[23][24], The post-raid consolidation brought many prisoners who had spent years in isolation into large cells holding roughly 70 men each. Accounted-For: This report includes the U.S. personnel whose remains have been recovered and identified since the end of the war. Hanoi Lists of P.O.W. Robert Ray, Marines, Not named in previous lists. Hanoi's list of Americans in captivity is as follows: Clodeon Adkins, Michael D. Benge, Norman J. Brookens, Frank E. Cins, Gary L. Davos, John J. Fritz Jr., Theodore W. Gosta, William H. Hardy, Alexander Henderson, Mihcael H. Kjome, Philip W. Manhard, Lewis E. Mayer, James A. Newingham, Robert F. Olsen, Russell J. An official website of the United States government, National Museum of the United States Air Force. ANGUS, Capt. He was also a prisoner of war, and recipient of the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. Locations of POW camps in North Vietnam . The film focuses on the experiences of American POWs who were held in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison during the 1960s and 1970s and the story is told from their perspectives. Locked and with nowhere to move or even to go to the bathroom vermin became their only company. March 14, 1973. [14]:503, Many worried that Homecoming hid the fact that people were still fighting and dying on the battlefields of Vietnam and caused the public to forget about the over 50,000 American lives the war had already cost. The displays mainly show the prison during the French colonial period, including the guillotine room, still with original equipment, and the quarters for male and female Vietnamese political prisoners. During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese did the same to American soldiers. [1], The central urban location of the prison also became part of its early character. Some of the repatriated soldiers, including Borling and John McCain, did not retire from the military, but instead decided to further their careers in the armed forces.[6]. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio - Typical bowls, plate and spoons issued to POWs. It was directed by Lionel Chetwynd, and stars Michael Moriarty, Ken Wright and Paul Le Mat.Music was done by Jimmy Webb.. This, of course, earned him additional torture. The prison was demolished in the 90s and is now the site of a historical museum. [9], In addition, the return of the nearly 600 POWs further polarized the sides of the American public and media. The prison continued to be in use after the release of the American prisoners. If you have not read Bill Gately on LinkedIn: The Hanoi Hilton POW Exhibit at the American Heritage Museum TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. [10] The prison complex was sarcastically nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by the American POWs, in reference to the well-known Hilton Hotel chain. Although its explosions lit the night sky and shook the walls of the camp, scaring some of the newer POWs,[30] most saw it as a forceful measure to compel North Vietnam to finally come to terms. A portion of the original Hanoi Hilton prison has been transported and built in the museum. The Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, was dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American prisoners of war (POWs). [25], Nevertheless, by 1971, some 3050percent of the POWs had become disillusioned about the war, both because of the apparent lack of military progress and what they heard of the growing anti-war movement in the U.S. and some of them were less reluctant to make propaganda statements for the North Vietnamese. Weapons, Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia. Abel L., Marines, Denver, Colo., captured April, 1969. HALL, Lieut. [35] However, eyewitness accounts by American servicemen present a different account of their captivity. During his time at the Hanoi Hilton, McCains hair turned completely white. Knives and forks were not provided. [9] Following the late 1970 attempted rescue operation at Sn Ty prison camp, most of the POWs at the outlying camps were moved to Ha L, so that the North Vietnamese had fewer camps to protect. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. The rest became a museum called the Ha L Prison Memorial. [17], For the book and documentary about American service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, see, Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Museum of the United States Air Force, "Operation Homecoming for Vietnam POWs Marks 40 Years", "Operation Homecoming for Vietnam POWs marks 40 years", Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, "Vietnam era statistical report Americans unaccounted for in Southeast Asia", "See the Emotional Return of Vietnam Prisoners of War in 1973", "Operation Homecoming Part 2: Some History", "Vietnam War POWs Come Home 40th Anniversary", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Homecoming&oldid=1142559036, Repatriation of 591 American POWs held by the, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 02:59. The French called the prison Maison Centrale,[1] 'Central House', which is still the designation of prisons for dangerous or long sentence detainees in France. And thats when we cheered.. Throughout the conflict period, the North Vietnamese had established at least thirteen prisons and prison camps (mostly located near Hanoi) to detain its American POWs, the most notoriously. [25], Most of the prison was demolished in the mid-1990s and the site now contains two high-rise buildings, one of them the 25-story Somerset Grand Hanoi serviced apartment building. KNUTSON, Lieut. Ha L Prison (Vietnamese:[hwa l], Nh t Ha L; French: Prison Ha L) was a prison in Hanoi originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. SCHOEFFEL, Comdr. The men followed orders, but with the stipulation that no photographs were to be taken of them. During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese did the same to American soldiers. The final phase was the relocation of the POWs to military hospitals.