He was finally released in 1973, although his war time injuries have caused permanent damage to his right arm. 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. MARTIN, Comdr. 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. As of 26 July 2019 the Department of Defense's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency listed 1,587 Americans as missing in the war of which 1,009 were classified as further pursuit, 90 deferred and 488 non-recoverable. John Owen, Air Force, Reading, Pa., captured February, 1967. dell, Marines, Newport, N. C. MILLER, Lieut. 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." The men had missed events including the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the race riots of 1968, the political demonstrations and anti-war protests, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon and the release of The Godfather. 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. Vietnam BEENS, LYNN RICHARD O3 1972/12/21 1973/03/29 USN N. Vietnam BELL, JAMES FRANKLIN O4 1965/10/16 1973/02/12 CIVILIAN S. Vietnam BENGE, MICHAEL 1968/01/28 1973/03/05 Col, Edison WainWright, Marines, Tustin and Santa Ana, Calif.; Clinton, Iowa, shot down Oct. 13, 1967. Operation Homecoming initially ignited a torrent of patriotism that had not been seen at any point during the Vietnam War. Consequently, in adherence with their code, the men did not accept release by refusing to follow instructions or put on their clothes. They cut my flight suit off of me when I was taken into the prison, McCain said. WHEAT, Lieut. - Knives At that point, lie, do, or say whatever you must do to survive. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Rodney A., Navy, Billings, Mont. (jg.) Cmdr, David k., Navy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. MULLIGAN, Capt. In North Vietnam alone, more than a dozen prisons were scattered in and around the capital city of Hanoi. And thats when we cheered.. [8] These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue for years to come. His initial operational assignment was in fighter aircraft, then he participated in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior high altitude balloon flight projects from 1956 to 1960, setting a world record for the highest skydive from a height greater than 19 miles (31 km). Porter A., Navy, Tucker, Ga., captured 1965. A portion of the original Hanoi Hilton prison has been transported and built in the museum. They were also viciously beaten and forced to stand on stools for days on end. Here, in a small structure. WIDEMAN, Lieut. CRAYTON, Cmdr. Prisoners were variously isolated, starved, beaten, tortured, and paraded in anti-American propaganda. Jeremiah Denton later said, They beat you with fists and fan belts. Conditions at the Briarpatch were notoriously grim, even by the standards of North Vietnamese prisons. In addition, Ha L was depicted in the 1987 Hollywood movie The Hanoi Hilton. Ralph E., LL Miami. He mentions the last years of the prison, partly in fictional form, in Ha L/Hanoi Hilton Stories (2007). The Alcatraz Gang was a group of eleven POWs who were held separately because of their particular resistance to their captors. A handful of U.S. civilians were also held captive during the war. Theres even an old French guillotine. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. MOORE, Lieut. 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. The final phase was the relocation of the POWs to military hospitals.[2]. [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. 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. 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 He was transferred to a medical facility and woke up in a room filthy with mosquitoes and rats. (U.S. Air Force photo). [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. They asked Kissinger to select twenty more men to be released early as a sign of good will. BRADY, Capt. If you have not read Bill Gately on LinkedIn: The Hanoi Hilton POW Exhibit at the American Heritage Museum Comdr. They would have the shortest stays in captivity. PIRIE, Comdr, James G., Navy, Lemoore, Calif. PLUMB, Lieut. 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. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Who was the most famous prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton? [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). [10] The prison complex was sarcastically nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by the American POWs, in reference to the well-known Hilton Hotel chain. November 27, 2021. - Strollers The prison continued to be in use after the release of the American prisoners. The Briarpatch camp, located 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Hanoi, intermittently held U.S. prisoners between 1965 and 1971. [14] [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. The filthy, infested prison compound contained several buildings, each given nicknames such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "New Guy Village" and "Little Vegas" by POWs. 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.. HENDERSON, Capt. U.S. officials saw this tape and Denton was later awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery. 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. Cmdr, Robert D Navy, Garden City, Mo. Commander Stockdale was the senior naval officer held captive in Hanoi, North Vietnam. 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"). troops. 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. 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. Comdr. BALDOCK, Lieut. Conditions were appalling. - Food and Soda Drinks [1] The deal would come to be known as Operation Homecoming and was divided into three phases. It is a tragic and heroic historical relic of the Vietnamese. 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. [citation needed]. Daniel White, Ron Emmond, Jennifer Eveland (2011). Initially, this information was downplayed by American authorities for fear that conditions might worsen for those remaining in North Vietnamese custody. 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. [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. Render, Navy, Lagrange, Ga., captured Februcry, 1966. Everett, Jr. Navy, Santa Clara, Calif., captured August, 1964. Thomas R., Navy, not named in previous lists. LEWIS, Lieut. 