The "Hanoi Hilton" was the nickname given to the Hao Lo Prison in Hanoi by American Prisoners of War (POWs) during the Vietnam War. This was where the most important POWs of the war were kept... mostly pilots who were shot down and recovered.
Hao Lo Prison was originally built by the French to imprison Vietnamese rebels during the time that the French colonized Vietnam, or French Indochina as it was called...
The entrance to the prison...
A model of the prison as it was.
Two-thirds of it have since been knocked down to build a real hotel... not a Hilton, but a Sofitel. The remainder of the original Hanoi Hilton can be seen in the left corner of the picture.
Picture of Vietnamese prisoners detained by the French...
Corridor separating the detention facilities and the outer wall of the prison. The prison was located right in downtown Hanoi, so the prisoners could here local traffic and business on the street right out side of the prison.
The majority of the prison is dedicated to the patriotic Vietnamese who resisted the French and who were imprisoned here. A small section details the American POWs who were held here.
FYI, the Hilton Hotel chain opened a hotel in Hanoi. It was carefully named the Hilton Hanoi Hotel.
Hao Lo Prison was originally built by the French to imprison Vietnamese rebels during the time that the French colonized Vietnam, or French Indochina as it was called...
The entrance to the prison... A model of the prison as it was.Two-thirds of it have since been knocked down to build a real hotel... not a Hilton, but a Sofitel. The remainder of the original Hanoi Hilton can be seen in the left corner of the picture.Picture of Vietnamese prisoners detained by the French...
Corridor separating the detention facilities and the outer wall of the prison. The prison was located right in downtown Hanoi, so the prisoners could here local traffic and business on the street right out side of the prison.
The majority of the prison is dedicated to the patriotic Vietnamese who resisted the French and who were imprisoned here. A small section details the American POWs who were held here.Vietnam argued that the U.S. was waging a crime against humanity, not a war. As such, American POWs were treated as criminals and not as prisoners of war.
Despite all that has been written about the tortures of American POWs that happened here, Vietnam has never admitted to torturing POWs
While I consider all POWs to be exceptional people, there were a couple of notable POWs held here:
Robby Risner
James Stockdale
John McCain
Brigadier General Robinson Risner was an American hero even before he became a POW during the Vietnam War. He became an ace (pilot honor for shooting down five enemy planes) during the Korean War. He had been shot down twice during the Vietnam War, but had guided his plane safely over the water before ejecting and was successfully recovered to fly again.
For his heroics, Time magazine featured him on their April 23, 1965 cover.
However on September 16, 1965 he was shot down and recovered by the Vietnamese. You can only imagine the special treatment he received as he was confronted by his captors with the Time magazine featuring his picture.
Risner was the senior ranking POW in the prison. He was released in January 1973, after more than 7 years as a POW.
Vice Admiral James Stockdale received the Medal of Honor for his resistance as a POW and leading resistance activities of fellow POWs. On one occasion, he was told that he would be paraded by the Vietnamese for propaganda. He took a razor, shaved his head and cut gashes into his scalp. Upon hearing that he would still be paraded with a hat, he took a stool and beat his face beyond recognition. He also spent more than 7 years as a POW, including four years in solitary isolation.
Admiral Stockdale retired from the Navy as one of its most decorated officers ever.
Admiral Stockdale was Ross Perot's (fellow Naval Academy alum) vice presidential running mate during his 1992 presidential campaign.
John McCain is obviously well-known as the Arizona Senator and Republican nominee for the president this past year. Less known is that his father and grandfather were both four star admirals in the Navy. In fact, McCain's dad was the commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater while he was a POW... do you think that would draw some extra attention to you?
McCain spent 5 1/2 years as a POW and 2 years in solitary confinement. Evidence that his mind was affected by the torture was manifest by his selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate...
Pictures of McCain at the prison...
Pictures of McCain at the prison...
McCain's recovery by the Vietnamese after he ejected...
McCain's uniform that he wore the day he became a POW...
His great medical treatment there...
McCain's repatriation in 1973...
McCain's visit to the prison in 2000.
One of the cells. The solitary confinement cells were in the part knocked down to make room for the new hotel.
Propaganda that the Vietnamese used to break the spirit of American POWs. The Vietnamese regularly showed POWs the news and pictures of war protests back in America and asked them if your country doesn't want you to fight, what are you fighting for?
POW remains and MIA (Missing in Action) identification continues to be a source of contention between the U.S. and Vietnam.
FYI, the Hilton Hotel chain opened a hotel in Hanoi. It was carefully named the Hilton Hanoi Hotel.
1 comment:
I always learn so much from your posts (and they are so interesting). Thanks for taking the time to write them!
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