[2]. They warmed you up and threatened you with death. The plane used in the transportation of the first group of prisoners of war, a C-141 commonly known as the Hanoi Taxi (Air Force Serial Number 66-0177), has been altered several times since February 12, 1973, to include its conversion (fuselage extension) from a C-141A to a C-141B. Paul Gordon, Marines, Newton, Mass. "[14] Only a small number of exceptionally resilient prisoners, such as John A. Dramesi, survived captivity without ever cooperating with the enemy; others who refused to cooperate under any circumstances, such as Edwin Atterbury, were tortured to death. KAVANAUGH, Sgt. Jeffrey E. Curry, Chinh T. Nguyen (1997). At the same time, the Defense Department began releasing, in batches, the names of the military prisoners in Communist hands who were on the list turned over in Paris along with the civilians. He was transferred to a medical facility and woke up in a room filthy with mosquitoes and rats. Hanoi's list of Americans in captivity is as follows: Clodeon Adkins, Michael D. Benge, Norman J. Brookens, Frank E. Cins, Gary L. Davos, John J. Fritz Jr., Theodore W. Gosta, William H. Hardy,. Consequently, in adherence with their code, the men did not accept release by refusing to follow instructions or put on their clothes. [11][14], During one such event in 1966, then-Commander Jeremiah Denton, a captured Navy pilot, was forced to appear at a televised press conference, where he famously blinked the word "T-O-R-T-U-R-E" with his eyes in Morse code, confirming to U.S. intelligence that U.S. prisoners were being harshly treated. After the implementation of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, neither the United States nor its allies ever formally charged North Vietnam with the war crimes revealed to have been committed there. (j.g.) Notorious Hanoi prison held both Vietnamese and American prisoners By Michael Aquino Updated on 02/21/21 Prisoner diorama at Hoa Lo Prison ("Hanoi Hilton") in Vietnam. ENSCH, Lieut John C., Navy, not named in previous public lists. [18], Regarding treatment at Ha L and other prisons, the North Vietnamese countered by stating that prisoners were treated well and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. [2] These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. [8] These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue for years to come. Render, Navy, Lagrange, Ga., captured Februcry, 1966. BALLARD, Lieut. [10]:80, The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the U.S. Department of State each had liaison officers dedicated to prepare for the return of American POWs well in advance of their actual return. He was the first living recipient of the medal.Risner became an ace in the Korean War and commanded a squadron of F-105 Thunderchiefs in the first missions of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965. [11] Rather, it was to break the will of the prisoners, both individually and as a group. [7] During periods of protracted isolation the tap code facilitated elaborate mental projects to keep the prisoners' sanity. Peter R., Navy, Naples, Fla., captured October, 1967. In some cases, the names were not previously contained on lists of prisoners compiled from various sources. The American soldier followed his instructions, and even managed to leave his own note, identifying himself as Air Force Capt. The name Ha L, commonly translated as "fiery furnace" or even "Hell's hole",[1] also means "stove". James A. Jr., Navy, Virginia Beach, Va., and Lawrence, Mass., captured March, 1966. Jobs People Learning Dismiss Dismiss. The first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war left Hanoi in a C-141A, which later became known as the "Hanoi Taxi" and is now in a museum. Gareth L., Navy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first phase required the initial reception of prisoners at three release sites: POWs held by the Viet Cong (VC) were to be flown by helicopter to Saigon, POWs held by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) were released in Hanoi and the three POWs held in China were to be freed in Hong Kong. [10]:97 Veterans of the war had similar thoughts concerning Operation Homecoming with many stating that the ceasefire and returning of prisoners brought no ending or closure. Alan J., Marines, not named in previous lists. DAVIES, Capt. Despite the endless torture, the American soldiers stayed strong the only way they knew how: camaraderie. LESESNE, Lieut. Many former prisoners of war have suffered the hell of torture. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton". [12] Nevertheless, the POWs obsessed over what they had done, and would years after their release still be haunted by the "confessions" or other statements they had made. Comdr. [37] Tran Trong Duyet, a jailer at Hoa Lo beginning in 1968 and its commandant for the last three years of the war, maintained in 2008 that no prisoners were tortured. Although North Vietnam was a signatory of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949,[9] which demanded "decent and humane treatment" of prisoners of war, severe torture methods were employed, such as waterboarding, strappado (known as "the ropes" to POWs),[10] irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. U.S. officials saw this tape and Denton was later awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery. [2] It was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners, particularly political prisoners agitating for independence who