[28] Such prisoners were sometimes sent to a camp reserved for "bad attitude" cases. [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. An official website of the United States government, National Museum of the United States Air Force. 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. Everett Alvarez Jr., Mexican American, US Navy pilot, the 2nd longest-held U.S. POW, enduring over 8 years of captivity. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. By Bernard Gwertzman Special to The New York Times. Henry D., Navy, identified on previous lists only as Carolina native, captured July 1972. Cmdr. [16] Although North Vietnam was a signatory of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949,[16] which demanded "decent and humane treatment" of prisoners of war, severe torture methods were employed, such as rope bindings, irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. Extradition of North Vietnamese officials who had violated the Geneva Convention, which they had always insisted officially did not bind them because their nation had never signed it, was not a condition of the U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam and ultimate abandonment of the South Vietnamese government. But we did the best we could. . [9] From the beginning, U.S. POWs endured miserable conditions, including poor food and unsanitary conditions. The Vietnam War - known in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America - lasted from November 1, 1955, until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Who was the most famous prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton? Weapons, Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia. They asked Kissinger to select twenty more men to be released early as a sign of good will. [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. Col. Arthur T., Marines, Lake Lure, N. C., cap. American POWs in Vietnam struggled to survive horrid conditions, physical pain, and psychological deprivation, often for years on end. 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. The United States, in Paris, provided a list of 26,000 Communist prisoners held by South Vietnam in exchange. George K., Jr., Army, Foxboro, Mass., captured April, 1972. GLOWER, Cmdr. [citation needed]. 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. Together, these 11 men were the most unbreakable prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton. [35] However, eyewitness accounts by American servicemen present a different account of their captivity. Porter A., Navy, Tucker, Ga., captured 1965. See the article in its original context from. Operation Homecoming has been largely forgotten by the American public, yet ceremonies commemorating the 40th anniversary were held at United States military bases and other locations throughout Asia and the United States. 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. ENSCH, Lieut John C., Navy, not named in previous public lists. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio - North Vietnamese uniform of the type worn by prison guards on display in the Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia exhibit in the Southeast Asia War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. 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." MULLIGAN, Capt. Initially, this information was downplayed by American authorities for fear that conditions might worsen for those remaining in North Vietnamese custody. Another State Department officer on the captured list was Douglas K. Ramsey, 38, who was captured on Jan. 17, 1966, in Haung Hia, South Vietnam. KAVANAUGH, Sgt. Thomas R., Navy, not named in previous lists. Although North Vietnam was a signatory of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949,[9] which demanded "decent and humane treatment" of prisoners of war, severe torture methods were employed, such as waterboarding, strappado (known as "the ropes" to POWs),[10] irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. CRONIN, Lieut. Cmdr, William M., Navy, Virginia Reach, Va captured December 1965. PROFILET, Capt. Daniel White, Ron Emmond, Jennifer Eveland (2011). The museum is a fantastic publicity enterprise with so little link to the horrors that . McGrath also made drawings of his captivity, several of which appear in this exhibit. KROBOTH, First Lieut. BROWN, Capt. 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"). In the 2000s, the Vietnamese government has had the position that claims that prisoners were tortured at Ha L and other sites during the war are fabricated, but that Vietnam wants to move past the issue as part of establishing better relations with the U.S.[24] Tran Trong Duyet, a jailer at Ha L beginning in 1968 and its commandant for the last three years of the war, maintained in 2008 that no prisoners were tortured. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. [17] Under these extreme conditions, many prisoners' aim became merely to absorb as much torture as they could before giving in. They would have the shortest stays in captivity. Now he says when he hears Marie Osmond . tured 1967. As of 2016, he is the only person to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross. 