Into the Mouth of the Cat: The Story of Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam

by Malcolm McConnell

Lance Sijan was always a special kind of as a kid growing up in the Midwest; as a cadet who made his mark in the Air Force Academy. But it took Vietnam to show how special he wasin an epic of jungle survival and prison-camp defiance. On the night of November 9, 1967, Sijan was ejected from his crippled fighter-bomber over the steep mountains of Laos. Although critically injured and virtually without supplies, he evaded capture in savage terrain for six weeks. Finally caught and placed in a holding camp, he overpowered his guards and escaped, only to be captured again. He resisted his interrogators to the end, and he died two weeks later in Hanoi. His courage was an inspiration to other American prisoners of war, and he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Military History, War, Leadership

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jared Bronson]

This is my second time reading this book. The first was 25 years ago when I was 16 years old. I am glad that I knew the story of Lance P. Sijan when I joined the Army. I believe it had a subconscious effect on me. Now, re-reading his story so many years later, it is a reminder of the qualities that I have always lived by. Lance's story needs to be heard/read. I highly recommend anyone to read Into the Mouth of the Cat. Thank you for your service and sacrifice CPT Lance P. Sijan!

[Liz Roudbari]

Best Line: “In the spare text of the citation, the action of the honored individual is outlined. But there is no way the shorn, bureaucratic phrasing can convey the raw bravery, the triumph of will and faith, the suffering these young men endured and the incredible self-sacrifice they exhibited.” Page 26

Lance Sijan is the reason I use the word ‘hero’ lightly. What a beautiful dedication to a young man, as well as an entire generation of men, who stood for these ideas we hold so dear. Wow.

[Dave]

This is a must read for all Americans. An unparaled story of courage and heroism.

[Ted Bowling]

I wish this was required reading for all HS students.

[Lori]

Wow!! What an amazing story of courage and honor under adversity! This young man had an incredible ability to control his emotions and take command of his thoughts under unimaginable circumstances.

[Dolly]

Powerful story about Lance Sijan - this is one of the books from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's reading list. It's a fast read and a tragic story.

[Craig]

I would recommend this book for anyone looking to be inspired. This book is a quick read and leaves you wanting to read one more page.

[K]

Excellent book on a truly inspirational hero.

[Jim Mullen]

It is sad what man does to each other. Lance Sijan was an amazing person who should be honored as he has been. This book gives details of this hero's last two months prior to his death in the "Hanoi Hilton".

[Del Canon]

A must read of a Medal Of Honor of his courage and sacrifice during the Vietnam War.

[James Hinrichs]

Read multiple times. Riveting and inspiring story of a courageous airman who was shot down in Vietnam and his ordeal as a POW.

[Jeff Olson]

Mr. Sijan had great resolve in not being captured for such a long time and the condition that he was in after ejecting out of his fighter; however, arming his bombs is probably what brought him down. I have seen the area where he landed on Google maps and thought how rugged it is to have survived. Today you can see old weapons left behind from the war, plus bomb craters filled with water...What a war we got ourselves into and then out of, cost the life of Lance Sijan RIP

[Austin W]

Review: Into the Mouth of the Cat by Malcom McConnell
This book is an outstanding account of the heroic actions of the Medal of Honor recipient, Captain Lance P. Sijan, in the Vietnam conflict. The personal notes from the author in the beginning and end reveal to the reader that his objective was to relay the perilous dangers that Captain Sijan had to endure to stay alive as long as he did after being shot down. The story begins with the author himself at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial finding the Lance’s name among the near 58,000 others engraved in dark black granite, then continues to a few weeks before Lance’s shoot down flying sorties with flashbacks to his time at the USAF Academy. One of the major skills that the author uses very frequently and well in this book is vivid use of detail. This truly shines when describing the numerous wounds Lance received upon his crash. It got to the point where I could almost smell what it would have been like to have been there with him on the ground in those jungles. I would be lying if I said the description and how the author times the delivery of information didn’t pull trigger some emotions in me even though from the beginning of this book, I knew how it was going to end. The pacing is just right for showing how drawn out his time in the jungle was due to his delirium and lack of nutrition. The ending is great because it does not stop at the ending of Lance’s story, but rather goes on to what happened after and some of the authors personal research and interviews. The kind of person that would enjoy this book is a person who enjoys reading a lot about military or history or action stories. This book, more so than others I have read, has strengthened my appreciation for the veterans of past conflicts which is something that everyone needs.

