list of hanoi hilton prisoners list of hanoi hilton prisoners

Also shown is a toothbrush a POW received from a package from home, a towel that was issued to POWs, a sweater issued to Lt. Jack Butcher, a brick from the "Hanoi Hilton," a fan used during the hottest months and a folding fan. [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. Usaf/Getty ImagesJohn McCain, leads a column of POWs released from the Hanoi Hilton, awaiting transportation to Gia Lam Airport. During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese did the same to American soldiers. Two months later, in what became known as the Hanoi March, 52 American prisoners of war were paraded through the streets of Hanoi before thousands of North Vietnamese civilians. Edward H., Navy, Coronado, Calif: MAYHEW, Lieut. Located about 35 miles west of Hanoi, this prison was opened in the late summer of 1965 to accommodate the overcrowding at Hoa Lo ("Hanoi Hilton"). The agreement included the negotiated release of the nearly 600 prisoners of war being held by North Vietnam in various prisons and camps including the Hanoi Hilton. [28], "Hanoi Hilton" redirects here. Weapons are not permitted including pocket knives and firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons. These liaison officers worked behind the scenes traveling around the United States assuring the returnees' well being. - Knives Conditions were appalling. Prisoners were variously isolated, starved, beaten, tortured, and paraded in anti-American propaganda. [1] The deal would come to be known as Operation Homecoming and was divided into three phases. They were finally free to put their enemies behind its bars, and American soldiers became their prime targets. These details are revealed in accounts by McCain (Faith of My Fathers), Denton, Alvarez, Day, Risner, Stockdale and dozens of others. 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. Hanoi Lists of P.O.W. Unaware of the code agreed upon by the POWs, Kissinger ignored their shot down dates and circled twenty names at random. He was also a prisoner of war, and recipient of the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. FRIESE, Capt. Lawrence Victor, Marines, Huron, S. D. MARVEL, Lieut, Col. Jerry Wen. In addition to allowing communication between walls, the prisoners used the code when sitting next to each other but forbidden from speaking by tapping on one another's bodies. [9], In addition, the return of the nearly 600 POWs further polarized the sides of the American public and media. On a scrap of toilet paper that he hid in the wall by the toilets, he wrote, Welcome to the Hanoi Hilton. MARTIN, Comdr. Some played mind games to keep themselves sane, making mental lists or building imaginary houses, one nail at a time. 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. Made for smaller wrists and ankles, these locks were so tight that they cut into the mens skin, turning their hands black. The most notorious POW camp was Hoa Lo Prison, known to Americans as the "Hanoi Hilton." Izvestia, a Soviet newspaper, accused The Pentagon of brainwashing the men involved in order to use them as propaganda, while some Americans claimed the POWs were collaborating with the communists or had not done enough to resist pressure to divulge information under torture. BLACK, Cmdr, Cole, Navy, Lake City, Minn., San Diego, Calif., captured June 1966. 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 filthy, infested prison compound contained several buildings, each given nicknames such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "New Guy Village" and "Little Vegas" by POWs. Correspondingly, Richard Nixon and his administration began to focus on salvaging his presidency. Please note the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles. . It is a tragic and heroic historical relic of the Vietnamese. 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. William Kerr, Marines, not named in previous public lists. [8], U.S. prisoners of war in North Vietnam were subjected to extreme torture and malnutrition during their captivity. [16] As John McCain later wrote of finally being forced to make an anti-American statement: "I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. The ropes were tightened to the point that you couldnt breathe. This place held many politicians, great revolutionaries of Vietnam who opposed the French . - Camera bags [11][13] The goal of the North Vietnamese was to get written or recorded statements from the prisoners that criticized U.S. conduct of the war and praised how the North Vietnamese treated them. Joseph C., Navy, Prairie Village, Kan. POLFISR, Comdr. It was originally deliberated to hold Vietnamese . American prisoners of war endured miserable conditions and were tortured until they were forced to make an anti-American statement. The film portrays fictional characters . During the French colonial period, Vietnamese prisoners were detained and tortured at the Ha L prison. After President Lyndon Johnson initiated a bombing pause in 1968, the number of new captures dropped significantly, only to pick up again after his successor, President Richard Nixon, resumed bombing in 1969. Leo T., Navy, Palo Alto, Calif. PURRINGTON, Lieut. Forty years later as I look back on that experience, believe it or not, I have somewhat mixed emotions in that it was a very difficult period, he said in 2013. [26] Other parts have been converted into a commercial complex retaining the original French colonial walls. 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. 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. The Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, was dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American prisoners of war (POWs). [2] These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. BROWN, Capt. [35] However, eyewitness accounts by American servicemen present a different account of their captivity. McCain spent five and a half years at the Hanoi Hilton, a time that he documented in his 1999 book "Faith of My Fathers." McCain was subjected to rope bindings and beatings during his time as a POW. 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. Finally, they set him in a full-body cast, then cut the ligaments and cartilage from his knee. ESTES, Comdr. There is some disagreement among the first group of POWs who coined the name but F8D pilot Bob Shumaker[11] was the first to write it down, carving "Welcome to the Hanoi Hilton" on the handle of a pail to greet the arrival of Air Force Lieutenant Robert Peel. [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. [6] Throughout the war the tap code was instrumental in maintaining prisoner morale, as well as preserving a cohesive military structure despite North Vietnamese attempts to disrupt the POW's chain of command. [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. 