were often subject to torture and execution. Unaware of the code agreed upon by the POWs, Kissinger ignored their shot down dates and circled twenty names at random. Those listed as having died in captivity include the following: Gustav Hertz, Joseph Grainger, John S. Henry, Daniel L. Niehouse, Tanos E. Kalil, Henry F. Blood, and Betty Olsen. EASTMAN, Comdr. The mission included 54 C-141 flights between Feb. 12 and April 4, 1973, returning 591 POWs to American soil. A large number of Americans viewed the recently freed POWs as heroes of the nation returning home, reminiscent of the celebrations following World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio - Recreated POW cells in the Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia exhibit in the Southeast Asia War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, officially bringing to an end the American war in Vietnam. [10]:84 However, access to the former prisoners was screened carefully and most interviews and statements given by the men were remarkably similar, leading many journalists to believe that the American government and military had coached them beforehand. The code was simple and easy to learn and could be taught without verbal instructions. - Firearms* For those locked inside the Hanoi Hilton, this meant years of daily torture and abuse. Comdr. [5] Harris had remembered the code from prior training and taught it to his fellow prisoners. After the implementation of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, neither the United States nor its allies ever formally charged North Vietnam with the war crimes revealed to have been committed there. March 29, 1973. - Alcohol . He became a naval aviator and flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, although the gatehouse remains as a museum. On November 21, 1970, U.S. Special Forces launched Operation Ivory Coast in an attempt to rescue 61 POWs believed to be held at the Sn Ty prison camp 23 miles (37km) west of Hanoi. David A., Navy, St. Simons Island, Ga. GAITHER, Lieut, Comdr. HENDERSON, Capt. - Service animals Ron Storz. NICHOLS, Lieut. - Camera bags SEHORN, Capt. The "Hanoi Hilton" and Other Prisons The most notorious POW camp was Hoa Lo Prison, known to Americans as the "Hanoi Hilton." The name Hoa Lo refers to a potter's kiln, but loosely translated it means "hell's hole" or "fiery furnace." Hoa Lo's 20-foot walls, topped with barbed wire and broken glass, made escape nearly impossible. Jeremiah Denton later said, They beat you with fists and fan belts. At the end of the war, these soldiers were finally freed from their own personal hell, many of them including the late Arizona Senator John McCain going on to become prominent politicians and public figures. NORRINGTON, Lieut. Glenn H., Navy, Napoleonville, La. Prisoners were forced to sit in their own excrement. Of the POWs repatriated to the United States a total of 325 of them served in the United States Air Force, a majority of which were bomber pilots shot down over North Vietnam or VC controlled territory. CRAYTON, Cmdr. John McCain returned to Hanoi decades later to find that most of the complex had been demolished in order to make room for luxury high-rise apartments. In the North Vietnamese city of Hanoi, hundreds of American soldiers were captured and kept prisoner in the Ha L prison, which the Americans ironically dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton." During the Vietnam War, Risner was a double recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force, awarded the first for valor in aerial combat and the second for gallantry as a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for more than seven years. The film portrays fictional characters . The Vietnamese, however, knew it as the Ha L Prison, which translates to fiery furnace. Some Americans called it the hell hole.. WALSH, Capt. [21] This created the "Camp Unity" communal living area at Ha L, which greatly reduced the isolation of the POWs and improved their morale.[14][21]. Render, James U. Rollins, Thomas Rushton, Richard H. S auliudin g, Laurence J. Stark, Floyd J. Thompson, Richard W. Utecht, Richard G. Waldhaus, Eugene A. Weaver, and Charles E. Willis. American POW soldiers inside their jail cell at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. RIVERS, Capt. Conditions at the Briarpatch were notoriously grim, even by the standards of North Vietnamese prisons. - Knives (U.S. Air Force photo). The most immediate effect was to affirm to the POWs that their government was actively attempting to repatriate them, which significantly boosted their morale. Alfred H. Agnew, Navy, Mullins, S. C., listed as missing since being shot down on Dec. 29, 1972. BRUDNO, Capt. - Coolers List of Famous Prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton ranked by fame and popularity. Richard D., Navy, La Jolla, Calif. NAKAGAWA, Comdr. WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (AP) Following are names of United States servicemen on a prisonerofwar list provided today by the North Vietnamese, It was compiled from Defense Department releases and reports of families who received confirmation their men were on the list from Pentagon officials. November 27, 2021. 