by Gary Brozek
Though I’d had no idea that this was the route I’d take, as I rode along a curved ribbon of road and enjoyed the rises and falls, it somehow seemed appropriate to pass an area named for one of our country’s great heroes—someone considered our first intelligence operative, a soldier and a martyr of the revolution who gave the one life he had for this country. Thanks to him and so many others, I could just ride and enjoy the day with nothing better to do than be enormously appreciative of my freedom. I rolled on the throttle and banked into a series of tight turns, and then with my thrill-seeking satisfied, I headed for home out of captivity at last.
Acknowledgments
The three of us learned a lot about relying on each other while in the jungle. In the last few months as we’ve worked on this book project, we’ve put those lessons to good use. We’ve been fortunate to receive the guidance, support, and efforts of a team who helped us get this book done in what seemed to us to be record time during one of the busiest periods in our lives. We’re deeply indebted to so many people. If we were to thank you all individually, we’d end up with a book twice as long as the one you hold in your hands. Please know that we are enormously grateful to everyone who offered up a prayer or good thought for our safe return, to those who offered a kind word or gesture to our families while we were in captivity, and to those who since our return have embraced us as we’ve made the adjustment to life out of the jungle. Even though we can’t possibly name each and every one of you, we are grateful to you for your contribution to our lives.
We would be remiss if we didn’t thank some people and organizations by name. We are deeply grateful to the government, the military, and the people of Colombia. In particular, General Mario Montoya, Colombian Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos, President Alvaro Uribe Velez, and the brave men and woman involved in the planning and execution of Operation Jaque deserve mention. To those in the U.S. military and government who also contributed to our release, you have our deep and abiding thanks. When we returned to the United States, we were warmly welcomed and cared for by General Keith Hubert and his staff at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston. Also, Mr. Doug Sanders was particularly helpful during this time. We are indebted to everyone who participated in our reintegration process. Your amazing compassion and concern overwhelmed us and enabled us to make the transition to life outside of captivity much more easily.
The folks at Northrop Grumman helped take care of our families during our absence and have been incredibly supportive and accommodating of our needs since our return. We especially want to thank James Pitts, Ronald Sugar, and Michele Magaletta, Jr., for their contributions. To our colleagues back in-country in Colombia who never lost faith and continued to search for us—Brian Wilks, Mike Villegas, Jim Pabon and Ed Trinidad—we salute you for your effort and for never forgetting.
We also thank everyone at Harley-Davidson and at our local dealers for their enormous generosity and support of our Freedom Ride. We hope to see all of you on the road.
Wade Chapple and Doug Sanders were instrumental in helping us get some of the terrific images together for the photo insert. Our thanks go out to both of them for sending us their pictures and allowing us to use them.
Our lawyers Newt Porter and Tony Korvick were crucial to guiding us through the initial stages of the publication process. Through them, we met a number of publishers. We’re very glad that we found a home at William Morrow/HarperCollins. From the moment we spoke with the William Morrow team, we felt we’d found the right fit and our gut reaction proved true. We’ve benefited enormously from our editor, Matt Harper, and his steady and insightful shaping and shepherding of our book. His timely and wise suggestions made this a book we are all proud of. We’d also like to thank Lisa Sharkey and the countless others at HarperCollins who had a hand in the book’s production, promotion, and sales.
Finally, we’d also like to thank our cowriter Gary Brozek for all his hard work in bringing our story to life on the page. This ambitious undertaking wouldn’t have been successful without his dedication and his magical ability to transport himself into the jungle with us as he told our story.
TOM
It’s just about impossible to express my gratitude to the countless people who offered support and encouragement during our captivity and the reintegration process. I’m sorry that I can’t single you all out, but please know that your contributions are not forgotten. I do want to make note of my siblings—my sister, Sally, and my brother, Steve—it is great to be back with you again. My son, Tommy, continues to share a special bond with me, and I’m so proud to see the kind of young man you’ve grown into and I’m eager to share more of my life with you. My stepson, Santiago Giraldo, did a wonderful job of watching over our family in my absence, proving once again what a remarkable man he is.
KEITH
If you’ve finished reading this book, then you know that there is one person among the thousands (and can’t possibly be named—I’m grateful to her for unending support and devotion. Patricia, I thank you for having so much faith in me and for being la mujer de mi vida. To my daughter, Lauren, and my son, Kyle, I can never tell you enough how much I love you and how proud I am of who you have become. I always knew that you guys could take care of yourselves, but I’m so glad I can be here with you now to watch you both do your thing. Mom and Dad, the two of you did so much for my family during my absence that I can never repay you (and I know you did all those things without expecting anything in return) for helping to hold together my life and family here in the States. You amaze me and continue to show me day after day how taking the hard right path can be its own reward. To Keith, Jr., and Nick: circumstances were never easy for the two of you, but as “los tigres,” you’ve shown the kind of tenacity that makes this former Marine’s chest swell with pride. It’s going to be a lot of fun from here on out.
Tommy Janis, Ralph Ponticelli, Tommy Schmidt, and Butch Oliver have joined the list of America’s fallen but unsung heroes. It is men like you who, having made the ultimate sacrifice, have added your names to the list of those who have made this country great. By quietly doing a dangerous job that most Americans don’t even know about, you give us all reason to be proud. God bless you and your families. I will always carry you all in my heart and in my mind. Tom and Marc: We made it!
MARC
It is no longer a fantasy; now I am free. I want to thank all of those who prayed, who wrote, and who remembered us. Miracles do happen. One thing that I learned in the jungle is the true value of family. I especially want to thank my mother, Jo Rosano, who is my champion on the battlefield. I heard your voice, Mom; I heard it in the jungle. To my father and stepmother George and Monique, and my brother and sisters Michael, Denise, Corina, and Misty, I love you all. No more suffering. To my precious children Joey, Cody, and Destiney, I am so thankful to our Lord for allowing me to see you again. We have a lot of time to make up for, but we have all of our lives in front of us to do it.
I would never wish what happened to me on even my worst enemy. But having said that, I can tell you all one thing: I would not have survived alone. Tom, Keith: I didn’t pick you to be my fellow hostages, but I am so thankful that I had you with me. You can’t pick your family members, you’re born with them. The same goes for your fellow hostages. We are family now. And together we did it; we survived. I love you, my brothers. Let’s ride.
About the Authors
MARC GONSALVES is a former member of the United States Air Force who worked as a civilian military contractor for four years before the crash. He has a daughter, Destiney, and two stepsons, Cody and Joey. He lives in Connecticut.
KEITH STANSELL is a former Marine in the United States Marine Corps. He lives with his daughter, Lauren, his son Kyle, his twins Keith Jr. and Nick, and his fiancée, Patricia, in Bradenton, Florida.
TOM HOWES has been a pilot working in the United States and South America for thirty-seven years. He currently lives with his son, Tommy, in Merritt Island, Florida.
GARY BROZEK is a freelance writer. He lives in Evergreen, Colorado.
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Credits
Jacket design by Richard Aquan
Front jacket photographs: helicopter by Newt Porter; journal by Marc Gonsalves; authors as FARC hostages by Ho New/Reuters Pictures
Copyright
OUT OF CAPTIVITY. Copyright © 2009 by Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Mobipocket Reader January 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-186861-0
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