In English the name Hoa Lo, translates to "fiery furnace" or even "Hell's hole." But, if you visited Hoa Lo Prison today you would find a wall dedicated to pictures of smiling US servicemen decorating a Christmas tree and playing a friendly game of volleyball. Hoa Lo Prison is widely known as the “Hanoi Hilton” in the United States. It was home to Senator John McCain and many other US servicemen taken prisoner during the Vietnam War.
The prison was originally established by the French in 1896, when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. It takes its name from the concentration of stores that used to sell stoves along the street in pre-colonial times. Today, it fits neatly into the neighborhood. In fact, it is so unobtrusive, it would be easy to walk right past it.
Inside, the prison has many displays dedicated to the Vietnamese revolutionaries who died in atrocious conditions long before the US action. Displays are captioned in both Vietnamese and English, enabling visitors to view the original cells, complete with leg-irons, and the horrors of life in the prison. There is a memorial for those who perished there.
As most Americans know, between 1964 and 1973, the prison’s inmates included several captured US servicemen, such as Senator John McCain and Douglas 'Pete' Peterson, who later became the first US Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During our visit, we came upon the picture of Richard Tomat, a native of South Carolina who was shot down while serving as an Air Captain in Vietnam.
Two rooms of the prison-museum are devoted to the US servicemen who stayed here. It is amazing to see the story of their plight told from the Vietnamese perspective.
The Hoa Lo Prison became famous in the United States for the 1987 movie, Hanoi Hilton, which graphically depicted the appalling conditions: prisoners survived on watery soup and bread. They were isolated, starved, beaten, tortured for countless hours, and paraded in anti-American propaganda. While wandering through the dark, damp cells, you cannot help but wonder what went through the minds of those who were imprisoned here.
Today, the rooms on the US action in Vietnam display US prisoners’ personal effects, along with posters honoring peace demonstrators for their “show of solidarity with the Vietnamese people” against the US government. There are also pictures showing the Vietnamese people “rescuing” Senator John McCain when his plane went down in water.
According to the Vietnamese account:
The United States government carried out sabotage warfare by air force, and naval force against the north of Vietnam from 5 August 1964 to 15 January 1973.
Thousands of planes were shot down, hundreds of United States pilots were arrested by the North army and people, some of them were imprisoned here.
During the war, the national economy was difficult but Vietnamese government had created the best living conditions to US pilots for they had a stable life during the temporary detention period.
Some of pictures and objects on these two exhibition show some details of US pilots’ life when they were temporary imprisoned at Hoa Lo Prison.
As we say in US politics, “to the victor belong the spoils” - and the opportunity to write the history?
- Dr. Sarah Tenney
No comments:
Post a Comment