Vicki Boyd asked R. Cyril West:

My dad was Col. Dewey L. Smith USAF ret. who was the longest held American POW from the state of KY in the Vietnam War. I too grew up moving from one Air Force Base to another, until he left for Vietnam. Then we returned to our hometown of Louisville. I lived through my teenage years knowing that my daddy was being beaten and starved. Thank you for bringing this into the light! Did you have a relative who was a POW?

R. Cyril West Hi Vicki! Thanks for contacting me. I am familiar with your heroic father's story. His struggles as a POW is gut wrenching to say the least, unimaginable to the average person, but appreciated by so many -- including me!!! Your plight as a teenage daughter must have been horrific and sad! The stories of family members of POWs, their struggles and challenges, have not really been told. I do not have a relative who was a POW, but my father was in the USAF during the war. Even as a kid, I remember those days well. I clearly remember the day, when I was in elementary school,when I sat with other students to watch the POWs come home. Thank you for your father's service. And for reading my books. - R. Cyril West

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