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. Diego, Calif., captured Novent ber, 1967. Cmdr. The first round of POWs to be released in February 1973 mostly included injured soldiers in need of medical attention. 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. [27], Only part of the prison exists today as a museum. Aubrey A., Navy, listed previously as Texan. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. He served as President of the Naval War College from October 1977 until he retired from the Navy in 1979. The cells replicated in the museum'sexhibit represent the Hanoi Hilton experience. The pilots called it, sarcastically, the . Also, a badly beaten and weakened POW who had been released that summer disclosed to the world press the conditions to which they were being subjected,[14] and the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia heightened awareness of the POWs' plight. So the Vietnamese moved them to a remote outpost, the one the POWs called Alcatraz. Douglas Brent Hegdahl III (born September 3, 1946) is a former United States Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class (E-5) who was held as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Cmdr. The Vietnamese, however, knew it as the Ha L Prison, which translates to fiery furnace. Some Americans called it the hell hole.. It was originally deliberated to hold Vietnamese . Then, bowed or bent in half, the prisoner was hoisted up onto the hook to hang by ropes. [11] Such POW statements would be viewed as a propaganda victory in the battle to sway world and U.S. domestic opinion against the U.S. war effort. In 1967, McCain joined the prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton after his plane was shot down. DAVIES, Capt. Conditions were appalling. Its easy to die but hard to live, a prison guard told one new arrival, and well show you just how hard it is to live.. They also were responsible for debriefing POWs to discern relevant intelligence about MIAs and to discern the existence of war crimes committed against them. In the 2000s, the Vietnamese government has held the position that claims that prisoners were tortured during the war are fabricated, but that Vietnam wants to move past the issue as part of establishing better relations with the U.S.[35] Bi Tn, a North Vietnamese Army colonel-later turned dissident and exile, who believed that the cause behind the war had been just but that the country's political system had lost its way after reunification,[36] maintained in 2000 that no torture had occurred in the POW camps. Comdr. Cmdr., Richard R., Navy, Aberdeen, S. D., cap. And that is where forgiveness comes in. March 14, 1973. 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. Locations of POW camps in North Vietnam . 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 . DANIELS, Cmdr. Col. Harlan P., Marines, Fremont, Calif. HELLE, Sgt. COLLINS, Major Thomas Edward, Air Force, Jackson, Mississippi, captured Oct. 1965. [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. List of Famous Prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton ranked by fame and popularity. "Vietnam War Accounting History". Cmdr, William M., Navy, Virginia Reach, Va captured December 1965. Robert E., Navy, Ohio, and Lemoore, Calif., captured May, 1972. The film portrays fictional characters . Comdr. BRUDNO, Capt. Duluth, Minn. WOODS, Lieut. Verlyn W., Navy, Ness City, Kan., and Hayward, Calif. DENTON, Capt. The Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, was dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American prisoners of war (POWs). The increased human contact further improved morale and facilitated greater military cohesion among the POWs. Listen to these wonderful, courageous men tell small parts of their stories. [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. [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. [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. Synonymous in the U.S. with torture of American pilots captured during the Vietnam War . During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese did the same to American soldiers. Despite the endless torture, the American soldiers stayed strong the only way they knew how: camaraderie. Collins H., Navy, San Diego. 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. David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesAmerican POW soldiers line up at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. In 1968, Walter Heynowsk[de] and Gerhard Scheumann[de] from East Germany filmed in the prison the 4-chapter series Piloten im Pyjama[de] with interviews with American pilots in the prison, that they claimed were unscripted. Comdr. - Firearms* Wayne K., Navy, Berlin, N. Y., captured. He became a naval aviator and flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. Rio Helmi/LightRocket/Getty ImagesDuring the French colonial period, Vietnamese prisoners were detained and tortured at the Ha L prison. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and received a commission in the United States Navy. George K., Jr., Army, Foxboro, Mass., captured April, 1972. Fred R., Navy, North Dartmouth, Mass. These details are revealed in accounts by McCain (Faith of My Fathers), Denton, Alvarez, Day, Risner, Stockdale and dozens of others. KNUTSON, Lieut. AFP/Getty ImagesJohn McCain was captured in 1967 at a lake in Hanoi after his Navy warplane was been downed by the North Vietnamese. HALYBURTON, Lieut. [7] During periods of protracted isolation the tap code facilitated elaborate mental projects to keep the prisoners' sanity. [10]:1034. 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. Ron Storz. The monument includes a water fountain with a large rotating sphere, as well as a statue of Van Loan based on a photo taken after he was released from the infamous Hanoi Hilton prisoner of war . 