This is an iHeart Podcast. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bone Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together, Diplo? I pulled up real quick.
He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus, and we had like three hours. It was really cool. He literally just like randomly showed up to my house. I'm like, oh, hey, Diplo, what are you doing?
He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay. You can listen to the full episode out now wherever you get your podcast. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. At a blast, cruising around the festival weekend in the all-new Palisade Hybrid.
America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm a smah in Washington, D.C.
I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Zacksaw Fifth is your secret to fashion's most wanted deals at up to 70% off. On the hunt for designer steals that'll turn heads and leave a trail of envy, uncover Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Stuart Weitzman, and more, with new arrivals dropping weekly at prices too good to stay confidential.
Luxe layers, statement booths, and tailored essentials from Sacksoft Fifth will put your wardrobe on the most wanted list. Head to SacksOffFit.com or Sacks OffFit store near you for a style lineup you won't want to miss. Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez. Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit.
Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected.
Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. I'm Scott Hansen, host of NFL Red Zone. Lowe's knows Sundays hit different when you earn them. We've got you covered with outdoor power equipment from Cobalt and everything you need to weatherproof your deck with Trex decking.
Plus, with lawn care from Scotts and of course, pit boss grills and accessories, you can get a home field advantage all season long.
So get to Lowe's, get it done, and earn your Sunday. Lowe's, official partner of the NFL. This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people. And we'd love to hear from you, our listeners. Send your stories to ouramericanstories.com.
They're some of our favorites. And by the way, they don't have to be your stories. If you've seen or heard a story on your local news or just around town, send us the link. We'll take it from there. Again, your stories are some of our favorites.
Up next, you're going to hear from Ken Wells and his wife Candy. Ken served our country in Vietnam. and was captured and taken as a POW. To the prisoner of war camp known as the Hanoi Hilton. Let's hear from Candy and Ken.
sharing their remarkable story. We were married in November of 69. And then went to to one year of pilot training in Big Spring, Texas. Ken achieved what he wanted. He wanted to get an F-4 fighter plane.
which I didn't want him to get. 'Cause I knew where he would be going. But he did, and that's what he wanted. I guess I'd wanted to fly ever since I was a little kid, watching airplanes fly in and out of the Portland International Airport across the Columbia River from the dairy farm I grew up on. But I always wanted to fly a fighter aircraft and so that was my goal in pilot training and was able to finish high enough in the class to get the F4.
like in the movie Top Gun where that The lady tells Maverick that you're not happy unless you're going mock too with your hair on fire.
Well, that's kind of. Of course, we're up fairly high, 25,000 feet doing that, so it's not like you're going supersonic at ground level, which is also fun by the way. Yeah. I've been supersonic at about 200 feet. And it's amazing.
We went on then to Victorville, California for F4 training for six months. At that time then, in March, of nineteen seventy one March fourth. My mother and father Got the visit. that my brother had been declared missing in action. He was in the army.
He was twenty one years old. It was a It was a hard day for our family. But two months later it even became more difficult. Because my Mom and Dad received the phone call. That My brother had been declared dead.
But nobody recovered. But on that day when my mom and dad received that terrible call. I was reaching for the phone to call them. to tell them they were expecting their first grandson.
So we went through our training and Ken finished the F4. And on October 31st of 1971, Ken went to Udorn Air Force Base in Thailand. and I was seven months pregnant. Two months later, on December 18th, nineteen seventy one I was sitting in my Parents' living room. And My brother's sitting in a chair and he looks out the window.
And he says Oh, mom, here comes an army car My mother just because of what had happened, became hysterical. and I sat I was sitting by her and I'm patting her leg and I say, Mom, it's okay. It's okay. And then the car got closer. And he said no, It's an Air Force car.
I was very young. I was 23 years old. Very naive. And I said, oh, mom, they're probably just bringing me more papers to sign, I said. But the two officers came to the door.
My father answered it. And they said, misses Kenneth R.
Wells, And I was on the couch, but it took me a while to get up because I was pregnant. I got up. I went to the door. And then they read me the telegram. We regret to inform you that your husband, First Lieutenant Kenneth R.
