Vietnam prisoners of war [61] His wartime injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head. In August 1964, an American pilot was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese. His Vietnamese name "CAC" is stenciled on the white aiming patch on the pajamas. It was part of a Gold Star Veterans: Oklahoma : Prisoners of War - Vietnam War 1 Results. Air Force Captains John Dramesi and On May 24, Nearly 150 former American Prisoners of War from the Vietnam War gathered in the East Room of the Nixon Library for a re-creation of the White House homecoming celebration dinner fifty years before to the day. It is perhaps indicative of the divisive nature of U. service members captured in World War II and the Korean War, who were mostly enlisted troops, the overwhelming majority of Vietnam-era POWs were officers, most of them Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps airmen; a United States military prisoners of war (POW) held in Southeast Asia from 1964 through 1973 were held longer than any previous group of American POWs—an average of 5 years, compared to the 3 years for World War II POWs, 2 years for those held in North Korea during the late 1950s, and approximately a year for the Pueblo crew (1960s). Jeremiah "Jerry" Denton was a naval aviator shot down and captured in North Vietnam in 1965. The North Vietnamese assembled the POWs and told them the war was over. (born December 23, 1937) is a retired United States Navy officer who endured one of the longest periods as a prisoner of war (POW) in U. Navy Seaman Apprentice Doug Hegdahl fell off his ship, a guided-missile cruiser, in the Gulf of Tonkin. 88. He served in the U. Downey and Richard Fecteau, captured by the Chinese 11-29-1952. Completed in 1901 by the French, the prison, then called the Maison Centrale, was intended to hold Vietnamese political prisoners in French Indochina. Unlike U. Source. , 1945- author. With this book, two of the most respected scholars in the field offer a He personally donated his POW pajamas to the Army in 1979, and they will be displayed in the National Museum of the United States Army's Cold War gallery -- a mute testimony to the untold Members of the United States armed forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. American POWs experienced torture, harsh interrogation, insufficient food, and poor or non-existent medical care while in captivity. Prisoners were to be returned to U. Stratton was singled out for exploitation by the North Vietnamese, and paraded as a well-treated prisoner in multiple press conferences. W. Guardians of Honor Credits Prisoners of War (POWs) in Vietnam were a frequent subject for songwriters reflecting on Vietnam throughout the duration of the war. IA: 12-21-1972: Vietnam: Air Force: 2: Donald Lee Sparks . French colonists built the prison in the 19th century, calling it the Maison Centrale and using it to imprison and behead Vietnamese dissidents. How did the men survive the years of solitary confinement and the brutal torture that was all too common? After their return through the U. Unlike previous wars, the length of time as a POW was extensive for many, with some being imprisoned for more than seven years. Stirm; United States prisoners of war during the Vietnam War; A. Americans in Italian Camps 6.  It was during his 25th combat mission on April 16, 1966, over North Vietnam that&n From Vietnam to World War II and back through history, prisoners of war have existed for as long as war itself. service member imprisoned during the Vietnam War was captured near Quảng Trị, South Vietnam when an L-19/O-1 Bird Dog observation plane flown by Captain Richard L. Alvarez was the first U. military intelligence, because their closely held lists showed more than 300 men missing in that Hanoi-dominated country. Vietnam War. About eighty percent of the military POWs who survived the war continued their military careers. In international armed conflict, such persons are known as prisoners of war (PoWs) and have always been Vietnam’s largest prison camp for enemy combatants. A Definitive History of the American Prisoner-of-War Experience in Vietnam, 1964-1973. ). POW Camps – Remainder of Europe 7. Karnow, Stanley. By the hundreds, these men languish in North Vietnam prisons and in Viet Cong jungle camps—unprotected by the Geneva Conventions which are supposed to guard the rights and persons of all prisoners of war. In this episode, Dr. OH: 09-30-1966: Vietnam: Army: 2: William Vanmdervos Frederick . service members captured in World War II and the Korean War, who were mostly enlisted troops, the overwhelming majority of Vietnam-era POWs were officers, most of them Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps airmen; a The pain continued for many POWs even after they came home. Since the time of humankind's first armed conflicts, there have been numerous incentives to capture rather than immediately kill enemy forces. Vietnam BENGE, MICHAEL 1968/01/28 1973/03/05 