Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam – A War Story of Courage and Race Praised by Senator John McCain

How two Vietnam POWs, one white and one black, formed an unexpected friendship that saved them both: “A moving story.”—John McCain

Fred Cherry was one of the few black pilots taken prisoner by the Vietnamese, tortured and intimidated by captors who tried and failed to get him to sign antiwar statements.

Porter Halyburton was a white southern navy flier who the Vietnamese threw into a cell with Cherry at the famous Hanoi Hilton, hoping that close quarters would inspire racial tensions to boil over. Instead, they fostered an intense connection that would help both men survive the war—and continue for the rest of their lives.

An unforgettable story of courage and friendship, Two Souls Indivisible is a compelling reminder of what can be achieved, in the face of incredible odds, when we put our differences aside.

“A riveting tale . . . Two Souls Indivisible joins the small list of essential tomes on the war, race, and to an even larger degree, books that describe the true meaning of heroism.”—Seattle Times

“A moving story of two men whose courage, sense of duty, and love proved greater than the depravity of their captors.”—Sen. John McCain

JAMES S. HIRSCH is a former reporter for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and he is author of ten books, including biographies of Willie Mays and Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.