's Are Made Public by U.S. https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/hanoi-lists-of-pows-are-made-public-by-us-2-diplomats-listed.html, Bernard Gwertzman Special to The New York Times. [citation needed] Mistreatment of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese prisoners and South Vietnamese dissidents in South Vietnam's prisons was indeed frequent, as was North Vietnamese abuse of South Vietnamese prisoners and their own dissidents. Guards would return at intervals to tighten them until all feeling was gone, and the prisoners limbs turned purple and swelled to twice their normal size. Michael G Navy, not named in previous lists. During the Vietnam War, he almost died in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. They also were responsible for debriefing POWs to discern relevant intelligence about MIAs and to discern the existence of war crimes committed against them. Charles G. Boyd, USAF pilot, POW for almost 7 years, retired general; the only Vietnam-era POW to reach a four-star rank. [3] A 1913 renovation expanded its capacity from 460 inmates to 600. [26], At the "Hanoi Hilton", POWs cheered the resumed bombing of North Vietnam starting in April 1972, whose targets included the Hanoi area. Elation, sadness, humor, sarcasm, excitement, depressionall came through.. [4] Within the prison itself, communication and ideas passed. He was finally released in 1973, although his war time injuries have caused permanent damage to his right arm. After visiting the Ha L Prison ("Hanoi Hilton") in Vietnam just last month, it is truly awe-inspiring to see the challenges these men had to overcome. But at the same time the bonds of friendship and love for my fellow prisoners will be the most enduring memory of my five and a half years of incarceration.. (DoD April 1991 list) Hamilton, Roger D. USMC last known alive (DoD April 1991 list) Hamm, James E. USAF . Hanoi - Today, I had the opportunity to visit the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the "Hanoi Hilton." We rented the audio guide which was extremely useful in explaining the suffering of the Vietnamese political prisoners and their liberation. KROBOTH, First Lieut. Notice:Visitors may be filmed, photographed or recorded by the U.S. Air Force for educational and promotional uses, including for posting on public websites and social media. and Indiana Governor, Dies at 74", "Vietnam: The Betrayal of A Revolution; Victims of Discredited Doctrine, My People Now Look to America", "American Experience: Return With Honor: Online Forum", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._prisoners_of_war_during_the_Vietnam_War&oldid=1140276278, Vietnam War crimes committed by North Vietnam, Articles with dead external links from March 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Borling, John: Taps on the Walls; Poems from the Hanoi Hilton (2013) Master Wings Publishing Pritzker Military Library, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 09:35. The museum is a fantastic publicity enterprise with so little link to the horrors that . McCLEARY, Lieut. It was located near Hanoi's French Quarter. Then learn take a look inside the Andersonville Prison, a brutal POW camp during the Civil War. Far from a luxury hotel, here the prisoners of war were kept in isolation for years on end, chained to rat-infested floors, and hung from rusty metal hooks. COLLINS, Major Thomas Edward, Air Force, Jackson, Mississippi, captured Oct. 1965. Senator John McCain tops our list. A total of 69 POWs were held in South Vietnam by the VC and would eventually leave the country aboard flights from Loc Ninh, while only nine POWs were released from Laos, as well as an additional three from China. They cut my flight suit off of me when I was taken into the prison, McCain said. Jose Jesus, Jr., Marines, Retlugio, Texas, captured January, 1970. Fifty-six commandos landed by helicopter and assaulted the prison, but the prisoners had been moved some months earlier and none were rescued. His right knee and arms were broken in the crash, but he was denied medical care until the North Vietnamese government discovered that his father was a U.S. Navy admiral. As of 2016, he is the only person to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. [14]:500 The joy brought by the repatriation of the 591 Americans did not last for long due to other major news stories and events. CHAPMAN, Lieut. Conditions were appalling. James W., Navy, Carthage, Miss. Comdr. Another State Department officer on the captured list was Douglas K. Ramsey, 38, who was captured on Jan. 17, 1966, in Haung Hia, South Vietnam. They even used this code to tell jokes a kick on the wall meant a laugh. All of the men who escaped in North Vietnam were recaptured, usually, but not always, within the first day. [5], John L. Borling, a former POW returned during Operation Homecoming, stated that once the POWs had been flown to Clark Air Base, hospitalized and debriefed, many of the doctors and psychologists were amazed by the resiliency of a majority of the men. They drew strength from one another, secretly communicating via notes scratched with sooty matches on toilet paper, subtle hand gestures, or code tapped out on their cell walls. By May 1973, the Watergate scandal dominated the front page of most newspapers causing the American public's interest to wane in any story related to the war in Vietnam. PROFILET, Capt. [6][7], Following the defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the 1954 Geneva Accords the French left Hanoi and the prison came under the authority of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. David J Navy, San Diego, Calif. RUSSELL, Comdr, Kay, Navy, San Diego, captured in May, 1967. Congratulations, men, we just left North Vietnam,' former POW David Gray recalled his pilot saying. BALDOCK, Lieut. The treatment and ultimate fate of U.S. prisoners of war in Vietnam became a subject of widespread concern in the United States, and hundreds of thousands of Americans wore POW bracelets with the name and capture date of imprisoned U.S. service members.[1]. The remaining 266 consisted of 138 United States Naval personnel, 77 soldiers serving in the United States Army, 26 United States Marines and 25 civilian employees of American government agencies.

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