Decorated Veteran, Former POW, Resilience Expert
Charlie Plumb Biography
A testament to the strength of the human spirit, Charles Plumb endured the most extreme hardship and used the experience to transform his life in a profound way.
As a farm kid from a small town in Kansas, Captain Plumb fantasized about airplanes; he never dreamed that he might, one day, have the opportunity to pilot one. It would be the United States Navy that afforded Plumb the opportunity to live out that dream.
Captain Charles Plumb graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1964. In November 1965, Plumb earned his Navy Wings, becoming a United States Naval Aviator. From this, Plumb reported to Miaramar Naval Air Station in San Diego. There, he made his mark helping to develop the Navy Fighter Weapons School, more commonly known today as “TOP GUN.”
His next appointment was to the Aircraft Carrier Kitty Hawk where he was assigned one of the Navy’s hottest jets, the F-4 Phantom. Captain Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam and made well over 100 carrier landings. On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, Plumb was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, starved, tortured repeatedly, and survived the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner of War, until he was released on February 18, 1973.
During his nearly six years of captivity, Charlie Plumb distinguished himself among his fellow prisoners as a professional in underground communications, and served for two of those years as the Chaplain in his camp.
Since his return home, more than 5,000 audiences in nearly every industry have been spellbound as Captain Charlie Plumb draws parallels between his P.O.W. experience and the challenges of everyday life. He has shared his message to an even wider public through appearances on Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC with Thomas Roberts, “The Seventies” with Wolf Blitzer, CNN New Day with Chris Cuomo, Yahoo! News with Bianna Golodryga, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
One of the most sought-after achievement speakers of his time, Charlie Plumb’s presentations are as he is, sincere, straightforward, humorous, and tailored to motivate each specific audience he encounters. His insights on how to cope with the difficulties as well as the opportunities in life have a positive impact on those who hear his message, those who read his books, and those who come to know him as a friend.
Captain Plumb’s Military honors include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, (2) Purple Hearts, and the P.O.W. Medal.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Charlie Plumb and other top speakers and celebrities.
Charlie Plumb Speaking Topics
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*Empowerment
Each of us has assets we often times don’t tap into until we’re challenged. Whether or not we realize it, we each have the inner strength and resources to meet whatever business or personal challenges come our way.
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Change
Invariably, just about the time things feel comfortable, change hits. And whether that change is positive or negative it can be disturbing and difficult to adjust to. Yet, it’s during those times that ones true value shows up, in taking the risks necessary to adapt to change.
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How do I book Charlie Plumb to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Charlie Plumb for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Charlie Plumb, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Charlie Plumb or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Charlie Plumb
Speaking fees for Charlie Plumb, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Charlie Plumb are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Charlie Plumb, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Charlie Plumb speak about?
Charlie Plumb is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Business, Change Management, College, Finance, Human Resources, Inspirational, Leadership, Military, Motivational, Negotiation, Overcoming Adversity, Peak Performance, Personal Growth, Storytelling, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Veterans -
Where does Charlie Plumb travel from?
Charlie Plumb generally travels from Southern California, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Charlie Plumb’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Charlie Plumb for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Charlie Plumb for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Charlie Plumb or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Charlie Plumb is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as *Empowerment, Change, Teamwork, Adversity, The Power of Choice and Strength To Succeed. The estimated speaking fee range to book Charlie Plumb for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Charlie Plumb generally travels from Southern California, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Rocky Bleier, Rob Waldo Waldman, Dave Carey, Jason Redman and Carey Lohrenz. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Charlie Plumb for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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