From a printing company in Panama City to solitary confinement — and the night the quiet professionals came.
U.S. Army veteran and co-author of Six Minutes to Freedom.
While working at his family business in Panama, Kurt led a resistance against the narco-military dictatorship of General Manuel Noriega through an underground radio station known as “The Voice of Liberty.”
Captured in 1989, he endured nine months of solitary confinement in Modelo Prison until he was rescued in a high-stakes nighttime raid — Operation Acid Gambit — carried out by elite U.S. Army Special Operations Command troops.
Born in the United States and raised in Panama City, Kurt developed a deep love for his adopted country. After college and Army ROTC service, he returned to help lead the family printing-supply business with offices throughout Central America.
As Noriega’s regime grew more brutal, Kurt and a small band of Panamanian patriots launched a clandestine radio operation. Their broadcasts urged citizens to resist the dictator and restore democracy. The station became a symbol of hope — and a target.
Kurt was arrested, convicted, and placed in solitary confinement in Cárcel Modelo, one of the most notorious prisons in Central America. For nine months he slept on a bare floor, saw almost no sunlight, and faced the constant threat of execution. His family fled for their lives.
In the opening hours of Operation Just Cause, Delta Force operators and Night Stalker pilots executed a daring rooftop assault on Modelo Prison. In roughly six minutes they extracted Kurt — the first civilian ever rescued by this elite unit. It was a mission that has become legend among Special Operations forces.
Resettled in Virginia, Kurt built and sold a printing company, then co-founded a firm that supported U.S. Army operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He and Anne have been married more than 56 years. They have two children and five grandchildren. Through the Muse Foundation, Kurt continues to honor the quiet professionals who saved his life.
Throughout the darkest months, Kurt’s wife Anne and their children were his emotional lifeline. A folded family photograph and drawings by Kimberly and Erik were taped to the wall of his cell. Those same keepsakes were in his pocket the night of the rescue.
His reflections on love, faith, and the priorities that truly matter have become central to the message he shares with audiences around the world.
Read the book, watch the forthcoming Netflix film, or invite Kurt to share the lessons of resilience and leadership with your organization.