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. MULLINS, Lieut, Comdr. Edward D., Navy, Lemoore, Calif. EVERETT, Lieut, (jg.) Newly freed prisoners of war celebrate as their C-141A aircraft lifts off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, on Feb. 12, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. [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]. McCLEARY, Lieut. During a routine torture session with the hook, the Vietnamese tied a prisoners hands and feet, then bound his hands to his ankles sometimes behind the back, sometimes in front. Made for smaller wrists and ankles, these locks were so tight that they cut into the mens skin, turning their hands black. Then they really got serious and gave you something called the rope trick.. This Pentagon . Inside The Hanoi Hilton, North Vietnams Torture Chamber For American POWs. "People & Events: The Hanoi March", PBS American Experience. SCHOEFFEL, Comdr. WASHINGTON, Jan. 27The State Department tonight released the list of American civilians acknowledged by North Vietnam as having been captured in South Vietnam during the Vietnam war. Weapons, Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia. [37] Tin stated that there were "a few physical hits like a slap across the face, or threats, in order to obtain the specific confessions," and that the worst that especially resistant prisoners such as Stockdale and Jeremiah Denton encountered was being confined to small cells. During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese did the same to American soldiers. 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. [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. Additionally, soon after the raid all acknowledged American prisoners in North Vietnam were moved to Ha L so that the North Vietnamese had fewer camps to protect and to prevent their rescue by U.S. Hanoi Lists of P.O.W. Tim Gerard Baker/Getty Images Nothing prepares you for how creepy Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, Vietnam can be. This would go on for hours, sometimes even days on end.. Finally, they set him in a full-body cast, then cut the ligaments and cartilage from his knee. The ropes were tightened to the point that you couldnt breathe. Paul Gordon, Marines, Newton, Mass. Charles G. Boyd, USAF pilot, POW for almost 7 years, retired general; the only Vietnam-era POW to reach a four-star rank. One of the tenets of the agreed upon code between those held at the Hanoi Hilton stipulated that the POWs, unless seriously injured, would not accept an early release. tured March 1966. [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. Cmdr, Walter E., Navy, Columbia Crass Roads, Pa. and Virginia Beach, Va., captured 1968. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. - Water bottles (clear, sealed bottle, up to 20 oz.) After Operation Homecoming, the U.S. still listed about 1,350 Americans as prisoners of war or missing in action and sought the return of roughly 1,200 Americans reported killed in action and body not recovered. [22], Despite several escape attempts, no U.S. POW successfully escaped from a North Vietnamese prison, although James N. Rowe successfully escaped from North Vietnamese captivity. 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. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton". James Eldon, Air Force, Forest Grove, Oregon, date of capture unknown. The French called the prison "Maison Centrale" which was a common euphemism of prisons in France. Constitution Avenue, NW 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. NICHOLS, Lieut. [5] Harris had remembered the code from prior training and taught it to his fellow prisoners. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) The POWs made extensive use of a tap code to communicate, which was introduced in June 1965 by four POWs held in the Ha L: Captain Carlyle "Smitty" Harris, Lieutenant Phillip Butler, Lieutenant Robert Peel and Lieutenant Commander Robert Shumaker. Now he says when he hears Marie Osmond . William Kerr, Marines, not named in previous public lists. 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. [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". March 29, 1973. As of 2016, he is the only person to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. [9] From the beginning, U.S. POWs endured miserable conditions, including poor food and unsanitary conditions. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. That delightful day in 1973 would not be the last time that some of the prisoners would see the Hanoi Hilton. BLACK, Cmdr, Cole, Navy, Lake City, Minn., San Diego, Calif., captured June 1966. The Hanoi prison is located at No.01, Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, known as Hanoi Hilton Prison. Overall, the POWs were warmly received as if to atone for the collective American guilt for having ignored and protested the majority of soldiers who had served in the conflict and already returned home. Frederick C., Navy, San Marcos, Calif. BEELER, Lieut, Carrol R., Navy, Frisco, Texas, native Missourian, captured during the 1972 spring offensive. Who was the most famous prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton? - Camera bags Cmdr, Read Id., Navy, Old Greenwich, Conn. WILBER, Lieut. 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. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Dismiss. Multiple POWs contracted beriberi at the camp due to severe malnutrition. March 29, 1973. HARDMAN, Comdr. John McCain was captured in 1967 at a lake in Hanoi after his Navy warplane was been downed by the North Vietnamese. It was directed by Lionel Chetwynd, and stars Michael Moriarty, Ken Wright and Paul Le Mat.Music was done by Jimmy Webb.. [4] The last POWs were turned over to allied hands on March 29, 1973 raising the total number of Americans returned to 591. CRONIN, Lieut. [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. Leonard R., Jr., Malic esstot named in previous public lists. 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. Senator John McCain tops our list. 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. DOREMUS Lieut. 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. (U.S. Air Force photo) Operation Homecoming for Vietnam POWs marks 40 years Significant numbers of Americans were also captured during Operation Linebacker between May and October 1972 and Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, also known as the "Christmas Bombings".