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. Operation Homecoming initially ignited a torrent of patriotism that had not been seen at any point during the Vietnam War. Render, Navy, Lagrange, Ga., captured Februcry, 1966. Thirteen prisons and prison camps were used to house U.S. prisoners in North Vietnam, the most widely known of which was Ha L Prison (nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton"). Locations of POW camps in North Vietnam . Permitted Items: They would have the shortest stays in captivity. Leslie H. Sabo, Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928) is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and a USAF Command Pilot. Our tapping ceased to be just an exchange of letters and words; it became conversation, recalled former POW James Stockton. Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use), American POW in a staged photograph showing clean, spacious accommodations, 1969, Vietnamese Cigarettes given to Prisoner of War, Prisoner of War Tin Cup with Lacing on Handle, Metal North Vietnamese Army Issue Spoon for POWs, African American History Curatorial Collective, Buffalo Soldiers, Geronimo, and Wounded Knee. KNUTSON, Lieut. 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. 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. John McCain was captured in 1967 at a lake in Hanoi after his Navy warplane was been downed by the North Vietnamese. American POWs gave them nicknames: Alcatraz, Briarpatch, Dirty Bird, the Hanoi Hilton, the Zoo. The lists were turned over following the formal signing of the Vietnam ceasefire agreement. MULLINS, Lieut, Comdr. Prisoners were variously isolated, starved, beaten, tortured, and paraded in anti-American propaganda. Kenneth H., Navy, home town unknown, captured. [15], In the end, North Vietnamese torture was sufficiently brutal and prolonged that nearly every American POW so subjected made a statement of some kind at some time. David A., Navy, St. Simons Island, Ga. GAITHER, Lieut, Comdr. WHEAT, Lieut. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. Dismiss . Locked and with nowhere to move or even to go to the bathroom vermin became their only company. March 29, 1973. 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. Comdr. [16], Operation Homecoming's return of American POWs from Vietnam (aka "Egress Recap") was the subject of David O. Strickland's novel, "The First Man Off The Plane" (Penny-a-Page Press, 2012). William M., Navy, Center Hill, Fla. HICKERSON, Comdr. 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. CRONIN, Lieut. 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. 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. In some cases, the names were not previously contained on lists of prisoners compiled from various sources. BRADY, Capt. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. tured March 1966. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. PROFILET, Capt. The list left about half the 51 American civilians believed missing or captured unaccounted for. Michael P., Navy, Berkeley, Calif. DAIGLE, Lieut. They eventually decided on using the tap code something that couldnt be understood by North Vietnamese forces. Ralph E., LL Miami. Constitution Avenue, NW MOORE, Lieut. This was one of many ways POWs figured out how to communicate. The United States, in Paris, provided a list of 26,000 Communist prisoners held by South Vietnam in exchange. Elation, sadness, humor, sarcasm, excitement, depressionall came through.. 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]. 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 [3] During the early part of Operation Homecoming, groups of POWs released were selected on the basis of longest length of time in prison. Comdr. David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesAmerican POW soldiers inside their jail cell at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. Glenn H., Navy, Napoleonville, La. Charles R., Navy, Miramar, Calif. HAINES, Comdr. United States prisoners of war during the Vietnam War are most known for having used the tap code. See the article in its original context from. November 27, 2021. RIVERS, Capt. [24] However, eyewitness accounts by American servicemen present a different account of their captivity. [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. After the war, Risner wrote the book Passing of the Night detailing his seven years at Ha L. 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. David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesAmerican POW soldiers line up at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. [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. On March 26, 1964, the first U.S. service member imprisoned during the Vietnam War was captured near Qung Tr, South Vietnam when an L-19/O-1 Bird Dog observation plane flown by Captain Richard L. Whitesides and Captain Floyd James Thompson was brought down by small arms fire. [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. 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. 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. It was presumed, however, Mr, Sieverts said, that any Americans believed to be missing in South Vietnam, and not on the list, were probably dead. Kittinger served as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and he achieved an aerial kill of a North Vietnamese MiG-21 jet fighter and was later, James Robinson "Robbie" Risner (January 16, 1925 October 22, 2013) was a general and a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. [9][16][17] When prisoners of war began to be released from this and other North Vietnamese prisons during the Johnson administration, their testimonies revealed widespread and systematic abuse of prisoners of war. One of them died from the torture which followed his recapture. He was kept there for five and a half years. [11] Rather, it was to break the will of the prisoners, both individually and as a group. Wikimedia CommonsJohn McCains alleged flight suit and parachute, on the display at the former Hanoi Hilton. Everett, Jr. Navy, Santa Clara, Calif., captured August, 1964. It enabled prisoners to establish a command structure, keep a roster of captives, and pass information. Theres even an old French guillotine. - Food and Soda Drinks Cmdr, David k., Navy. Jobs People Learning Dismiss Dismiss. 