclosed any information other than what the Geneva Convention guidelines and the Military Code of Conduct allowed (name, date of birth, service, rank, and service number).
Suffering terribly from exhaustion, malnutrition, and disease, he was soon transported to Hanoi, under the attentive care of both Craner and Gruters. However, in his weakened state, he contracted pneumonia and died in Hỏa Lò Prison (better known as the "Hanoi Hilton") on January 22, 1968. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and a dormitory at his alma mater, the United States Air Force Academy, is named in his honor.
Lance became the first Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. Lance Sijan was one of 65 POWs who died in captivity, his story represents the heroism and devotion of all those who did not return from the grim prisons of Southeast Asia.
POW Medals of Honor
Seven other Southeast Asia POWs were awarded the Medal of Honor: Col. George "Bud" Day, USAF; Col. Leo Thorsness, USAF; Vice Adm. James Stockdale, USN; Col. Donald Cook, USMC (posthumous); Master Sgt. Jon Cavaiani, USA; E-3 William Port, USA; and Capt. Humbert "Rocky" Versace, USA (posthumous).
This nonfiction war story has been hailed as one of the most memorable war stories in not only Air Force History but throughout ALL military history. Into The Mouth of The Cat will be remembered as one of the most epic Vietnam War books of all time. The perseverance and dedication of Captain Sijan are moving enough to make this book a motivator for personal development, a story of the greatest sacrifice and humility, and a piece of military history that will live on through the ages.
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But using Virtual Voice for this important story was very disrespectful. The author mentioned that Capt. Sijan didn’t like his name last name being mispronounced. Yet the author was disrespectful enough to choose Virtual Voice. I heard that American hero’s last name butchered through entire book! You shouldn’t have worried so much about your profits. You should have hired a voice actor to read the story. Shame on you!
Complete American hero!
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True Bravery
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bravery, solitude and resistance
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Excellent
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Great hero awful narrator
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Virtual voice does not work
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Great story about a dedicated serviceman
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I remain in awe of the strength of character of Lance.
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