[Grant Cousineau]

For a book that looks as though it was self-published, the writing was exceptionally smooth and strong, and the story was extremely gripping. Told with intelligence and beauty, Lance couldn't have asked for a better transcription of the events that took place. The only reason I gave it a "B" like grade is that the first few chapters dwelled too long on the mechanics and details of the planes and war strategies, to where I visually had to skim over parts that I could not mentally envision, and the "conclusion" or "afterword" of the story, showing the impacts of Lance's story at back home, meandered and lingered on his heroism more than necessary. The author was searching for an interesting backstory to explain Lance's inner will, but found little outside the ordinary. In a way, that's satisfying as a reader, but the constructs of the chapters felt like the writings of an author searching for a larger purpose. Some minimalism might have benefited the writing, as the introduction felt like a car going from 20 to 45 mph, with the middle section of Lance's survival hitting highs of 100+ mph, concluding with about an hour of 15 mph. It is what it is, but from a writing standpoint, it lent to an uneven flow. Still, this is a great war story and highly recommended.

[Lawrence]

Into the Mouth of the Cat: The Story of Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam is a book written by Malcolm McConnell and copyrighted in 1985 by Norton publishers. The book is based on the story of Lance Sijan who was a United States Air Force captain in the Vietnam War. On November 9, 1967, Sijan ejected from his F-4 Phantom II at high speeds and at a low altitude, which caused him to suffer massive injuries to his body. Upon waking the next morning, Sijan found that his left leg had a vertical splintering of the tibia known as a green tree fracture, his right hand was mangled with three of his fingers dislocated, deep cuts and gashes in his forearms, and a severe head wound.

[Gerald Koskinen]

So I have read this book and Of Love and War and each of these people are mentioned in the others book. They both received medals at the same ceremony. Although Lance received his after he had died. His survival after he was shot down and before he was captured is quite detailed and very amazing. There is less information on his physical torture than in Stockdales book although many of the same Vietnamese authorities are mentioned. Most of Sijans survival was before he got caught although his torture is mentioned and was too much in the end. Stockdales book was more about years of torture after being caught. Both amazing stories.

[Jodi]

The book is based on a true story. Lance Sijan is from the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee and that's why I wanted to read it. Just like Unbroken, this story is almost hard to believe that it is real. He was shot down in Vietnam, survived 46 days in the wilderness was captured and tortured. The courage that was displayed was amazing. I will now have more remember his story when I visit the park named in his honor.

[Doyle]

A very inspiring story around the first graduate from the Air Force Academy to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam. It is simply amazing the persistence, bravery, tenacity, and physical drive this man gave. He inspired his fellow prisoners and reinvigorated those who were breaking under torture.

[Polvo749]

Incredible story of amazing courage.

[Ryan]

Not a huge fan of the writing, but it is an incredible story of suffering. I think it actually deserves 3.5 stars.

[Rose]

Read this book! An account of true honor in Lance Sijan, showing his indomitable spirit – truly an inspiring story.

[Deb]

Absolutely amazing!

[James Mcneill]

The writing is a bit overblown but the central figure, Lance Sijan, is an undoubted hero.

[Kaitlin]

Amazing story of an American Hero!

[Joy]

A hero in every sense of the word, and so so painful to read. I wish the book was more readily accessible because there are entire generations coming up who need to know this man's story.

[Megan Q.]

Mediocre writing, but an incredible story. I am glad to have learned about this amazing American.

[Greg Holman]

Great book. After winning the award, thought only fitting to tread about him. Glad I did. Very courageous and a hero.

[david]

what an unbelievable story!

[Steven]

Note to self--should read this because it is Chuck Nelson's favorite book. It's gotta be good.