Charlie Plumb
Former Vietnam POW for almost 6 years and Navy fighter pilot, Author
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In an upbeat, humorous presentation, Navy fighter pilot demonstrates how lessons he learned in a prisoner of war camp can be applied to challenges of daily life
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Captain Charlie Plumb graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis and went on to fly the F-4 Phantom jet on 74 successful combat missions over Vietnam. On his 75th mission, with only five days before he was to return home, Plumb was shot down, captured, tortured and imprisoned in an 8 foot x 8 foot cell. He spent the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner Of War in communist war prisons.
During his nearly six years of captivity, Plumb distinguished himself among his fellow prisoners as a professional in underground communications, and served for two of those years as the Chaplain in his camp.
Since his return home, more than 4,500 audiences in nearly every industry have been spellbound as Plumb draws parallels between his P.O.W. experience and the challenges of everyday life. He has shared his message to an even wider public through appearances on Good Morning America, Nightline, Larry King Live and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
One of the most sought-after achievement speakers of his time, Plumb’s presentations are as he is, sincere, straightforward, humorous and tailored to motivate each specific audience he encounters. His insights on how to cope with the difficulties as well as the opportunities in life have a positive impact on those who hear his message, those who read his books, and those who come to know him as a friend.
Plumb’s military honors include two Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the P.O.W. Medal.
Charlie Plumb’s presentation deals with challenges: his . . . and yours. In an upbeat, impactive manner, Plumb draws upon his POW experience (of nearly six years) to demonstrate how to turn adversity into assets in a highly competitive marketplace: in business or in your personal life. Adept at tailoring his message to seamlessly fit your objectives – Charlie penetrates the hearts and minds of the audience and focuses on methods people can use to break free from their own prisons . . . prisons created by blaming others, fear of failure and self-pity.
Captain Plumb sees opportunities where others might see roadblocks. One of the most effective and dynamic motivational safety speakers in the country, Plumb illustrates the importance of embracing safety as a cornerstone to company morale, production and profitability. He is an expert at incorporating company jargon and industry buzzwords to reach the hearts and minds of each audience.
Whether your company is focusing on accident prevention, hazard recognition or risk assessment or if your meeting points are centered on injury and frequency rates, bad or good Charlie Plumb’s presentation will be as he is, sincere, straightforward, humorous and tailored to your specific needs.
For 30+ years, Captain Plumb has been a part of safety conferences, safety stand-downs, safety awards banquets, workshops, seminars and retreats. He has presented to hundreds of companies, thousands of employees and all levels of management in industries across the board, privately owned companies, military and government
“Safety is not a program,” says Plumb, “It’s a culture and attitude is the secret to better safety!”.
One of the most sought after achievement and motivational speakers of our time, Captain Plumb’s experience as a Vietnam Prisoner of War is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. He relates his six year stay in the Hanoi Hilton to challenges of everyday life with the firm assertion that, “Adversity is a horrible thing….TO WASTE!” He challenges every audience to use their “Power of Choice” in response to all situations whether professional or personal.
In addition to his Keynote presentations, Seminars, Workshops and Safety Stand-down lectures, he has been listed as a Continuing Education Faculty Member with the Veterans Administration, Harvard Medical, Professional Trade Associations and a number of hospitals throughout the country.
As his numerous awards for Speaking/Training/Presenting prove, Captain Plumb is prepared to tailor make the perfect message to fill your precise needs. After hearing his presentation, your group will want to believe more, achieve more and be more in every facet of life.
Teamwork: In a world where downsizing forces us to do more with less, we must empower the team. “Packing parachutes” can mean the difference in survival. Yours, and your teams!
Invariably, just about the time things feel comfortable, change hits. And whether that change is positive or negative it can be disturbing and difficult to adjust to. Yet, it’s during those times that ones true value shows up, in taking the risks necessary to adapt to change.
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