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The Spirit to Soar
On January 23rd, 1967, Lt. Colonel Barry Bridger and his copilot, Dave Grey, launched a mission over Vietnam in their Phantom F-4 fighter jet in treacherous weather. It was Colonel Bridger’s 75th mission and the only one he had attempted in the daylight hours.
Suddenly, his plane was split in half by a ground-to-air missile. He and Grey ejected while the plane was going 600 miles per hour and began their descent into the unknown below. When Bridger finally landed on terra firma , he found the North Vietnamese army waiting for him. They arrested him and Grey and checked them into The Hanoi a place designed to break the spirit of all who entered.
Lt. Colonel Bridger not only survived this horrific ordeal; he thrived. He says his deeply held values saved him and his fellow prisoners.
Are your values compelling enough and ingrained deeply enough to sustain you through a situation in which, like Barry, you are captured by a savage enemy and subjected to years of torture? Are your values such that you can make it through the inevitable tough times we all face periodically that make it hard to continue?
The Spirit to Soar is filled with valuable life lessons about how to thrive and how to use every experience to help you successfully face the next one.
Suddenly, his plane was split in half by a ground-to-air missile. He and Grey ejected while the plane was going 600 miles per hour and began their descent into the unknown below. When Bridger finally landed on terra firma , he found the North Vietnamese army waiting for him. They arrested him and Grey and checked them into The Hanoi a place designed to break the spirit of all who entered.
Lt. Colonel Bridger not only survived this horrific ordeal; he thrived. He says his deeply held values saved him and his fellow prisoners.
Are your values compelling enough and ingrained deeply enough to sustain you through a situation in which, like Barry, you are captured by a savage enemy and subjected to years of torture? Are your values such that you can make it through the inevitable tough times we all face periodically that make it hard to continue?
The Spirit to Soar is filled with valuable life lessons about how to thrive and how to use every experience to help you successfully face the next one.
246 pages, Hardcover
Published February 8, 2022
About the author
Jim Petersen
44 books6 followersJim Petersen has been on Navigator staff since 1958. He pioneered the Navigator ministry in Brazil. He is also the best-selling author of Living Proof, The Insider, and Church Without Walls.
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February 13, 2023MWSA Review
The Spirit to Soar is a fiercely patriotic story highlighting Major Barry B. Bridger’s survival after his F-4 Phantom was struck by a missile over North Vietnam. How Barry negotiated a safe landing after ejecting almost defies reason, but the real gem is learning about his life as a POW for almost seven years in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Barry’s narration, beginning with memories of his first six years in an orphanage and adoption by the affluent hardworking Bridger family, provides deep insight into how this little boy became the tower of strength he is today.
There are layers to this book. Jim Petersen, the author, sets up each chapter for an episode of Barry’s life. You can almost hear Jim nudging Barry along. Researched excerpts provide precise documentation of places and events. Weaving life lessons into his story, Barry describes how he and his fellow POWs used “what’s between our ears” to stay alive. Calculating how to weigh themselves with the help of a cistern paints an image of sheer genius. Finding ways to communicate using codes and other innovations allowed the men to stay connected when isolated from family, friends, and fellow prisoners.
Barry’s story is also a tribute to the United States military and the values that define this elite membership’s commitment to the nation, to the service, and to each other. Barry calls on wisdom from ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day sages in support of his premise that a precise understanding of what liberty means is the guiding light. Whether you agree with his political and religious beliefs or not, Barry’s words will leave you contemplating your own values.
Review by Janette Stone (January 2023)
The Spirit to Soar is a fiercely patriotic story highlighting Major Barry B. Bridger’s survival after his F-4 Phantom was struck by a missile over North Vietnam. How Barry negotiated a safe landing after ejecting almost defies reason, but the real gem is learning about his life as a POW for almost seven years in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Barry’s narration, beginning with memories of his first six years in an orphanage and adoption by the affluent hardworking Bridger family, provides deep insight into how this little boy became the tower of strength he is today.
There are layers to this book. Jim Petersen, the author, sets up each chapter for an episode of Barry’s life. You can almost hear Jim nudging Barry along. Researched excerpts provide precise documentation of places and events. Weaving life lessons into his story, Barry describes how he and his fellow POWs used “what’s between our ears” to stay alive. Calculating how to weigh themselves with the help of a cistern paints an image of sheer genius. Finding ways to communicate using codes and other innovations allowed the men to stay connected when isolated from family, friends, and fellow prisoners.
Barry’s story is also a tribute to the United States military and the values that define this elite membership’s commitment to the nation, to the service, and to each other. Barry calls on wisdom from ancient Greek philosophers to modern-day sages in support of his premise that a precise understanding of what liberty means is the guiding light. Whether you agree with his political and religious beliefs or not, Barry’s words will leave you contemplating your own values.
Review by Janette Stone (January 2023)
Displaying 1 of 1 review