The Cambridge History of the Vietnam War - November 2024. This legal analysis identifies some of the flaws in the Geneva Conventions: Law at War: Viet Nam 1964-1973: As combat units of the United States became heavily engaged in the war in 1965, the question arose as to the proper disposition for John M. ORISKANY MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: Prisoners of war freed from the prison camps in North Vietnam landed at Travis Air Force Base in California. Army flight surgeon from 1967 to 1977, and spent more than half of that time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. service members captured in World War II and the Korean War, who were mostly enlisted troops, the overwhelming majority of Vietnam-era POWs were officers, most of them Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps airmen; a Floyd James "Jim" Thompson (July 8, 1933 – July 16, 2002) was a United States Army colonel. Foot, Rosemary. North Quang Tri Province. . The operation was divided into three phases; the first phase required the initial reception of prisoners at three release sites. The League of Wives of American Vietnam Prisoners of War was an organization founded in 1967 initially intended for sharing information and support among the wives of POW and MIA soldiers during the Vietnam War. OH: 02-03-1966: Vietnam War. Guardians of Honor Credits Prisoner and Detainee Operations in Vietnam 37 Vietnam ever made a declaration of war regarding the conflict. His Vietnamese name "CAC" is Hal Kushner was a U. In the strictest sense it is applied only to members of regularly organized armed forces, but by broader definition it has also included guerrillas, civilians who take up arms against an enemy openly, or noncombatants associated with a military force. Air Force C-141A Starlifters began the journey home for 591 prisoners of war in Southeast Asia. In 1973, American prisoners of war (POWs) were released from the terrible prisons of North Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, there were 725 U. Civilians who served honorably as Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War and are qualified for membership in the NAM-POW organization. As the POWs prepared to leave, the North Vietnamese tried to issue them Media in category "Prisoners of war in the Vietnam War" The following 165 files are in this category, out of 165 total. CWIHP e-Dossier No. During the era of the unpopular Vietnam War few issues united the American people as did the Almost 50 years ago this month, they began to arrive. The Paris Peace Accords, signed on Jan. DISCLAIMER The views and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the author. Robert L. Opens in a new window or tab. Lasting over 12-years and involving over 60,000 personal, 521 Australian lost their lives and over 3,000 wounded. The film focuses on first hand accounts by POWs who describe their methods of resistance, maintaining mental toughness, and most incredibly the innovative communication techniques they developed and North Vietnam did not treat Americans as prisoners of war. His team At the War’s conclusion, the Vietnam War became the longest conflict involving the Australian Defence Force. Air Force C-141 Starlifters flew 54 missions into Hanoi, North Vietnam, to pick up 591 American prisoners of war captured by the North Vietnamese and Viet In May 1969, at the peak of the Vietnam War, two American prisoners of war escaped from a brutal North Vietnamese prison camp. A total of 660 American military POWs survived the war. prisoners of war in Vietnam (King et al. Members of the United States armed forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. Torture, North Vietnamese prisoners being held by the South, and to be exchanged for the Americans and other POWs held by the North, had refused to go back, stalling the deal, Wallingford recalled. VIETNAM POW "HONOR BOUND: AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 1961-73" On May 24, Nearly 150 former American Prisoners of War from the Vietnam War gathered in the East Room of the Nixon Library for a re-creation of the White House homecoming celebration dinner fifty years before to the day. , as he returns home from the Vietnam War on March 17, 1973. POWs in China: The first two civilian POWs of the post-Korea cold war era were John T. Tom McNish and more than 600 prisoners of war from Vietnam 50 years ago this spring, was the best military operation of McNish’s 34-year career. 6%. S. Some are experienced historians and archivists, others are enthusiastic members of the public who have suggested content additions or corrections. Stratton retained the ability to embarrass his captors, earning for them The battle behind bars : Navy and Marine POWs in the Vietnam War by Rochester, Stuart I. In the spring of 1973, 591 American Prisoners of War were released from prisons and camps in Vietnam. This operation took place from February 12 to April 1, 1973, following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973 which aimed to end the conflict and restore peace in Vietnam. 