Just got done reading a new piece on Great History called Mary Rowlandson Refuses to Smoke with King Philip (and other stories). It is a fascinating account of captivity from a woman survivor who wrote about her struggle to stay alive. History is replete with stories of captivity and survival, including 2 very recent stories in the news worth noting.
First, the captivity of two American journalists in North Korea led to the involvement of former President Clinton. Even though the Korean War ended over 50 years ago, there are still claims that North Korea is keeping South Koreans prisoners, as well as abducting new ones. We can only hope those folks have the same fortitude as Mary Rowlandson.
Another story which broke recently was that Michael Scott Speicher’s remains had been found, and thus confirmed that he in fact died in 1991 during the first Gulf War. While not strictly analogous to the King Philip piece, it has been a hot topic among those who believed he was still alive and struggling inside a hostile Iraq. This proved to be wishful thinking sadly.
I couldn’t help but think of him when I read this piece, so thought I’d share his story too. The list of captive stories happening today would fill a book, of that I’m sure.
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