Wells, is missing in action. My heart just dropped. I'd only flown eight missions. This was my ninth mission that I was on on the 18th of December of 71. In October of 1968, President Johnson had declared a Bombing halt over North Vietnam.
So we weren't even allowed to fly over the country we're fighting, North Vietnam.
So most of our missions were bombing missions in Laos. that the North Vietnamese used as routes, road routes to get supplies down to the south. I was the wingman in the two ship. formation Out of there it started out to be a bombing mission in the country of Laos. We took off that day.
We had 12 500-pound bombs on board each aircraft. Took off, and as soon as we got airborne, we got a radio call from Red Crown, which was their radar ship. out in the Gulf of Tonkin. telling us that another F-4 had been shot down on the border of Laos. and North Vietnam.
So they wanted us to provide a search and rescue coverage. for the other crew that had been shot down.
So we kept the bombs on board. We orbited for about 45 minutes, got low on fuel, had to go. to an airborne tanker. get chopped off with fuel. And as we came off the tanker, we got a call that Two MiG-21 fighters had launched out of Hanoi and were heading toward the shoot-down site of this other aircraft.
So the lead pilot and the lead airplane got permission to drop our bombs on a target that he had hit the day before. And then we proceeded to chase these two MiG-21s. back into North Vietnam. all the way across North Vietnam. They actually went into Red China.
And then we turned around at the border of Red China, very low on fuel. dangerously low on fuel, matter of fact, and we needed to get to a tanker. or get back to our base as soon as possible. We got jumped by two more MiGs on the way out. I had about one minute of fuel left on the aircraft when I called the lead aircraft and I said, well, we're going to be punching out in about one minute.
And he said, Well, we'll be about two minutes behind you.
So they eject it as well. But they were rescued. And you've been listening to Ken and Candy Wells. When we come back, more of what happened here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here, and I'd like to encourage you to subscribe to Our American Stories on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, Spotify.
Or wherever you get our podcasts, any story you missed or want to hear again. can be found there daily. Again, Please subscribe to the Our American Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It helps us keep these great American stories coming. Time for a sofa upgrade?
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Designed for custom comfort, our high-resilience foam lets you choose between a sink-in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus, our pet-friendly stain-resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washable sofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns.
Shop now at washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change. certain restrictions may apply. America is changing. And so is the world.
But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm a smachhalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet.
Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everyone, it's Sophia Bush, host of the podcast Work in Progress. Lexis is a company that believes in the importance of setting a standard. For me? A standard that matters to me?
is being a friend. being a person, being a coworker who shows up. The standard Lexis has set for themselves is to experience amazing. Lexis's benchmarks are feelings. Things like exhilaration and joy and amazing can only be achieved by knowing people on a deeper level.
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So experience Amazing at your Lexus Tealer. Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez. Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect.
Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking.
Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. You heard it before many times. Water is life. But do you know that almost half of the homes on the Navajo Reservation do not have clean running water? With your support, St.
Bonaventure Indian Mission and School is ready to give water to Navajo families.
So we invite you to help provide this precious gift of life to those in need. Contrary to many average Americans, Navajo families survive on just 10 gallons of water per day. You can help support St. Bonaventure's water delivery program by going to stbonaventuremission.org. And we continue with our American stories.
And with Ken and Candy Wells' story. When we last left off, Candy had just found out that her husband Ken was declared missing in action in the Vietnam War. Let's pick back up. with their story. You know, you hear people say that their lies flash before their minds.
I think that all began. during the flight when I was getting ready to pull the ejection handle. was thinking about candy. knowing that she's nine months pregnant and You know, may not uh Survive this to get home. That particular day, they added on an extra couple missions.
They ran out of experienced crew members, had one airplane left. Anyway, I got the Toss of the coin, I guess, to be the aircraft commander of that. Lee, my backseater, was only on his 20th mission, so we had two inexperienced guys in our aircraft, but I. Lee was a major. had 13 years in the Air Force by that time.
I was probably pretty naive about what was going to happen. Figured, well, I'm flying with this experienced guy, he knows what to do. Um didn't realize that things could go Kinda sour. Yeah, fuel gauges red zero, that's when we punched out. We were at about 5,000 feet.
Altitude doing around 300 knots. Once you got out into the parachute Uh it's pretty quiet. up there when that happens. Uh we heard the engines quit. on the aircraft and at one end.
We came down on opposite sides of the same hill. I came down in the trees and I My parachute canopy got caught up in the branches of the tree, so I stopped. My feet were... Swinging about 30 feet above the ground. Lowered myself to the ground, uh got the radio out of my seat.
Hack. and was able to make radio communication contact with Lee.
So we kind of figured out we were on opposite sides of the same hill. We took off about two in the afternoon. We punched out about four in the afternoon. By the time we climb to the top of the hill, it's probably about six in the evening. It's December, so it's getting It's pretty dark at that time.
And then we're able to spend that night trying to make radio contact. with friendly aircraft. We were close enough to hear friendly aircraft talking, but were far enough away they couldn't hear our transmission.
So that was pretty frustrating that all night, about every 15 minutes, we try to make radio contact. With aircraft we were hearing. In some cases, it was aircraft that were going in to rescue the other crew. that punched out. Daybreak the next morning.
Uh started here in noises around the bottom of the hill we were on, some dogs barking, so we knew that they were looking for us. We were able to move a couple hills. more inland, away from the coast. Lee said about 10.30 that morning, he said, because it was really cold that night, he said, I'm going to go back and try and get my parachute.
So we can keep warm out here. I didn't think it was a good idea th for him to go back, but Yeah, ranked me, so He went back. All I heard was the shooting. And I didn't know whether he was... still alive or not.
It was about an hour and a half later, around noon. I was about a third of the way down from the top of the hill. And They're probably Twenty. North Vietnamese that We're searching around that area. And they had come by me.
twice, once each direction. within Oh, ten, fifteen feet away from me. and hadn't found me. I thought, well maybe that's the last pass, but then they made a third pass back and this time the guy was right at my elevation. And he stopped maybe 10, 15 feet away from me.
Just staring at me and When I saw how many guys there were around, I I put my little 38 revolver back in the holster. Knew it wasn't going to be much good. And we just stared at each other for several seconds, and then he raised his rifle, and then this started shooting in the air. uh yelling and screaming and Within a few seconds, they're about uh pointy guys around me. Jumping coming down for joy the disc Captured American fighter pilot.
They stripped me down of my fruit of the looms. Tied my wrists and elbows together behind my back, tied two ropes around my neck, one out front and one out back, and off went through the jungle. I didn't know for At least two or three hours, whether they intended to keep me alive or not. I didn't know whether Lee was alive or not at that point. But we came to a little fire camp.
on the side of a hill. And that was where I So, I think the first real military man that was there, these others were. militia type you know one guy might have a helmet someone else have the military shirt someone else the the pants and But they all had the weapons. But the first real military guy was at this fire camp. And after I'd been there a while, he...
indicated to somebody to give me something to eat and the guy handed me a little ball of rice about the size of a golf ball. And that was my first indication.
Well, if you're going to kill me, you know, they're going to give me something to eat. After give me the ball of rice. They gave me a flight suit. to put on. And it was a major's flight suit, so I assumed it was Lee's.
And then they gave me my boots. back but they wouldn't let me. Lace them up, tie them up, and so. Walking several hours through the jungle, I got huge blisters on my feet, which eventually. became infected and actually got blood poisoning.
Then walked for several hours. Came to a little little village where It's put me there for a couple hours and Occasionally some little kids would come in and peek at me inside the in the room where they'd bring me out and Let the kids in the neighborhood Yeah. See me. It's probably about 10 o'clock that night then they They flew as from Haiphong to Hanoi. And so is when I was put on the helicopter at night.
They were actually wiring me. Instead of using ropes, use wire to tie me to the seat supports. on each side of the helicopter. And that's when I noticed that there was a warm body next to me and it was Lee. And they actually they actually wired us together somehow.
So if I move to get comfortable it tightened the Lawyers on him and he would groan and say, don't do that. If we tried to talk to each other, we got... whacked with the butt of a rifle. Oh, we're not allowed to. communicate with each other, but just knowing that we're each alive.