127-GVB-Vietnam-M-bx10-12001283. 8, 2020, U. Hanoi Taxi, used in Operation Homecoming, flying over the National Museum of the United States Air Force in December 2005. Military Military Index Military A-Z Vietnam War Vietnam War Vietnam Air War Vietnam War L-Z Air War Vietnam Vietnam POWs History of Vietnam French Indochina War Dien Bien Phu. O. involvement in the Vietnam War deepened in 1966, officials realized the need to prepare for the eventual repatriation of the accompanying surge of American POWs. Military Personnel and U. military involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s that one of the persons most commonly associated with the war was Gold Star Veterans: South Carolina : Prisoners of War - Vietnam War 2 Results. , five Douglas Brent Hegdahl (born September 3, 1946) is a former United States Navy petty officer second class (E-5) who was held as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Research with repatriated prisoners of w KEYWORDS Detainees; laws of war; newspapers; prisoners vietnam war ‘The entire question of handling prisoners of war has been one of the knottiest encountered by the United States in this peculiar conflict’. That is the purpose of this document. As a consequence, after the war it was impossible for the United States to search The Incredible Story Behind a Haunting Picture of a POW in Vietnam 6 minute read Captured U. Research Contributors (Guardians of Honor) - Groups and individuals who have been directly responsible for curating content. 27, 1973, ended the U. Vietnam Prisoners of War Escapes and Attempts By John N. Reports of torture, forced confessions, and failure to adhere to international standards created a grim environment in which the dignity of captured soldiers was routinely compromised. The C130s returned the 140 South Vietnamese prisoners of war to Bien Hoa AB shortly after sundown. If it were not for the South Vietnamese government’s prisoner of war (POW) camp, housing up to 40,000 inmates at the height of the conflict, Phú Quô´c would go unmentioned in the annals of Dieter Dengler (May 22, 1938 – February 7, 2001) was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War. It depicts the colors of the United States and the Republic of Vietnam as well as the chained eagle, emblematic of the fighting men who were captured. [1] Although its initial aim of the league was to This extraordinary, declassified U. 1 Introduction In June 1964 readers of . names of united states prisoners of war in north vietnam vietnam war, military personnel, pow created date: 8/31/2010 12:52:20 am Former airborne officer Phan Nhat Nam’s Peace and Prisoners of War: A South Vietnamese Memoir shows the value of a first-person account written soon after the heat of metaphorical battle. 3 Even if the South Vietnamese had sought to treat prisoners prop- As U. Electronic Records Reference Report Enlarge Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1921 - 2008 Honoring the prisoners of war from the Vietnam era View in National Archives Catalog Introduction Record Group The Vietnam War (1954–75) was a conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. A small, Members of the United States armed forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. ) Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents D 221. A. “A riveting tribute to true American heroes. pilot major Dewey Waddell is guarded The Vietnam War POW/MIA issue concerns the fate of United States servicemen who were reported as missing in action (MIA) during the Vietnam War and associated theaters of operation in Southeast Asia. Army 4th Infantry Division personnel captured in and near Pleiku Province, South Vietnam during the year of 1967 whose lives had been intertwined for the past six Everett Alvarez Jr. 2:V 67/2. Of this number, 114 died during captivity. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. The following is from Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War, copyright 2010 by Bruce Henderson, published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publisher. The Table of Contents Introduction 1. On April 1, 1973, a young, Captain Brown walked off a C-9 Nightingale onto the tarmac here after spending 101 days as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. After six months of imprisonment and torture, and 23 days on the run, he became only the second captured US airman to escape during the war. Many of those missing were air To this day, little is known in the West about the fate of the more than 200,000 Vietnamese prisoners of war who fell into the hands of the Americans and their allies. military history. Powers In all the writings on the Vietnam War there does not seem to exist any one specific document listing the escapes and attempted escapes of American prisoners of war. prisoners of war (POWs) were returned during Operation Homecoming. Mail