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. It was located near Hanoi's French Quarter. The POWs had a "first in, first out" interpretation of the Code of the U.S. Fighting Force, meaning they could only accept release in the order they had been captured, but making an exception for those seriously sick or badly injured. Ron Storz. Only one room in the back is dedicated to American POWs, though it doesnt make any reference to torture there are even videos detailing the kind treatment of the prisoners alongside photos of Americans playing sports on the prison grounds. I had reached mine. Cmdr, Paul E Navy, Richmond, Va. NAUGHTON, Lieut. [27], Only part of the prison exists today as a museum. 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.. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) [3] A 1913 renovation expanded its capacity from 460 inmates to 600. 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. [2] These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. 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. American pilots continued to be captured over the north between 1965 and 1968 as part of Operation Rolling Thunder, the sustained aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Despite the endless torture, the American soldiers stayed strong the only way they knew how: camaraderie. 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]. 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. For those locked inside the Hanoi Hilton, this meant years of daily torture and abuse. Knives and forks were not provided. Col, Edison WainWright, Marines, Tustin and Santa Ana, Calif.; Clinton, Iowa, shot down Oct. 13, 1967. Cmdr. On February 12, 1973, the first of 591 U.S. prisoners began to be repatriated, and return flights continued until late March. 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. Operation Homecoming initially ignited a torrent of patriotism that had not been seen at any point during the Vietnam War. American prisoners of war endured miserable conditions and were tortured until they were forced to make an anti-American statement. Robert H. Navy Wilmington, Del., and Montclair, N. J., captured August, 1965. Claude D., Navy, San Diego, Calif. JENKINS, Capt. [6][7], Following the defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the 1954 Geneva Accords the French left Hanoi and the prison came under the authority of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The French called the prison "Maison Centrale" which was a common euphemism of prisons in France. [26] Other parts have been converted into a commercial complex retaining the original French colonial walls. (j.g.) American POWs gave them nicknames: Alcatraz, Briarpatch, Dirty Bird, the Hanoi Hilton, the Zoo. During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese did the same to American soldiers. 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. It was originally deliberated to hold Vietnamese . [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. "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." [7], Overall, Operation Homecoming did little to satisfy the American public's need for closure on the war in Vietnam. - Food and Soda Drinks Glenn H., Navy, Napoleonville, La. Leonard C., Navy, Bemardson, Mass. Some played mind games to keep themselves sane, making mental lists or building imaginary houses, one nail at a time. [13] American pilots were frequently already in poor condition by the time they were captured, injured either during their ejection or in landing on the ground. MARTIN, Comdr. March 29, 1973. Here, in a small structure. During his first four months in solitary confinement, Lt. Cmdr. Mr. Sieverts said that Hanoi, when turning over its list in Paris, said it was complete, but the United States informed North Vietnamese officials that we reserve the right to study it and raise questions.. en-route to Hanoi. Home. [10] The prison complex was sarcastically nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by the American POWs, in reference to the well-known Hilton Hotel chain. The prison continued to be in use after the release of the American prisoners. Edward D., Navy, Lemoore, Calif. EVERETT, Lieut, (jg.) [5] Harris had remembered the code from prior training and taught it to his fellow prisoners. The final phase was the relocation of the POWs to military hospitals.[2]. 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. The name originated from the street name ph Ha L, due to the concentration of stores selling wood stoves and coal-fire stoves along the street in pre-colonial times. The "Hanoi Hilton" and Other Prisons. The filthy, infested prison compound contained several buildings, each given nicknames such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "New Guy Village" and "Little Vegas" by POWs. David A., Navy, St. Simons Island, Ga. GAITHER, Lieut, Comdr. The Hanoi Hilton was used by the North Vietnam to hold prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. The Hanoi Hilton is a 1987 Vietnam War film which focuses on the experiences of American prisoners of war who were held in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi during the 1960s and 1970s and the story is told from their perspectives. [7] During periods of protracted isolation the tap code facilitated elaborate mental projects to keep the prisoners' sanity. Collins H., Navy, San Diego. 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. Who was the most famous prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton? - Backpacks His right knee and arms were broken in the crash, but he was denied medical care until the North Vietnamese government discovered that his father was a U.S. Navy admiral. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2008 election, which he lost to Barack Obama. [14] Policy changed under the Nixon administration, when mistreatment of the prisoners was publicized by U.S. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird and others. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. 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. 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. As Cmdr. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. The code was based on two-number combinations that represented each letter. These liaison officers worked behind the scenes traveling around the United States assuring the returnees' well being. BATLEY, Lieut. Joseph E., Navy, Washington, D.C., caplured in Spring 1972. [1], The central urban location of the prison also became part of its early character. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding items permitted inside the museum. He was finally released in 1973, although his war time injuries have caused permanent damage to his right arm. 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. Comdr, Earl G., Jr., Navy, San Diego. MOORE, Lieut. [4] The last POWs were turned over to allied hands on March 29, 1973 raising the total number of Americans returned to 591. Hoa Lo Prison, more popularly known as the "Hanoi Hilton", is a museum near the French Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam. He served as President of the Naval War College from October 1977 until he retired from the Navy in 1979. William J Navy, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc. 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. Comdr. [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. Open9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. 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 . Rio Helmi/LightRocket/Getty ImagesDuring the French colonial period, Vietnamese prisoners were detained and tortured at the Ha L prison. American POWs in North Vietnam were released in early 1973 as part of Operation Homecoming, the result of diplomatic negotiations concluding U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. forces. But at the same time the bonds of friendship and love for my fellow prisoners will be the most enduring memory of my five and a half years of incarceration.. James Howie, Marines, Ypsilanti, Mich. ANDERSON, 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. 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. 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. The Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, was dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American prisoners of war (POWs). Joseph C., Navy, Prairie Village, Kan. POLFISR, Comdr. Over nearly a decade, as the U.S. fought the North Vietnamese on land, air, and sea, more than 700 American prisoners of war were held captive by enemy forces. Cmdr, Robert D Navy, Garden City, Mo. [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. WHEAT, Lieut. U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. On a scrap of toilet paper that he hid in the wall by the toilets, he wrote, Welcome to the Hanoi Hilton. William J., Navy, New Manchester, W. Va. McKAMEY, Comdr. On February 12 the first of 591 U.S. military and civilian POWs were released in Hanoi and flown directly to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. Hanoi Lists of P.O.W. Those listed as having died in captivity include the following: Gustav Hertz, Joseph Grainger, John S. Henry, Daniel L. Niehouse, Tanos E. Kalil, Henry F. Blood, and Betty Olsen. - Firearms* Charles G. Boyd, USAF pilot, POW for almost 7 years, retired general; the only Vietnam-era POW to reach a four-star rank. March 29, 1973. 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. The list left about half the 51 American civilians believed missing or captured unaccounted for. 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. The name Hoa Lo refers to a potter's kiln, but loosely translated it means "hell's hole" or "fiery furnace." It was directed by Lionel Chetwynd, and stars Michael Moriarty, Ken Wright and Paul Le Mat.Music was done by Jimmy Webb.. Made for smaller wrists and ankles, these locks were so tight that they cut into the mens skin, turning their hands black. Bruce R., Marines, Pensacola, Fla., captured March, 1968. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Lawrence Victor, Marines, Huron, S. D. MARVEL, Lieut, Col. Jerry Wen. During the 1910s through 1930s, street peddlers made an occupation of passing outside messages in through the jail's windows and tossing tobacco and opium over the walls; letters and packets would be thrown out to the street in the opposite direction. 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. and Indiana Governor, Dies at 74", "Vietnam: The Betrayal of A Revolution; Victims of Discredited Doctrine, My People Now Look to America", "American Experience: Return With Honor: Online Forum", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._prisoners_of_war_during_the_Vietnam_War&oldid=1140276278, Vietnam War crimes committed by North Vietnam, Articles with dead external links from March 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Borling, John: Taps on the Walls; Poems from the Hanoi Hilton (2013) Master Wings Publishing Pritzker Military Library, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 09:35. The ropes were tightened to the point that you couldnt breathe. NICHOLS, Lieut. LESESNE, Lieut. