Many of the returned POWs struggled to become reintegrated with their families and the new American culture as they had been held in captivity for between a year to almost ten years. William Kerr, Marines, not named in previous public lists. Some played mind games to keep themselves sane, making mental lists or building imaginary houses, one nail at a time. Aubrey A., Navy, listed previously as Texan. [4] The last POWs were turned over to allied hands on March 29, 1973 raising the total number of Americans returned to 591. Despite the endless torture, the American soldiers stayed strong the only way they knew how: camaraderie. MOORE, Lieut. Among those acknowledged as prisoners in South Vietnam were Michael D. Ebge, Norman T. Brookens, and Richard W. Utecht, who worked for the Agency for International Development and were captured during the Tet offensive of 1968. - Box cutters 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. On February 12, 1973, the first of 591 U.S. prisoners began to be repatriated, and return flights continued until late March. The list that the North Vietnamese turned over to American officials in Paris today named 27 American civilians as prisoners of the Vietcong, and listed seven other Americans as having died in captivity. On February 12, 1973, three C-141 transports flew to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and one C-9A aircraft was sent to Saigon, South Vietnam to pick up released prisoners of war. [15], The Ha L was one site used by the North Vietnamese Army to house, torture and interrogate captured servicemen, mostly American pilots shot down during bombing raids. dell, Marines, Newport, N. C. MILLER, Lieut. The pilots called it, sarcastically, the . They asked Kissinger to select twenty more men to be released early as a sign of good will. The final phase was the relocation of the POWs to military hospitals.[2]. Groth, Wade L. USA last know alive (DoD April 1991 list) Gunn, Alan W. USA last known alive (DoD April 1991 list) Hamilton, John S. USAF believed to have successfully got out of his aircraft and was alive on the ground. [7] During periods of protracted isolation the tap code facilitated elaborate mental projects to keep the prisoners' sanity. Who was the most famous prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton? [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. Col. Arthur T., Marines, Lake Lure, N. C., cap. [19] The North Vietnamese also maintained that their prisons were no worse than prisons for POWs and political prisoners in South Vietnam, such as the one on Cn Sn Island. Giles R Navy, Albany, Ga., Sanford, Fla. PENN, Lieut. Michael G Navy, not named in previous lists. Hannah McKennett is a Dublin-based freelance writer that is dedicated to traveling the world while writing about it. From 1961 to 1973, the North Vietnamese and Vietcong held hundreds of Americans captive in North Vietnam, and in Cambodia, China, Laos, and South Vietnam. Conditions were appalling. [24] However, eyewitness accounts by American servicemen present a different account of their captivity. Collins H., Navy, San Diego. Fifty-six commandos landed by helicopter and assaulted the prison, but the prisoners had been moved some months earlier and none were rescued. McGrath also made drawings of his captivity, several of which appear in this exhibit. Theres even an old French guillotine. Most U.S. prisoners were captured and held in North Vietnam by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN); a much smaller number were captured in the south and held by the Vit Cng (VC). He mentions the last years of the prison, partly in fictional form, in Ha L/Hanoi Hilton Stories (2007). David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesAmerican POW soldiers inside their jail cell at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. KAVANAUGH, Sgt. The most prominent name on the civilian list was that of Philip W. Manhard of McLean, Va., a 52yearold career diplomat, who was taken prisoner in Hue, South Vietnam, when enemy forces seized the city in their 1968 Tet offensive. Edward D., Navy, Lemoore, Calif. EVERETT, Lieut, (jg.) (U.S. Air Force photo) Operation Homecoming for Vietnam POWs marks 40 years - Coolers A majority of the prisoners were held at camps in North Vietnam, however some POWs were held in at various locations throughout Southeast Asia. (For POW returnees and escapees, they are included on two separate lists on the lower right of the page). Elation, sadness, humor, sarcasm, excitement, depressionall came through.. ddd hoa lo prison historic site hell on earth background: in the last decades of the 19 th century, hanoi had dramatically transformed the situation due to the MARTIN, Comdr. DAVIES, Capt. "Vietnam War Accounting History". Operation Homecoming was the return of 591 American prisoners of war (POWs) held by North Vietnam following the Paris Peace Accords that ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Wayne K., Navy, Berlin, N. Y., captured. Comdr. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, although the gatehouse remains as a museum. Weapons are not permitted including pocket knives and firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons. [9], In addition, the return of the nearly 600 POWs further polarized the sides of the American public and media. McCLEARY, Lieut. EASTMAN, Comdr. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. After Operation Homecoming, the U.S. still listed roughly 1,350 Americans as prisoners of war or missing in action and sought the return of roughly 1,200 Americans reported killed in action, but whose bodies were not recovered. Verlyn W., Navy, Ness City, Kan., and Hayward, Calif. DENTON, 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. 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. Prisoners were variously isolated, starved, beaten, tortured, and paraded in anti-American propaganda. [19] During 1969, they broadcast a series of statements from American prisoners that purported to support this notion. American POWs gave them nicknames: Alcatraz, Briarpatch, Dirty Bird, the Hanoi Hilton, the Zoo. The agreement also postulated for the release of nearly 600 American prisoners of war (POWs) held by North Vietnam and its allies within 60 days of the withdrawal of U.S. James M., Navy, Lemoore, Calif. HIGDON, Lieut. When a few captured servicemen began to be released from North Vietnamese prisons during the Johnson administration, their testimonies revealed widespread and systematic abuse of prisoners of war. [28] Such prisoners were sometimes sent to a camp reserved for "bad attitude" cases. The POWs held at the Hanoi Hilton were to deny early release because the communist government of North Vietnam could possibly use this tactic as propaganda or as a reward for military intelligence. [19] As another POW later said, "To this day I get angry with myself. Tames, Navy, Lakeland, Fla., captured October, 1965. Anyone can read what you share. In 1967, McCain joined the prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton after his plane was shot down. By tapping on the prison walls, the prisoners would warn each other about the worst guards, explain what to expect in interrogations, and encourage each other not to break. While on a bombing mission during, James Bond Stockdale (December 23, 1923 July 5, 2005) was a United States Navy vice admiral and aviator awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years. The film portrays fictional characters . The Hanoi prison is located at No.01, Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, known as Hanoi Hilton Prison. He did it so he would not forget where the camps were. Whitesides was killed, and Thompson was taken prisoner; he would ultimately spend just short of nine years in captivity, making him the longest-held POW in American history. Hanoi Lists of P.O.W. Fred R., Navy, North Dartmouth, Mass. He was posthumously advanced to the rank of brigadier general effective March 27, 2018, as directed by the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. If you get note, scratch balls as you are coming back.. [28], "Hanoi Hilton" redirects here. Charles R., Navy, Miramar, Calif. HAINES, Comdr. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio - Typical bowls, plate and spoons issued to POWs. Ralph E., LL Miami. Comdr. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. - Knives In addition, Ha L was depicted in the 1987 Hollywood movie The Hanoi Hilton. He served as President of the Naval War College from October 1977 until he retired from the Navy in 1979. TELLIER, Sgt. BROWN, Capt. WHEAT, Lieut. It would hang above you in the torture room like a sadistic tease you couldnt drag your gaze from it. [12], Beginning in early 1967, a new area of the prison was opened for incoming American POWs;[13] it was dubbed "Little Vegas", and its individual buildings and areas were named after Las Vegas Strip landmarks, such as "Golden Nugget", "Thunderbird", "Stardust", "Riviera", and the "Desert Inn". Dismiss . . Bob Shumaker noticed a fellow inmate regularly dumping his slop bucket outside. [1] The deal would come to be known as Operation Homecoming and was divided into three phases. These details are revealed in famous accounts by McCain (Faith of My Fathers), Denton, Alvarez, Day, Risner, Stockdale and dozens of others. Comdr. Richard D., Navy, La Jolla, Calif. NAKAGAWA, Comdr. Attracted by the smells and screams, rats and cockroaches scurried over their weak bodies. [8] Thereafter the prison served as an education center for revolutionary doctrine and activity, and it was kept around after the French left to mark its historical significance to the North Vietnamese. They even used this code to tell jokes a kick on the wall meant a laugh. Leonard C., Navy, Bemardson, Mass. - Backpacks '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. Hoa Lo Prison, more popularly known as the "Hanoi Hilton", is a museum near the French Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam. But others were not so lucky. Cmdr, Read Id., Navy, Old Greenwich, Conn. WILBER, Lieut. Peter R., Navy, Naples, Fla., captured October, 1967. Dismiss. DANIELS, Cmdr. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Here, in a small structure. The march soon deteriorated into near riot conditions, with North Vietnamese civilians beating the POWs along the 2 miles (3.2km) route and their guards largely unable to restrain the attacks. Cmdr, Robert D Navy, Garden City, Mo. They also were responsible for debriefing POWs to discern relevant intelligence about MIAs and to discern the existence of war crimes committed against them. Camp Faith. : A Definitive History of the American Prisoner-of-War Experience in Vietnam, 19641973 (published 1976) and Stuart Rochester and Frederick Kiley's Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 19611973 (published 1999). Correspondingly, Richard Nixon and his administration began to focus on salvaging his presidency. Michael P., Navy, Berkeley, Calif. DAIGLE, Lieut. [5], During the Vietnam War, the first U.S. prisoner to be sent to Ha L was Lieutenant Junior Grade Everett Alvarez Jr., who was shot down on August 5, 1964. He became a naval aviator and flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. [4] Within the prison itself, communication and ideas passed. LERSETH, Lieut. List of Famous Prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton ranked by fame and popularity. It was originally deliberated to hold Vietnamese . 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. [26] Others were not among them; there were defiant church services[27] and an effort to write letters home that only portrayed the camp in a negative light. 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. Operation Homecoming initially ignited a torrent of patriotism that had not been seen at any point during the Vietnam War. "[19], The North Vietnamese occasionally released prisoners for propaganda or other purposes. David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesAmerican POW soldiers line up at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. troops. Robinson Risner and James Stockdale, two senior officers who were the de facto leaders of the POWs, were held in solitary for three and four years, respectively. [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. Even when the North Vietnamese offered McCain an early release hoping to use him as a propaganda tool McCain refused as an act of solidarity with his fellow prisoners. The rest became a museum called the Ha L Prison Memorial. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) Most of the museum is dedicated to the buildings time as the Maison Centrale, the colonial French prison, with cells on display that once held Vietnamese revolutionaries. The ultimate example of Ha L Prison resistance was performed by Denton. And that is where forgiveness comes in. Bruce R., Marines, Pensacola, Fla., captured March, 1968. A considerable amount of literature emerged from released POWs after repatriation, depicting Ha L and the other prisons as places where such atrocities as murder, beatings, broken bones, teeth and eardrums, dislocated limbs, starvation, serving of food contaminated with human and animal feces, and medical neglect of infections and tropical disease occurred. [14] Policy changed under the Nixon administration, when mistreatment of the prisoners was publicized by U.S. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird and others. John McCain was captured in 1967 at a lake in Hanoi after his Navy warplane was been downed by the North Vietnamese. WALSH, Capt. [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. [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. James Eldon, Air Force, Forest Grove, Oregon, date of capture unknown. They would have the shortest stays in captivity. [14][24] At this time, the prisoners formally organized themselves under the 4th Allied POW Wing, whose name acknowledged earlier periods of overseas captivity among American military personnel in World War I, World War II and the Korean War.