Inside SEAL Team Six(32)

We were tired, hungry, and thirsty. Our bodies were breaking down from the lack of sustenance and sleep.

One of the more hostile guards started to harangue us over the loudspeaker, denouncing the United States, telling us that our leaders were rotten and that we were fortunate to have the opportunity to give up the information they were asking for.

A number of the people in my class capitulated right there and were rewarded with warm drinks, warm food, and clean clothing.

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The guards asked one more time, “Who knocked out the lights? Who’s been stealing the bags from the empty cells? And who was liberating the prisoners from their cells?”

They grabbed the smallest captive and pulled him over to the board. As they started to strap him down, he broke.

“It’s the SEAL,” he shouted, pointing at me. “He cut a hole in the fence and is sneaking people out whenever he gets a chance. He’s the covert escape leader!”

The guards grabbed me and tied me down.

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Eventually the guards gave up and hauled me back to my cell. A couple of hours later, they returned and marched me to the commandant’s office.

There, I was pushed against a wall and directed to stand at attention. The camp commander walked in—a fit man in a crisp khaki uniform with his hands clasped behind him. He stopped in front of me, looked me directly in the eye, and asked, “Are you the one who is helping the other captives to escape?”