ARKADELPHIA, AR (News Release)- Col. Lee Ellis, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and a prisoner of war in Hanoi for more than five years, spoke at a banquet held prior to his Thursday evening presentation as a part of Harding University’s American Studies Institute Distinguished Lecture Series.   

Ellis addresses an audience of more than 900 about leadership lessons he learned from his experiences in the Hanoi Hilton. 

“With courage, with your training, and with confidence, you can be a leader in any field that is your speciality,” Ellis said. “Have courage. Lean into the pain of your fears to do what you know is right. Don’t give up, believe you can make it, and work your way through.”