Jack Downey: Cold War Captive

A promising Yale graduate, Downey was recruited by the CIA in the early 1950s, embodying the hopes and ideals of a new generation of spies. Sent to Japan during the Korean War, he took part in a high-risk air drop that ended in disaster. Captured over Chinese territory, Downey's identity was quickly exposed, thrusting him into a world of brutal captivity.

The U.S. government's refusal to acknowledge his identity due to espionage policy left Downey in the shadows of diplomatic secrecy. Washington's fictitious cover story and unwavering stance through four administrations left him languishing in a Chinese prison for twenty-one years, with his plight known only to a select few.

Downey's release in 1973, coinciding with the normalization of U.S.-China relations, marks a dramatic turning point in his life. From the confines of a Chinese prison to a successful career as a lawyer and esteemed judge in Connecticut, Downey's journey is one of remarkable resilience and fortitude.