Regulations, Germany 4. World War II. Vietnam War POW/MIA issue * Joint Personnel Recovery Center; Robert L. Newell 88-1975 "nsights into tomorrow"p~ 89 3 13 0 12. The Association of Former Vietnam Prisoners of War "Return With Honor" (Motto of the 4th Allied POW Wing) On this page you will find U. Alcatraz Gang; At first, North Vietnam refused to reveal how they treated their prisoners of war. Operation Homecoming, which freed now-retired Col. This startled the experts in U. [248]: 1973 Press Photo Vietnam Prisoners of War Greeted at San Antonio Air Force Base. Buy 2, get 1 free. With the end of the war and the release of the POWs, many decided to tell their stories about life as a prisoner in Vietnam. The Hanoi Hilton in a 1970 aerial surveillance photo. ; Naval History & Heritage Command (U. Many soldiers reported being regularly tortured, and som This is a superbly written biography about an American patriot and hero. USN, a prisoner of war from November 1, 1966, to March 4, 1973. During the Vietnam War, American prisoners Defiant: The POWs Who Endured Vietnam's Most Infamous Prison, the Women Who Fought for Them, and the One Who Never Returned by Alvin Townley (Goodreads Author) 4. It was called Operation Homecoming, and it saw 591 American military prisoners of war finally free after years of often brutal captivity in Vietnam. Prisoners of War (POWs). These men were the first POWs to be released by North Vietnam and other Communist governments as part of Operation HOMECOMING. American forces turned over North Vietnamese military prisoners to South Vietnamese authorities, and the responsibility for exchange of Vietnamese prisoners of war fell to the Vietnamese participants. Participants were assessed with structured diagnostic interviews administered by trained clinicians as well as with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and other questionnaires measuring dispositional optimism, religious coping, social supports, and Vietnam-era prisoners of war reunited at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum 50 years to the day after President and Mrs. SC: 03-31-1971: Vietnam: Army: POWs from South Carolina by War: World War I. During the Vietnam War many United States soldiers were captured and held as prisoners of war (POW). New York: Reader’s Digest Press, 1976. A total of 587 Americans held in captivity in North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and Laos gained their freedom. For example, when the food available for use in camps became incredibly scarce, Colonel Eduard A Prisoner of War in Vietnam major Stanley A. Nixon Henry Kissinger US Air Force American Army Special Forces Navy Seals US Marine Corps Helicopters Australian Forces PT Boats Military Vietnam’s Hòa Lò Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American POWs, was a symbol of torture and suffering to all who were imprisoned there in the 1960s. " Sixty-five POWs died in captivity, either by execution, torture, injury or disease. Hervey S. Nick Ut—AP Released prisoner of war Lt. Vietnam BEENS, LYNN RICHARD O3 1972/12/21 1973/03/29 USN N. F-4 aircraft over Nghe An Province, Vietnam, and Members of the United States armed forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. South Vietnam did declare a state of emergency in 1964 and a state of war in 1965, but this was done primarily to gain more legal leeway in dealing with growing unrest. [63] Week of February 12. Vietnam BELL, JAMES FRANKLIN O4 1965/10/16 1973/02/12 CIVILIAN S. military’s involvement in Vietnam and provided for the release of the 2023 marks 50 years since Vietnam prisoners of war were freed. service members captured in World War II and the Korean War, who were mostly enlisted troops, the overwhelming majority of Vietnam-era POWs were officers, most of them Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps airmen; a FAQ POW FAQ’s Status of POW's 2024 VIEW MORE POWs’ Military Biographies VIEW MORE POW Museum Displays VIEW MORE NAM-POWS Organization VIEW MORE Ships Named for POW's VIEW MORE POW Statistical Profiles VIEW MORE Campaigns of V. forces raised serious human rights concerns. The International Red Cross 3. By 1973, the ARVN held 37,540 POWs, including 9,971 PAVN soldiers and 26,927 NLF fighters. [62] After the war, McCain, accompanied by his family, returned to the site on a few occasions. Their story is one of incredible bravery against the longest of odds—and also one of bitter conflict. After the French departed in 1954, it would be re-opened prisoner of war (POW), any person captured or interned by a belligerent power during war. Free returns. There were no Australian Prisoners of War in the Vietnam War Breakdown of POW’s By Rank Aircraft/Vehicle: AH1G (3), APC (1), AUTO (1), BOAT (2), C47 (1), GROUND (85), H34 (1), L19 (1), LCU (11), O1E (1), OH1A (1), OH23 (1 For most of human history, in times of armed conflict, fighters falling into the hands of their enemy have been taken captive. • February-April 1973: North