Tap Code: The Epic Survival Tale of a Vietnam POW and the Secret Code That Changed Everything

by Carlyle S. Harris, Sara W. Berry, Col. Lee Ellis (Ret.) (Foreword by)

Overview

Discover never-before-told details of POW underground operations during the Vietnam War told through one airman's inspiring story of true love, honor, and courage.

Air Force pilot Captain Carlyle "Smitty" Harris was shot down over Vietnam on April 4, 1965 and taken to the infamous Hoa Lo prison—nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton." For the next eight years, Smitty and hundreds of other American POWs—including John Mc Cain and George "Bud" Day—suffered torture, solitary confinement, and unimaginable abuse.

It was there that Smitty covertly taught many other POWs the Tap Code—an old, long-unused method of communication from World War II. Using the code, they could softly tap messages of encouragement to lonely neighbors and pass along resistance policies from their leaders. The code quickly became a lifeline during their internment. It helped the prisoners boost morale, stay unified, communicate the chain of command, and prevail over a brutal enemy.

Meanwhile, back home in the United States, Harris's wife, Louise, raised their three children alone, unsure of her husband's fate for seven long years. One of the first POW wives of the Vietnam War, she became a role model for other military wives by advocating for herself and her children in her husband's absence.

Told through both Smitty's and Louise's voices, Tap Code shares the riveting true story of:

• Ingenuity under pressure
• Strength and dignity in the face of a frightening enemy
• The hope, faith, and resolve necessary to endure even the darkest circumstances

Praise for Tap Code:

"Tap Code is an incredible story about two American heroes. Col. "Smitty" Harris and his wife, Louise, epitomize the definition of commitment—to God, to country, and to family. This tale of extreme perseverance will restore your faith in the human spirit."

—Brigadier General John Nichols, USAF

"The incomprehensibly long ordeal of the Harris family is agonizing. Their love, faith, loyalty, and courage epitomize all that is good about America."

—Lt. Col. Orson Swindle, USMC (ret.), POW, Hanoi, 11/11/1966 to 3/4/1973

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310359111
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	262,818
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Carlyle Smith “Smitty” Harris is an ex-Vietnam POW, who rose to the rank of Air Force Colonel. He received many decorations during his Air Force career, including two Silver Stars, three Legion of Merits, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts, and the Eagle Award through the Gathering of Eagles Foundation. His tin cup from his days as a POW is now in the Smithsonian. He lives with his wife, Louise, and is surrounded by his large family in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Sara W. Berry is an award-winning author, publisher, and teacher, and is the founder and CEO of Integrity Time, a character-building educational company. Sara is married to Dr. Mont Berry, and is mother to seven children and three children in-law. She lives in Tupelo, Mississippi. sarawberry.com

Editorial Reviews

11/25/2019

Harris, a retired Air Force pilot, debuts with a forthright account of his eight years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and the WWII-era code he taught his fellow detainees so they could communicate with each other. Shot down in April 1965, Harris was just the sixth American captured in North Vietnam. He was taken to the infamous prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, where he drew on his Catholic faith and his brief dialogues with fellow POWs to keep up his morale. Meanwhile, his wife, Louise, struggled to raise their three children on her own and battled with the Defense Department to continue receiving her husband’s monthly paycheck. (Her experiences are recounted in first-person chapters interspersed throughout the book.) Two months after his capture, Harris remembered an obscure communication code he’d learned in survival school and taught it to three other Americans. Based on a five-by-five grid of the alphabet in which each letter could be communicated by two sets of taps, the code was shared with new arrivals and became a vital means of lifting prisoners’ spirits and sharing resistance strategies. Crediting his knowledge of the code and his ability to endure torture and inhumane living conditions to an unshakable belief in “God and country,” Harris delivers an accessible, faith-infused memoir of survival that will appeal to Christian readers and military history buffs. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly