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Photo courtesy of University Archives
Photo courtesy of Texas Aggie
The improvements included relaxed regulations,
better sanitary conditions and less solitary confine
ment.
The prisoners traditionally had been treated better
by their captors during Christmas. Punishments were
relaxed around mid-December of each year.
During Christmas 1966, the POWs were given
material to make a crude Christmas tree, and several
prisoners were allowed to sing songs on a tape.
On Christmas Eve, the prisoners were taken in
turns to a room in which they were allowed to admire
the tree and listen to the tape of some prisoners sing
ing. One of those singers was Ray, who sang “Puff,
the Magic Dragon.”
In early 1969, the National League of Families of
American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia or
ganized a letter-writing campaign among several
hundred families. The league flooded the North
Vietnamese delegation at the Paris Peace Talks with
telegraphic inquiries about the prisoners and missing
men.
The league also sent letters and packages to the
prisoners and publicized their plight among the
American media.
Daughtrey said, “Our treatment changed drasti
cally after they (the league) started publicizing our
plight.”
Ray, Blevins and Meyer also said they think the ac
tivities of the National League of Families made a no
ticeable difference in their treatment.
Families were allowed to send packages every two
months and letters twice a month. Starting about
1965, prisoners were allowed to send one letter every
two months. Letters were limited to six lines — going
and coming.
How many letters and packages actually got to the
prisoners is unknown.
Finally, in late January 1973, the prisoners learned
that a peace agreement had been signed in Paris on
Jan. 28.
The increased improvement in the treatment of
the prisoners peaked Feb. II, 1973, when the North
Vietnamese served an eight-turkey dinner to the near
200 prisoners and issued everyone new clothing.
O n the morning of Feb. 12, the first group of
prisoners was taken by bus to the Gia Lam Air
port and turned over to American authorities.
Daughtrey and Ray were among that first group of
prisoners released Feb. 12, and Blevins and Meyer
were released March 4.
Daughtrey, wearing braces on both his arms, was
greeted by a crowd of about 500 well-wishers when he
arrived in Colorado Springs, Colo., on March 5.
He was met by his family and now ex-wife. His cur
rent wife was one of the originators of the National
League of Families.
Daughtrey, who was active in the Corps and intra
murals while at A&M, returned to school at the Uni
versity of New Mexico. He earned a computer engi
neering degree in 1975.
He now lives in Albuquerque, N.M., and works as
an engineer for a major corporation.
Ray was honored March 4, 1973 in Conroe as a
crowd of about 3,500 people packed the local high
school stadium, waving American flags and holding
up banners. At the ceremony, Ray was given a new
Memorial Student Center leadership watch and a
Class of ’63 ring to replace those taken when he was
captured in North Vietnam.
As a senior at A&M, Ray was a 2nd Wing executive
officer in the Corps and was named Distinguished
Student and Distinguished Air Force Cadet. He was
active in the Student Conference on National Affairs
and the Student Senate. He was also president of the
MSC Council.
Ray, now a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, works for
the Office of the Air Attache in the U.S. Embassy in
Rome.
Blevins celebrated his release and his 34th birthday
on March 7, 1973 at Hickman Air Force Base, Ha
waii. He was reunited with his family at Wilford Hall
USAF Medical Center in San Antonio.
Blevins, now living in Richardson, was active in the
Corps and the Aggie Band. He earned a degree in
mechanical engineering. He now works for a utilities
company in Dallas.
Meyer, who lives in College Station, received a
warm welcome from his wife when he arrived at Kel
ley Air Force Base on March 7,1973.
He earned a degree in animal husbandry and was
active in the Corps and the Saddle and Sirloin Club.
Meyer works for a local gas company.
After the four men returned to their families and
regular life, they faced the problems of acquainting
themselves with the cultural trends that had taken
place during their absence, historical developments
and, most of all, spending time with their families and
friends.
Daughtrey, Ray, Blevins and Meyer stay in touch
with each other and other POWs through a group
called “Nam POWs.”
The group meets every two years at different loca
tions around the United States and continues a spe
cial fellowship formed long ago in a place where com
panionship was the difference between life and
death. ★
Elementary school students greet Maj. Norlan
Daughtrey (left). Capt. James Ray (above) ex
amines his new A&M senior ring. Maj. A1
Meyer (below) is welcomed home by his wife.
Photo courtesy of Texas Aggie