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,. [2] By 1954 it held more than 2000 people;[1] with its inmates held in subhuman conditions,[3] it had become a symbol of colonialist exploitation and of the bitterness of the Vietnamese towards the French. The increased human contact further improved morale and facilitated greater military cohesion among the POWs. Cmdr., Robert J., Navy, Sheldon, Iowa, captured May 1967. Prohibited Items: SCHOEFFEL, Comdr. 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. McCLEARY, Lieut. After the war, Risner wrote the book Passing of the Night detailing his seven years at the Hanoi Hilton. [19] During 1969, they broadcast a series of statements from American prisoners that purported to support this notion. 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. The rest became a museum called the Ha L Prison Memorial. 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. Gareth L., Navy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was also located near the Hanoi French Quarter. Giles R Navy, Albany, Ga., Sanford, Fla. PENN, Lieut. The "Hanoi Hilton" and Other Prisons. A majority of the prisoners were held at camps in North Vietnam, however some POWs were held in at various locations throughout Southeast Asia. Unlike U.S. 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 relatively small number of Army enlisted personnel were also captured, as well as one enlisted Navy seaman, Petty Officer Doug Hegdahl, who fell overboard from a naval vessel. For the 1987 film, see, (later Navy Rear Admiral Robert H. Shumaker). All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. 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. WARNER, Capt. 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. James A. Jr., Navy, Virginia Beach, Va., and Lawrence, Mass., captured March, 1966. They asked Kissinger to select twenty more men to be released early as a sign of good will. And thats when we cheered.. Leonard C., Navy, Bemardson, Mass. Collins H., Navy, San Diego. After discussions the twenty men agreed that they should not have been the next POWs released as they estimated it should have taken another week and a half for most of their discharges and came to the conclusion that their early release would likely be used for North Vietnamese propaganda. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War, National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, the resumed bombing of North Vietnam starting in April 1972, "Vets, Flyers discuss ideology, time in POW camps", "John Dramesi's unflattering memories of his fellow POW John McCain", "Unshakable Will to Survive Sustained P. O. W.'s Over the Years", "Joseph Kernan, Vietnam P.O.W. It would hang above you in the torture room like a sadistic tease you couldnt drag your gaze from it. Henry D., Navy, identified on previous lists only as Carolina native, captured July 1972. The former prisoners were to then be flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines where they were to be processed at a reception center, debriefed, and receive a physical examination. The final phase was the relocation of the POWs to military hospitals.[2]. Edward, Air Force, Harrison, N. Y., Quincy, Mass., captured Oct. 1965. The first group had spent six to eight years as prisoners of war. Topics included a wide range of inquiries about sadistic guards, secret communication codes among the prisoners, testimonials of faith, and debates over celebrities and controversial figures. Frederick C., Navy, San Marcos, Calif. BEELER, Lieut, Carrol R., Navy, Frisco, Texas, native Missourian, captured during the 1972 spring offensive. 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 . Rio Helmi/LightRocket/Getty ImagesDuring the French colonial period, Vietnamese prisoners were detained and tortured at the Ha L prison. [7], Overall, Operation Homecoming did little to satisfy the American public's need for closure on the war in Vietnam. - Service animals To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Built in the late 19th century, Ha L originally held up to 600 Vietnamese prisoners. [17] Under these extreme conditions, many prisoners' aim became merely to absorb as much torture as they could before giving in. - Purses [10] The prison complex was sarcastically nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by the American POWs, in reference to the well-known Hilton Hotel chain. KAVANAUGH, Sgt. March 29, 1973. [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. [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. The Alcatraz Gang was a group of eleven POWs who were held separately because of their particular resistance to their captors. 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. By 1954, when the French were ousted from the area, more than 2,000 men were housed within its walls, living in squalid conditions. The culture of the POWs held at the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison was on full display with the story that would come to be known as the "Kissinger Twenty". 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. [1], The central urban location of the prison also became part of its early character. 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. 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. 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. Then learn take a look inside the Andersonville Prison, a brutal POW camp during the Civil War. Navy Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. spent over eight years as a POW, making him the longest resident of the Hanoi Hilton and the second longest held POW in American history. In addition to extended solitary confinement, prisoners were regularly strapped down with iron stocks leftover from the French colonial era. "It's easy to die but hard to live," a prison guard told one new arrival, "and we'll show you just how hard it is to live." The Hanoi prison is located at No.01, Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, known as Hanoi Hilton Prison. That delightful day in 1973 would not be the last time that some of the prisoners would see the Hanoi Hilton. Last known alive. As Cmdr. [10]:845 The former prisoners were slowly reintroduced, issued their back pay and attempted to catch up on social and cultural events that were now history. While the raid failed to free any POWs and was considered a significant intelligence failure, it had several positive implications for American prisoners.