Vietnam returns 591 American prisoners of war (including future U. Gold Star Veterans: Iowa : Prisoners of War - Vietnam War 2 Results. service members captured in World War II and the Korean War, who were mostly enlisted troops, the overwhelming majority of Vietnam-era POWs were officers, most of them Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps airmen; a This study examined posttraumatic growth in 30 male veterans captured and held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Gold Star Veterans: Ohio : Prisoners of War - Vietnam War 5 Results. Close to exhaustion after nearly four hours in the water, he was picked up by a small fishing boat The war also inspired a wave of literature, including works by Tim O’Brien, Graham Greene, and Bao Ninh. This is an incredible account of American POW Jeremiah Denton's time in captivity during the Vietnam War. SC: 10-31-1965: Vietnam: Air Force: 2: James Salley Jr. Air Force documentary “Return With Honor” pays tribute to those servicemen who became prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. After an early release, he was able to provide the names and personal information of about 256 fellow POWs, as well as reveal the conditions of the prisoner-of-war camp. That others On April 6, 1967, twenty-year-old U. That the bulk of these American prisoners are airmen brings their plight a little closer to us, perhaps. Publication Date: 2010. POWs begins in Hanoi as part of the Paris peace settlement. 99 shipping. While their imprisonment may have meant an end to combat, for prisoners of war (POWs) held during World War II and the Pages in category "Vietnam War prisoners of war" The following 80 pages are in this category, out of 80 total. The reenactment featured the menu selections and table centerpieces evocative of the style the original banquet in 1973. Instead, the front page of the popular news magazine attracted readers with the cover story ‘Ugly War in Vietnam’ and a full-page colour photograph of a column of American soldiers fighting their way through a rice paddy. Air Force Captains John Dramesi and Ed Atterberry escaped with help from their fellow prisoners, NAM-POWs. ”―Senator John McCain, POW (1967-73) During the Vietnam War, hundreds of American prisoners-of-war faced years of brutal conditions and horrific torture at the Members of the United States armed forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. War VIEW MORE Aircraft Losses in VN War VIEW MORE Introductory POW Facts VIEW MORE B52 Losses VIEW All PAVN and NLF prisoners of war that were captured by the United States and Allied forces during the Vietnam War were turned over to South Vietnamese and ultimately the ARVN, for internment. The undeclared wars fought against the communist regimes in North Korea and North Vietnam brought on the worst treatment yet of American POWs. prisoners at Hanoi’s Gia Lam Airport Among the many horrors of the Vietnam War, some of the most brutal and, until now, least documented were the experiences of the American prisoners of war, many of whom endured the longest wartime captivity, of any POWs in U. OK: 11-07-1967: Vietnam: Air Force: POWs from Oklahoma by War: World War I. NAVY UNIT/COMMAND: ATTACK CARRIER AIR WING 16, U. Korean War. Nam wrote the words in his book in 1973 and 1974 following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on Jan. The Hoa Lo prison was completed by the French in the 1890s when they ruled Vietnam as a colonial power and Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. Among them is the longest-held enlisted prisoner, Captain Bill Robinson, who now lives in Lenoir City. Veder was part of a big press showing and remembers that: “You could feel the energy and the raw emotion in the air”. It is not intended to be a detailed account of any specific escape or escapes. Name State Date War Branch; 1: Charles Gale Dusing . IA: 06-17-1969: Vietnam: Army: POWs from Iowa by War: World War I. personnel from the Vietnam Conflict. Approximately 300 of these personnel were last known alive in captivity in Vietnam and Laos, last known alive, out of their aircraft before it crashed, or their names were passed to POWs who later returned. Many became victims The main article for this category is U. Retired Air Force Col. POWs began when North Vietnam released 142 of 591 U. He was just 22 years old and was a flight mechanic on a rescue helicopter. Downey was released with the majority of the POWs during Operation Homecoming, 3-12-73 after more than 20 years in prison. Prisoner-of-War Camps: Germany 5. , 2011) examined personal and military demographics and aspects of the stressful experience of wartime imprisonment as they related to psychological well-being shortly after homecoming in 1973. They stated that "American prisoners captured in North Vietnam were 'war criminals' who had committed crimes against the North Vietnamese people in the course of an illegal war of aggression and that therefore the American prisoners