Ouachita Speaker Series Features CAPT David Carey’s [USNA '64] Survival Story
CAPT David Carey '64, USN (Ret.), a Vietnam War Navy pilot and five-and-a-half-year POW, is set to inspire audiences at the Ouachita Speaker Series with his story of resilience, hope, and triumph over adversity
Event Overview
The Ouachita Speaker Series, hosted in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, brings distinguished speakers to the community several times a year for open, thought‑provoking forums. This upcoming program will feature Capt. David Carey, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and carrier‑based pilot during the Vietnam War, whose life was transformed after his plane was shot down and his capture in Hanoi.
Carey endured five and a half years as a Prisoner of War, sharing real‑life accounts of survival, camaraderie, and the unbreakable human spirit.
His military honors include the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, the Purple Heart, eight Air Medals and the Navy Commendation Medal
After his release, he served in multiple leadership roles, including as Director of the Navy’s Leadership and Management Training program, before retiring as a Captain.
Carey’s program, “Meeting Your Challenges”, focuses on:
- The power of the human spirit to overcome extreme hardship
- Practical leadership and teamwork lessons drawn from his POW experience
- A five‑point message: Do what you have to do; Do your best; Keep your sense of humor; Choose to grow; Keep the faith
His talks are designed to inspire, educate, and empower audiences to turn crises into opportunities, with applications for both personal and professional growth.
About the Ouachita Speaker Series
Founded in 2012 by Wilbur and Martha Smither and John Hollansworth, the series is presented with the Ponce de Leon Center and the Hot Springs Village POA
It offers public programs in the Ouachita Activities Building at 1101 DeSoto Boulevard, Hot Springs Village, AR, with tickets available online or at the center office.
Read the full story here.
BZ '64!