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. While the raid failed to free any POWs and was considered a significant intelligence failure, it had several positive implications for American prisoners. 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. Michael P., Navy, Berkeley, Calif. DAIGLE, Lieut. American POW soldiers inside their jail cell at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. 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. The rest became a museum called the Ha L Prison Memorial. 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. SWINDLE, Mai, Orson G., Marines, captured November, 1966. Robert E., Navy, Ohio, and Lemoore, Calif., captured May, 1972. troops. [23][24], The post-raid consolidation brought many prisoners who had spent years in isolation into large cells holding roughly 70 men each. [2] It was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners, particularly political prisoners agitating for independence who were often subject to torture and execution. [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]. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. 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. - Purses The men followed orders, but with the stipulation that no photographs were to be taken of them. American POW soldiers line up at the Hanoi Hilton prior to their release. A portion of the original Hanoi Hilton prison has been transported and built in the museum. 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. Michael G Navy, not named in previous lists. Correspondingly, Richard Nixon and his administration began to focus on salvaging his presidency. Cmdr, Read Id., Navy, Old Greenwich, Conn. WILBER, Lieut. A handful of U.S. civilians were also held captive during the war. 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. COLLINS, Major Thomas Edward, Air Force, Jackson, Mississippi, captured Oct. 1965. He became a naval aviator and flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. Dismiss. In addition, Ha L was depicted in the 1987 Hollywood movie The Hanoi Hilton. Richard D., Navy, La Jolla, Calif. NAKAGAWA, Comdr. HANOI, Vietnam Going inside the stone walls of the prison sarcastically dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" brings a respite from the honking traffic outside until the iron shackles, dark cells and guillotine hammer home the suffering that went on there. (DoD April 1991 list) Hamilton, Roger D. USMC last known alive (DoD April 1991 list) Hamm, James E. USAF . HALL, Lieut. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. 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. Frank A. Sieverts, the State Department official charged with prisoner affairs, said that Hanoi apparently did not inelude any information on Americans captured or missing in Laos or Cambodia, despite the provision in the ceasefire agreement to account for all Americans throughout Indochina. The French called the prison Maison Centrale,[1] 'Central House', which is still the designation of prisons for dangerous or long sentence detainees in France. Comdr. James A. Jr., Navy, Virginia Beach, Va., and Lawrence, Mass., captured March, 1966. list of hanoi hilton prisonersearthquake today in germany. 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. - Water bottles (clear, sealed bottle, up to 20 oz.) Alvarez has since been the recipient of the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Heart Medals and the Lone Sailor Award. : 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). Among the last inmates was dissident poet Nguyn Ch Thin, who was reimprisoned in 1979 after attempting to deliver his poems to the British Embassy, and spent the next six years in Ha L until 1985 when he was transferred to a more modern prison. Edward, Air Force, Harrison, N. Y., Quincy, Mass., captured Oct. 1965. It turned out that when Henry Kissinger went to Hanoi after the first round of releases, the North Vietnamese gave him a list of the next 112 men scheduled to be sent home. ANZALDUA, Sgt. Meanwhile, Paul was taken prisoner, tortured, placed in solitary confinement in what became known as the "Hanoi Hilton" and fed a diet that was later determined to be about 700 calories a day, which caused him to drop to about 100 pounds. John McCains alleged flight suit and parachute, on the display at the former Hanoi Hilton. James W., Navy, Carthage, Miss. The deal would come to be known as Operation Homecoming and began with three C-141 transports landing in Hanoi on February 12, 1973 to bring the first released prisoners home. 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. Charles R., Navy, Miramar, Calif. HAINES, Comdr. Beginning in late 1965, the application of torture against U.S. prisoners became severe. tured March 1966. WARNER, Capt. Locations of POW camps in North Vietnam . (jg.) FRIESE, Capt. Weapons are not permitted including pocket knives and firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons. Camp Faith. HUTTON, Comdr. James Eldon, Air Force, Forest Grove, Oregon, date of capture unknown. Williams J., Air Force, not named in previous public lists. 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"). (For POW returnees and escapees, they are included on two separate lists on the lower right of the page). WIDEMAN, Lieut. During the French colonial period, Vietnamese prisoners were detained and tortured at the Ha L prison. [10]:1034. [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.