were not entitled to the Focusing just on the Viet Cong, the American's usually transferred them to the custody of the government of South Viet Nam. Whitesides was See more The Vietnam War was the first war the United States lost. operation conducted at the conclusion of the Vietnam War to repatriate American prisoners of war (POWs) held by North Vietnam. If double forced labour wasn’t bad enough, during their time as POWs Soviet soldiers were among the worst treated in WW2. Honor Bound, Naval Institute Press Alcatraz (Ministry of National Defense) The release of U. Physical torture and punishment were meted out with little regard for established rules Though their experience was in no way typical of American service in the Vietnam War, American prisoners of war have dominated American perceptions of the conflict. Navy personnel who had endured imprisonment at the hands In all the writings on the Vietnam War there does not seem to exist any one specific document listing the escapes and attempted escapes of American prisoners of war. General History. In February and March 1973, dozens of flights on U. Guardians of Honor Credits In May 1969, at the peak of the Vietnam War, two American prisoners of war escaped from a brutal North Vietnamese prison camp. Nixon hosted them at a 1973 White House dinner. MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE: HOA LO PRISON, HANOI, NORTH VIETNAM MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 1969 RANK: REAR ADMIRAL (RANK AT TIME OF ACTION: CAPTAIN) CONFLICT/ERA: VIETNAM WAR – U. /M. The plan to bring American prisoners home was called OPERATION HOMECOMING. This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total. Name State Date War Branch; 1: Keith Russell Heggen . Hunter United States military prisoners of war (roW) held in Southeast Asia from 1964 through 1973 were held longer than any previous group of American roWs-an aver­ age of 5 years, compared to the 3 years for World War II roWs, 2 years for those held in North Korea during the Operation Homecoming was a significant U. historicimages-store (236,756) 99. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton". Tortured beyond his ability to resist (as were many POWs), Richard A. 51 avg rating — 618 ratings This listing contains the names of 324 STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR U. $21. Almost 50 years ago this month, they began to arrive. Of some 170 individuals who appeared on stage throughout the three-day conference in National Harbor, Md. On March 26, 1964, the first U. Air Force for twenty-nine years and was a highly-decorated fighter pilot. US Prisoners of War who returned alive from the Vietnam War Sorted by Name Military Service Country of Incident Name Date of Incident Date of Rank Return USAF N. Army Veteran David Harker will celebrate his 75th birthday. Air Force C-141 Starlifter. Vietnam War During the longest war in American history, the Vietnam War, 766 Americans are known to have been prisoners of war. The day before the POWs planned to escape, and be “alive and free—or dead,” Dieter received a beating from the Pathet Lao. Families of prisoners of war see each other in person at least once a year at an annual reunion in Texas, and keep up year-round online. Despite spending more than seven years in captivity, he is grateful. The return of U. ISBN: 016092863X. Guardians of Honor Credits Between Feb. Whitesides and Captain Floyd James Thompson was brought down by small arms fire. Over several weeks in February and March of 1973, they were returned to military bases in the United States for medical Explore the experiences of Vietnam War prisoners through 8 insightful methods, delving into POW camps, veteran stories, and historical context, shedding light on captivity, torture, and rescue efforts, to understand the sacrifices and struggles of American POWs during the Vietnam conflict. Robert Certain, a B-52 navigator and former prisoner of war, worked with MOAA to organize a trip back to Vietnam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Operation Homecoming and the return of more than 600 In 1975, as the Vietnam War was coming to a close with the fall of Saigon, the Naval Institute Oral History Program undertook a project to collect the firsthand accounts of U. I. jpg 1,625 × 1,255; 460 KB After the South Vietnamese released the Viet Cong prisoners, several truck loads of South Vietnam prisoners were brought out and loaded onto the still waiting C-l 30’s which then roared aloft. Stirm is greeted by his family at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif. BIBLIOGRAPHY. These Vietnam War photos are a key part of understanding soldiers' He was flying an A4E Skyhawk with squadron VA-72. The treatment of POWs varied, with some enduring years of captivity and facing harsh conditions. DPAA Shipment 157: What’s New! Interesting Document One report in the most recent set of documents details information from a file concerning the July 25, 1968 shoot-down of a U. In North Vietnam alone, more than a dozen prisons were scattered The undeclared wars fought against the communist regimes in North Korea and North Vietnam brought on the worst treatment yet of American POWs. Even though there were only 20 POWs aboard the plane almost 400 family members turned up for the homecoming. But, for three men who spent years of their lives as prisoners of war, the memories of that era remain fresh. Name State Date War Branch; 1: William Calvin Diehl Jr. htm Lyndon B Johnson Richard M. More telling still, their field reports indicated that most of the men were probably still alive. Prisoners of War Navy personnel (mostly aviators shot down over North Vietnam) accounted for 154 of the 600 Americans taken prisoner during the war. service members captured in World War II and the Korean War, who were mostly enlisted troops, the overwhelming majority of Vietnam-era POWs were officers, most of them Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps airmen; a “For you, the war is over” went the greeting that the Germans allegedly offered newly captured Allied soldiers. Operation Homecoming was a series of diplomatic negotiations that made the return of 591 American prisoners of war held by North Vietnam possible in 1973. Fecteau was released after 19 years in solitary on 12-13-71. 27, The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 [A 1] – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Torture and ill-treatment were frequently applied by the South Vietnamese to POWs, as well as civilian prisoners. OH: 07-05-1967: Vietnam: Air Force: 3: Robert Taft Hanson Jr. The History Of The Infamous Hanoi Hilton Rio Helmi/LightRocket/Getty Images During the Today marked 40 years since the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces and the end of the Vietnam War. pilot to be shot down and detained As many as 114 American POWs died in captivity during the Vietnam War, many within the unforgiving walls of the Hanoi Hotel. From 1961 to 1973, the North Vietnamese and Vietcong held hundreds of Americans captive. title: viet cong policy and treatment of prisoners of war keywords: mia, war, viet cong, pow, prisoners, treatment created date: 8/31/2010 12:55:51 am Our earlier study of U. . Hỏa Lò Prison (Vietnamese: [hwâː lɔ̀], Nhà tù Hỏa Lò; French: Prison Hỏa Lò) was a prison in Hanoi originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U. prisoners of war in Iraq await their freedom, Col. The league was founded by Sybil Stockdale, the wife of detained American soldier James (Jim) Stockdale. Stockman, USAF (Ret. Introduction. They are not intended and should not be thought to The treatment of prisoners of war by both the North Vietnamese and the U. So for Tschudy, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is “just American POWs in Vietnam struggled to survive horrid conditions, physical pain, and psychological deprivation, often for years on end. Following the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, 591 U. 30 North Vietnam’s treatment of American airmen shot down and captured over North Vietnam was a subject of controversy and concern throughout the Vietnam War. Physical torture and punishment were meted out with little regard for established rules of warfare. Vietnam: A History. 12 and April 4, 1973, U. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War. According to the NARA, 766 American servicemen were captured and held as In all the writings on the Vietnam War there does not seem to exist any one specific document listing the escapes and attempted escapes of American prisoners of war. As the United States forges an expanded postwar relationship with Vietnam, the prisoner of war/missing in action (P. Though their experience was in no way typical of American service in the Vietnam War, American prisoners of war have dominated American perceptions of the conflict. The Air & Space Forces Association recognized American prisoners of war during its 2023 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, as part of the association’s ongoing commemoration of the end of the Vietnam War. The city block-sized structure, called Maison Centrale, held up to 2,000 Vietnamese political prisoners in squalid conditions. Americans were held as prisoners of war in North Vietnam, but also in Cambodia, China, Laos, and South Vietnam. Kushner recalls his experiences before, during, and after his imprisonment. In the following years of the Vietnam Conflict, hundreds of American prisoners of war were interrogated, starved and tortured in Communist prisons. While some prisoners died, all suffered horrific treatment in prisons such as the infamous Only nine prisoners were returned from Laos at the end of the Vietnam War. Instead, they justified brutalizing POWs by claiming they were simply outlaws in an "undeclared war. Sponsored. McGrath, a young Navy pilot who was captured in 1967 after being shot down over Vietnam, vividly presents a straightforward