Through the Captivity Chronicles Archive, Val Burgess is dedicated to transform the power of the human experience for audiences, by using impactful oral testimonies of former World War III prisoners of war (POWs) which inspires and empowers them to lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.

With a unique focus on resilience, perseverance, and the strength of the human spirit, her carefully curated collection of captivating stories showcases moments in history that have tested the resolve of soldiers held captive, while simultaneously serving as invaluable life lessons for those, who today, are facing their own challenges.

As a trusted source of wisdom, insight, and motivation, Burgess’ Captivity Chronicles highlights how these extraordinary tales provide invaluable nuggets of wisdom that can be applied to various aspects of everyday life, including personal growth, decision-making, and navigating adversity.

Engaging, enlightening, and inspiring, this platform encourages individuals from all walks of life to delve into these profound accounts and harness their power to create positive change in their own lives.

Whether it's fostering mental fortitude, nurturing emotional resilience, developing unwavering determination, or finding forgiveness, Val Burgess strives to harness the spirit of hope, courage, and triumph that lie at the heart of each captured soldier's narrative, ultimately illuminating a pathway toward self-discovery, self-mastery, and a purpose-driven living.

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Burgess’ work with the World War II Prisoners of War began in 1993, when she was asked to market a trip, by her Uncle, Vernon Burda, that would take a large group of former POWs and their families to Poland and Stalag Luft III for the 50th Anniversary of their liberation.

In 1963, Stalag Luft III, The Great Escape Camp of WWII fame, was popularized in a movie starring Steve McQueen.

Vernon Burda was a navigator on B-24 for “Tipton’s Crew”. His crew was shot down twice and escaped the first experience. Unlucky, Tipton’s crew was again shot down a second time. This time the crew was captured in Yugoslavia on 16 July 1944, following their mission to Wiener Neudorf, to bomb an aircraft plant, near Vienna, Austria.

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Burgess completed her first oral history in the summer of 1994, with an interview of Lowell “Slats” Slayton of Buffalo, Wyoming. He was a gunner on the Homing Pigeon, a B-17 that crash-landed in February of 1944. Slayton was interned in two, Luftwaffe, German Air Force, camps that held Sergeants: Stalag Luft VI at Heydekrug on the old Prussian-Lithuanian border, and later, Stalag Luft IV at Gros Tychow in Pomerania.

With the advance of the Russians, Slats was relocated via a transport ship across the Baltic Sea’s cold waters. Then, moved by train and after 24 hours in a railcar. The men were brutalized by Alsaysion hounds biting and young soldiers with bayonets stabbing them on their forced run to Stalag Luft IV, their new camp.

With the further advancement of Allied troops, some 6,000 Luft IV POWs were forced marched throughout Germany in the coldest winter on record. This march prevented their liberation by Allied Forces.

Slats and the POWs of Stalag Luft IV walked 400-600 miles, 644-966 kilometers, over 86 days. Many men simply gave up, laid down and died. Their sustenance was vegetables from the farmer’s frozen fields. At times they filled their stomachs with leaves and bark.

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In April 1995, Burgess accompanied 125 former prisoners along with 200 family members and for 17 days to revisit Stalag Luft III. They retraced their forced march and finally they visited Stalag VIIA where they were liberated on April 27, 1945.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of their liberation, they were warmly received by the German people in Moosburg, Germany, with a celebration attended by some 600 individuals offering meals, music, and gifts. The former prisoners deeply appreciated the recognition.

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For nearly 30 years, Burgess has dedicated herself to collecting and recording the stories of these men. She views them as a source of inspiration and life lessons and now shares their experiences with audiences passionate about history and personal growth.

For her archive, Val was given the largest collection of Radio Tokyo letters in the U.S., widening the scope of her work to include stories from the Pacific Theater.

Since starting in 1994, the interviews have been an ongoing journey. To date, Burgess has completed approximately 170 oral histories, not only with WWII POWs but also other veterans.

Unfortunately, most of these veterans have passed on. Nevertheless, their remarkable ability to survive formidable challenges serves as inspiration for living our own best lives.

"There were times when I considered giving up this work," Burgess admits. However, she always found herself confronted with a question: "Will I regret stopping this work, or will I forever be grateful for having learned about and honored the men who saved our world from tyranny?" The answer was clear—Burgess is eternally grateful for these individuals in her life, and thus, the work continues in order to honor their memories and help us all understand the true meaning of unconditional giving to those we may never meet.