Like encourage the two of us. I don't know, maybe it's a 45 minute. helicopter ride from I found a Hanoi. and then drove us through the camp that we called, nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton. Fuel Dovey Camp.
It was on all the major news channels. because these were the first four Americans that had been captured. in three years. And so The Vietnamese government was very thrilled to Two. They captured these Americans, you know, so they plastered their pictures.
And I'm grateful that they did. because I was able to see that Ken was okay. There had been a news conference in Hanoi. And I got to see King. Yeah.
walk out behind a curtain in his prison pajamas. I could see that when he ejected he had his arms and his legs. and that gave me hope. that he was gonna be okay. But um That was December 20th.
21st when I found out he was a POW. December twenty third, I had our son. And you're listening to Ken and Candy Wells share their story. And folks, if you've ever had somebody serving overseas in combat, You know that the husband and the wife are both serving and you're hearing it here on this story. That worry that she had when her husband was declared missing in action went away.
When the North Vietnamese paraded around these four Airman proud that they'd captured them. and this gave the bride a sense of hope and the very next day the birth of her child. and at least with some glimmer. That something good could happen in the end. When we come back, More of Ken and Candy Wells' story What Happens Next?
Here. on our American stories. Time for a sofa upgrade? Visit washable sofas.com and discover Anibay, where designer style meets budget-friendly prices, with sofas starting at $699. AniBay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly.
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Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablefas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com. Offers are subject to change.
and certain restrictions may apply. America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.
I'm a smachhalid in Washington, D.C. I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Buzz Knight from Take it a Walk.
Lexis believes in the importance of standards. What are my standards? I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus the standard is simple experience amazing.
Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings, exhilaration, joy. That sensory car was designed just for you, machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing.
Experience amazing at your Lexis dealer. Hey, what's up, it's Marla Lopez. Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming, and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor.
Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign.
Toa Ina. We all know that water is life. An average American household consumes over 300 gallons daily. 40% of Navajo families residing on a reservation the size of West Virginia struggle to survive on less than 10 gallons of water per day. Yearly St.
Bonaventure Indian Mission and School delivers over 1.5 million gallons of clean water to these families. You can help support St. Bonaventure's water delivery program by going to stbonaventuremission.org. And we continue with our American stories and Ken and Candy Wells's story. Let's pick up where we last left off.
The days were very dark. I went through a short time where I was going through a pity party. Uh, poor Candy, she lost her brother. her husband's a P O W she had to give birth alone. And it was like I was really feeling sorry for myself.
But then I went to my first Washington State, POWMIA meeting. At that meeting, I walk into this room. Full of people. and the lady I went with, her husband, was missing in action. And she leaned over and she told me She said, candy.
There are only three of you in this room. that know that your loved one is alive. And that was quite an awakening for me. to just get off the pity party and be grateful for What I know. and I quit feeling sorry for myself.
When we got to the prison camp, they put us in solitary confinement. And that lasted nine days. And during that time was the different interrogation sessions. They're basically trying to find out lots of information about the base. where we were stationed.
And uh I had the advantage of being a brand new first lieutenant that knew nothing. Lee, on the other hand, I think they pressured him more for information, but After nine days, they came and got me out of my cell and took me to another cell partway across camp, and there was already a young man. In there is a young man who's my age. Dick Vaughan was his name. They put Lee and I with Dick in one cell.
Three days later then they moved us from that camp over to a camp called the zoo. It was that nickname the zoo. We were put in a cell, then it was probably 15 by 15. Square feet. And Three of us in one cell.
And we didn't know anything about the camp at that point. But a few weeks later, The guard took us out of that cell and just kept us out of the cell for about two hours. And when we finally came back into the cell, he locks us up and Dick found a piece of candy on the floor. with a piece of paper wrapped around it. Of course, after the guard left, he opened it up and there was a note inside.
It said, Welcome to the zoo.
So there are 79 prisoners in this camp other than yourselves. You three are the only three. that have been in this camp less than five or five years. Through that note, We're able to establish a line of communication with these other 79 guys. And Through communication.
With them. realize that the first prisoner ever captured, Everett Alvarez. Was captured August 5, 1964. He had been there. over seven years when we showed up.