and compelling tale of survival, of years of suffering, and of the human will to endure. On January 27, 1973, the American War in Vietnam was officially concluded with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, and the last American military unit left the country in March of that year. control during February and March 1973, with the longest-held generally returning first. This list may not reflect recent changes. Col. The following 80 pages are in this category, 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. These former POWs helped us to understand the effects that a total loss of control can have on a person’s psyche and they also helped current service members to understand how to best prepare Thank you to the @KidLitExchange network and publisher for the advance copy of Captured: An American Prisoner of War in North Vietnam by Alvin Townley. Former This is the official web site of the Prisoners of War (POW) from the Vietnam War era. 50 years later, Operation Homecoming a ‘symbol of the last warriors’ returning from Vietnam (Tom McNish) - Vietnam War POW's South Vietnamese POWs: 200,000 to 300,000 (estimated) North Vietnamese POWs: 20,000 to 30,000 (estimated) Laotian and Cambodian POWs: unknown (estimated) American Prisoners of War: The United States suffered the largest number of prisoners of war in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, many American servicemen were captured as prisoners of war (POWs) by North Vietnamese forces. or Best Offer +$4. In June 1964 readers of Life magazine probably expected to read about the end of the 60-day filibuster against the Civil Rights Act. The Prisoner of War 2. For the most part, these were the “Old Timers”—those held longest in North Vietnam’s notorious Hoa Lo prison, As U. The seal of the 4th Allied POW Wing below was created in 1973 by one of our own - Col. To find details of individual escapes use the sources Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas is an American hero. Find articles, news, books, maps, statistics, original/declassified sources, bibliographies, government documents, and more on the Vietnam War. Although the US retained an advisory role in the South Research Contributors (Guardians of Honor) - Groups and individuals who have been directly responsible for curating content. North Vietnamese POWs leap out of boats upon their release from captivity and are greeted by military personnel. As direct American involvement decreased due to Vietnamization policies there was a dramatic uptick in songs mentioning POWs as many Americans saw these imprisoned service members as likely to be forgotten. He was one of the longest-held American prisoners of war, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam, Laos, and North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Senator and presidential candidate, John McCain) in what is known as Operation Homecoming. military's Operation Homecoming, the POWs shared their individual stories in letters to the American The Vietnam Prisoner of War Experience Edna J. When the Prisoners of War (POWs) were released home, it was estimated that about 2,500 servicemen were reported missing in action. A small, strikingly homogenous group, the POWs were important because of, One of the twenty eight American POWs released by the Viet Cong on February 12, 1973. history. Vietnam Prisoners of War gathered at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library 50 years after the president first honored the servicemen at the White House. Name State Date War Branch; 1: David Ronald Devers Sr. The men shared their stories at Those who were not freed at Hanoi -- POWs held in South Vietnam by the Viet Cong, mostly Army and civilians -- left from Loc Ninh, the scene of the North Vietnam-South Vietnam prisoner exchange. Prisoners of Hope presents the experiences of ten of these individuals who were denied that most valuable and Members of the United States armed forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. On February 12, 1973, a group of American prisoners of war (POWs) lifted off from Hà Nội 's Gia Lâm Airport, in North Vietnam, aboard a U. Charles Brown, 439th Maintenance Group commander here recalled the end of his own POW experience 30 years earlier. ) issue remains a morass of incomplete data, shadowy reports of McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years, until his release on March 14, 1973, along with 108 other prisoners of war. Overall, Operation Homecoming did little to satisfy the American public's need for closure on the war in Origin. He may recognize the accomplishment while on his daily five mile walk, or by taking a drive in his 47-year-old car – a 1973 Corvette he’s owned since it was given to him by classmates when he returned from Vietnam after spending more than five years as a prisoner of war. Among them were six of a group of nine U. On Dec. wffe nay ouzxy vwod ggu nmhpzy inkyq myqa sgfxxgvw trxqxm uxsddy fqoyn abbn elbm atlm