Capt. Guy D. Gruters, Fighter Pilot, P.O.W. 5 Yrs

Guy Gruters is a former F-100 Fighter Pilot who speaks positively and enthusiastically on lessons learned during the more than five years he spent as a P.O.W. in a North Vietnamese Communist Prison Camp, on his more than four hundred combat missions flown in South and North Vietnam before being captured, and on business and family experiences since. He was awarded more than 30 combat medals, including two silver stars, two distinguished flying crosses, two bronze stars for heroism, and two purple hearts. His fighter aircraft was shot down twice over North Vietnam. He was rescued by Jolly Greens after the first and captured after the second. The suffering in prison camp was intense 24/7 year after year without any end in sight. Time crawled. Six out of seven men in Guy's situation were tortured to death or killed in one way or another by the Russians and North Vietnamese during those years. He is an engaging, warm, highly positive, motivational, inspirational keynote, leadership, youth or conference speaker. Guy describes the various aspects of those combat and prison camp experiences, ranging from the specific conditions of his imprisonment to individual tales of heroic courage and leadership, such as that of Capt. Lance P. Sijan. Capt. Sijan was a Congressional Medal of Honor winner who was tortured to death while with Guy in prison camp. Upon return to the United States, Guy was a successful CEO of a small computer business for 13 years, then Director and VP-MIS for billion dollar corporations. Guy and his wife, Sandy, who waited faithfully for six years until his return, raised seven children and had twenty-five family moves throughout the US during those years. This unique combination of experiences has given Guy versatility for a relevant approach for your organization's theme or requirements. Guy has given numerous tailored talks throughout the United States and overseas as far as Okinawa. They have been delivered to hundreds of different audiences and conferences; Catholic, Christian, Small Business, Corporate, Military, Churches, Parish Functions, Retreats, Private Homes, Family, Youth, Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, Home school, Nursing Homes, Public and Private Schools of all levels, etc. Examples of previous talks include:

"Leadership is Character" National Character and Leadership Symposium, USAFA, Colorado

"Leadership and Perseverance" USAF Leadership Summit, Jacksonville, Florida

"Leadership in the Home and Family" (First given at a National Homeschool Conference) Washington, D.C., Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania

"Air-Sea Rescue: The Bravest in the World" (First given to a World-Wide International Air-Sea Rescue Conference) Nevada, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, Alabama

"How I Found God in a Communist Prison Camp" (Available from Lighthouse Communications) Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Texas

"Leadership Comparatives in Combat and Business" (Speaking to over 75 CEOs in various states and cities) Oregon, Nevada, Ohio

"The Great Love I Have Witnessed in War" (Stories of great heroism for others in South and North Vietnam) Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, Alabama, Oregon, Nevada, South Carolina

"Stories of Infantry and Air Combat in South Vietnam, First Shoot Down, Second Shoot Down and Capture" (Speaking to F-16, F-15 Fighter Units, ROTC Cadets, Air Force Bases) Florida, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, Okinawa

"Conditions, Conversion and Forgiveness in a Communist Prison Camp" (Speaking at various Catholic Men's Conferences) Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts

"The Grace and Blessing of Suffering" (Speaking to a conference for the permanently disabled) Ohio

"Outstanding Leadership in a Communist Prison Camp" (Speaking to various military and corporate audiences) Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Dakota, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida

"Conditions and Torture in a Communist Prison Camp" (First given at VMI) Virginia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, North Dakota

"Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam, Sijan's Code" (First given at the US Air Force Academy) Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama, Florida, North Dakota, Nevada

"Heroic Love: Keynote for Memorial Dedication for Medal Of Honor winners Colonel Bud Day and Colonel Leo Thorsness" Texas

"The Saving Power of Suffering" (Speaking to a tight-knit community of dedicated Catholic families, People of Hope) New Jersey

"Fireside Talk: Choice of Vocation in Life" (Speaking to teenagers making choice of married, single, or religious vocations) Ohio

"Surviving a Communist Prison Camp, or Any Difficult Times" Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana

"A Military Family through Difficult Times" (Speaking by Guy and Sandy: First given to Catholics in the Military) Alabama, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Okinawa

This wide audience experience over twelve years brings you an accomplished motivational, inspirational speaker. Any previous talk can be given tailored for your requirements, or a new one based on combinations of experiences that apply to your event. His talks are uniformly positive and optimistic about the ability to handle any of life's challenges and difficulties. Guy's background has also been an excellent audience draw for events featuring Guy as one of the speakers, according to the event coordinators. Guy is available for questions after completion of the talk if desired, and will also speak for multiple audiences on a single trip. Audience evaluations have been consistently outstanding. Event coordinators have been consistently elated.

Banquets, Celebrations, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Cocktail Parties, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Country Clubs, Dinner Dances, Events, Family Reunions, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Holiday Parties, Hotels, July 4th Parties, New Year's Eve Parties, Picnic, Private Parties, Restaurants, Reunions, Saint Patrick's Day Parties, School Assemblies, Valentine's Day Parties, Wedding Receptions...and more.

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