So here we are. We've been there at this point, been there close to a month. You know, probably feeling sorry for ourselves. Uh-huh. Yeah.
We're prisoners, and who knows when we're going to get out of here? And then to realize, right across. In the next buildings, and across this brick wall, eight-foot-high brick wall separating our courtyards for prisoners have been there. in some cases a a third or quarter of their lives.
So Kind of like candy going to this. meeting and realizing She's lucky to know that I'm alive. Yeah, we kind of quit feeling sorry for ourselves and started thinking, okay, what can we do? to help these guys. We had two methods of communication.
with them that developed. One was just passing notes across across this eight foot high brick wall. The guards would throw their cigarette wrappers out in the courtyards and so we would, when we got out, maybe 10-15 minutes a day to take a bath or to clean our plates and bowls of which grounds up these pieces of paper. Dick, during one of his interrogation sessions, had stolen a piece of pencil lead. Out of a mechanical pencil.
He got it down below the table from the interrogator and pulled the lead out and broke off the blunt end and put it back in. And so we had something to write with, we had the paper. Lee, I always called our walking encyclopedia. Uh he had an amazing memory. He could remember.
a newspaper article he'd read two years ago. Names, dates, numbers.
So Through that. We use the junction of this eight foot high brick wall. and the edge of the wall of the office building as a mailbox. And then we placed a little chip of a brick on top of it.
So if you were looking at it 50, 60 feet away and you saw this little chip up there, you'd realize there's a note up there that needs to be picked up.
So one day we would pass a note to them Next day they would pass a note back to us. I was the scribe. I learned how to write very small and And use abbreviations to get a lot of information. on one of these pieces of paper. You take a cigarette wrapper and open it up, you've got a rectangle.
uh teriodon on the inside. Then through that. We set up another way to communicate is they had drilled a hole the size of a nickel through. about 15 inches of brick and mortar through the end of their building, aimed right at our door. Our door had a peephole on it with a flap on the outside.
And the guards would push that to one side and check on us from time to time throughout the day, but I could push that flap to one side from the inside. I could see the hole in the building that they had drilled through. And they had to drill it fairly high up to hide it from the guards, and so one man had to stand on the shoulders of another man just to get up to the hole. But then he'd stuck a wire through the hole and he'd flick it up and down once for a dot, twice for a dash, use the Morris code to transmit to me. He could see my hand through the peephole and I could transmit back to him using Visual alphabet similar to American Sign Language.
So we use that method for anything covert. and a covert communication. And then the notes going back and forth was, oh. just informational messages. One of the questions they asked us was, did we really land on the moon?
They asked us about 40 questions. And We were there about three months. And we were able to get through all those 40 questions. through these notes. And Within a day or two after finishing those questions, we were moved back to the Hanoi Hilton camp.
I kind of look at that as Maybe that was our purpose. for being there. Was to help these guys? Um Is in that first note. They said Send us all the information you can think about in the outside world in the last five years.
They were starved for information. Anyway, I just I think that really helped them. To get that information, like I say, Lee was a wealth of information about things. They want to know about the stock market, how that was going, what do the new cars look like. And one of the funny questions regarded is Have they developed a birth control pill for males yet?
Sorry. Yeah. So Anyway, you never knew what was gonna come up. out of their mouths or out of their notes. And we're listening to Ken and Candy Wells talk about their experience.
And my goodness, Candy's was something. She walks into a room with a bunch of other families that had suffered from this this term called missing in action. And that's not knowing anything about Your loved one, and what's going on in their lives overseas. And she quickly got an attitude adjustment because she was one of the few who actually knew. her husband was alive.
Rapidity party.
Well it ended. The same thing happened again. He found out that when he was at the Hanoi Hilton when he was captured, there had people who'd been there seven years. And quickly, his attention turned not on himself. and his own feelings.
But unserving the men Who'd been there for so long and were so starved, so in need of any kind of human touch and connection to the outside world? The story of Ken Wells and his bride candy continues here on Our American Stories. Time for a sofa upgrade? Visit washable sofas.com and discover Anibay, where designer style meets budget-friendly prices, with sofas starting at $699. AniBay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly.
Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anibay is the only machine-washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high-resilience foam lets you choose between a sink-in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus, our pet-friendly stain-resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years.
Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablefas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions.
may apply. America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.
I'm a Slakhalid in Washington, DC. I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Justin Richmond, host of Broken Record.
Lexus is a company that believes in the importance of setting a standard, which I can appreciate as someone who holds themselves to lofty if not ridiculous standards, especially with the car I drive. The standard Lexis set for themselves is to experience amazing. Lexis measures success by the feeling and emotions evoked in a driver, like exhilaration and joy. Amazing can only be achieved by knowing people on a deeper level. The standard of amazing results in a feeling in drivers that their car was built in anticipation.
of them. Machines that make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing.
Experience Amazing at your Lexus Dealer. Hey, what's up, it's Marla Lopez! Back to school! It's an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect.
Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking.
Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. Toa Ina. We all know that water is life. An average American household consumes over 300 gallons daily. 40% of Navajo families residing on a reservation the size of West Virginia struggle to survive on less than 10 gallons of water per day.
Yearly, St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School delivers over 1.5 million gallons of clean water to these families. You can help support St. Bonaventure's water delivery program by going to stbonaventuremission.org. And we're back with our American Stories and with former POW at the Hanoi Hilton County.
Pen Wells, and his wife Candy. Let's return to this couple. With the final part, of their stories. I was very much in the media all along the year. Every holiday, they made sure to keep up.
with me. And so I felt like I could help in our community by making people aware that there were. POWs out there. We need to keep this on the front burner. Get these men home.
Well, I guess I always had faith in God. I guess I had faith in our country. To the point where If we can just stay alive, somehow they'll come and get us out of here. And faith in God. or camaraderie just within our group.
Manage. think any one of us would have died, laid our lives down for anyone else in the camp. Still at the Hanoi Hilton in an area called New Guy Village. And I remember. Guards came and they said everybody Put on good clothes.
Well Everybody had two t-shirts. And then two long sleeve shirts that is tied with strings in the front.
So we had our normal prison clothes and then what the guards would call put on your good clothes. That was a long sleeve.
So everybody dressed up. It was just pajamas. And so brought everybody out into this small courtyard and then the camp commander. Vietnamese camp commander came in with an interpreter and a couple guards. And it was January 29.
1973 when he came in. And he wrote a prepared statement that the peace agreements had been signed in Paris two days before on the 27th. There would be a 60-day withdrawal period of all of our troops. and a 60-day period of release of the prisoners, 25% every 15 days. Of course the sick and injured will come home first and then in order of your capture.
And so we knew in our group we were going to be part of that last 15-day period. 28 March Of seventy-three. They loaded 40 of us on two camouflage buses and drove us through the city of Hanoi to the Guillam Airport. Remember coming around this small terminal building, seeing this beautiful C-141 aircraft. Parked on the ramp, Red Cross on the tail and the American flag on the tail.
It called out our names one at a time in the order that we were captured. I was number two in line of that group. escorted us to the back of the aircraft and up the ramp. When the last man's foot hit the ramp, And the ramp came up, the engines were started, we taxied out, pulled on in the runway, and I don't think... Two words were spoken the whole time.
They lied to us so many times during our captivity that We are now just Didn't even seem real. this was happening. Until we got airborne and the gear came up, and then the whole place broke loose. We knew we were free. It was about a two hour and 45 minute flight to the Philippines.
where it was spent. three days in the hospital there at the Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Got to take a nice hot shower the first time and 16 months. They fitted us for a uniform. Um Have to go down to the cafeteria.
and eat whatever we want. When the first prisoners came out, they were real leery about what to feed us because they didn't know. how our bodies would react, but I think after the first group came out, they realized Hey, we just need a letter. let them eat what they want.
So they had quite a spread there force. I go through with a tray and I anything that looked like it had protein in it, I wanted it. Sat down, a couple glasses of milk. Grew up on a dairy farm, so I missed milk. And I think I ate about 10 bites and I couldn't eat anymore.
Then they had arranged times during the evening when we could call home. for the first time and Mine is fairly late at night. When I called, Handy. It was. 4 a.m.
on the 29th of March in the States where she was, which is her birthday.
Well, first of all, it was four a.m.
So it's very startling. And it wasn't Ken on the phone, it was another officer who said. This is Kenneth R.
Wells. then it's kinda scary. Yes. You know, then he said, I have your husband here. Would you like to speak to him?
Yeah. So then Ken got on and I Knew it was Ken. It was real. And It was like our first date. How are you?
Fine. You know, we... We have been Separated. about as long as we'd been married. When it first got back to the States after three days in the Philippines, and they flew us to.
Hospitals across the country. Mine happened to be Travis Air Force Base in California near Sacramento. When we were At Travis Air Force Base, they gave each of the families that their husbands or loved one. would be coming home. They had each of us in a separate car.
So there's a line, a string of cars. The plane pulls up, the red carpet is rolled out, and the band plays, and I'm sitting there just waiting. as the door opens up the plane. And of course I've been watching from the first group. Second, third, or halfway.
So when the door opened and the man stepped out, then my car Pull forward. And the officer then let me out. And I walked the red carpet. And then Ken came down the stairs. And there's some really Sweet pictures of Kenavi.
hugging and kissing for the first time. Spent two weeks there. Going through interrogation sessions again, but also we all had parasites in our bodies. several different parasites had to be treated so that's the reason. I was there for two weeks.
It was during that two-week period. Still in California. Where Go ahead. I had become so independent. of just doing things myself.
Yeah. taking care of this little person. That I was just going to go out and get us some groceries, you know. Kevin and I, I gather him up. I have my hand on the doorknob to turn it, and Ken says, Where are you going?
I'm like, Oh yeah. I forgot. you know, it was just another thing that we had to get adjustment that Oh yeah, I'm sorry. And we heard later. That's something like 80 or 90 percent of the prisoners got divorced.
after he came home, so there's just a lot of pressure like she was saying, she had to become independent. not only for herself, but to take care of Well Kevin. And of course I hadn't changed at all in sixteen months. Right? Yeah.
When I left, I was just a husband.
Now I'm coming home to an almost 16 month old Boy. Kinda scary. He didn't have a lot to do with me at first. We're still at Travis in the quarters. The two weeks in the hospital there was as an outpatient, so they put us up in the base quarters but I'd bribe him with food and treats and stuff like that and At the end of the two weeks when we flew then from Travis up to Portland International Airport.
There's a picture of me holding Kevin. they're uh us and I'm holding Kevin and I I've I felt like we were Dad and son. I think that two weeks there was good for us to become a little family unit before they launch us onto the world. Was a great time for us to get to know one another better again. When we know some of the stories of those who didn't get to come home, Like her brother Rodney or Even some of the prisoners that came back and their family situation just dissolved.
We just feel blessed. We feel God is with us through the whole experience and we feel blessed to. to be able to come home and Start over and live out a normal life. The POWs were inventive, very creative. I just found it very interesting how that they never gave up that.
Spirit. that they persevered through This difficult time. when some people would just collapse, These men persevered Held on. when you know that how little They had. But they did everything to encourage One another.
Two. take care of one another. And just Keep on, keeping on. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Madison Derricott. And a special thanks to Ken and Candy Wells for sharing their story.
What kept him going in that Hanoi Hilton?
Well, Ken said it, faith in God. Faith in country. Faith within his group. And my goodness, what Candy says at the end there about the fact that those men never gave up, they persevered. They held on.
comforting each other. The story of Ken and Candy Wells, the story of so many POWs. And as they said, the story of those who never came back. and not just in Vietnam, but all of America's wars. There's stories, all of them here.
on our American stories. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bones Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together, Diplo? I pulled up real quick.
He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus, and we had like three hours. It was really cool. He literally just like randomly showed up to my house. I'm like, oh, hey, Diplo, what are you doing?
He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay. You can listen to the full episode out now wherever you get your podcast. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. At a blast, cruising around the festival weekend in the all-new Palisade Hybrid.
America is changing. And so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm a smachhalid in Washington, D.C.
I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. With the new IHOP value menu, $6 is all it takes to go to your happy plates, where stacks of pancakes with bacon and eggs are just $6 every day. French toast, sausage, and eggs are, you guessed it, $6.
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