Life for a POW in Vietnam was brutal, defined by severe torture (waterboarding, ropes, beatings), extreme isolation, malnutrition, poor medical care, and psychological torment, aiming to break their spirit, though many formed strong bonds and used faith and internal organization (like tapping codes) to survive and maintain honor, often enduring years in camps like the "Hanoi Hilton".
Torture was Common
Many felt guilt about giving any answers at all, but submitted as little as possible while preserving their lives. North Vietnamese torture was exceptionally cruel--prison guards bound POWs' arms and legs with tight ropes and then dislocated them, and left men in iron foot stocks for days or weeks.
Although North Vietnam was a signatory of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, 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), irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement.
Australians who were POWs in Japanese camps had a lot of health problems. They had to do physically demanding work and live in tough conditions. They suffered regular beatings, which led to injuries and sickness.
The majority had limited experience and rushed training. American soldiers described their stay in Vietnam as confusing, “it was hard to distinguish the enemy from normal civilians,” one veteran said. Sometimes during a patrol they would encounter the enemy. It was usually a brief and intense confrontation.
Well, since about 98% completed their 12 to 13 month tour and returned to the States alive, even though possibly wounded or otherwise injured, the average “lifespan of a soldier in Vietnam” would have been about 11.75 to 12.75 months.
While obviously not every event or conversation in the movie is 100% accurate, Hamburger Hill was the first Vietnam movie to actually portray an actual battle. The acting is solid all around, with Courtney Vance's portrayal of Doc, the unit's combat medic, being my favorite overall, and the soundtrack is excellent.
Military commanders took advice from medical staff and were much more pragmatic. They realised that providing condoms would prevent sexually transmitted diseases and maintain manpower levels. Military personnel also used the condoms to keep sand out of gun barrels, which saved time when they cleaned their weapons.
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German troops began surrendering by the thousands. The rapidly shrinking eastern pocket surrendered on April 16, followed two days later by the remains of the western pocket. More than 300,000 Germans became prisoners of war, constituting the largest single German surrender in western Europe during World War II.
59 American women who served as civilians (including nurses) in Vietnam were also killed and died in that war. 4 were POWs. In 1962 Eleanor Ardel Vietti became America's first woman POW in Vietnam.
1968, for all sides, was the deadliest year in the Vietnam War. Over 100,000 American casualties: 16,592 killed in action, 87,388 wounded in action. In early January the North Vietnamese Army attacked the Khe Sanh Combat Base, just below the DMZ, starting a four-month siege.
Findings confirm that while the majority of Vietnam Veterans are both mentally and physically healthy, a significant number are still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other chronic health issues related to their service.
While the Committee has some evidence suggesting the possibility that a POW may have survived to the present, and while some information remains yet to be investigated, there is, at this time, no compelling evidence that proves that any American remains alive in captivity in Southeast Asia.
The Marine Corps re- ported that 228 marines in Viet- nam were 17. From the foregoing estimates, it appeared that about 1,200 Army men in Vietnam were un- der 18.
SF Soldier, Floyd James Thompson, the longest held POW of the Vietnam War. Floyd James "Jim" Thompson (July 8, 1933 - July 16, 2002) was the longest held prisoner of war in United States history, spending nearly nine years in captivity in Vietnam. Captain Thompson went to Vietnam in December 1963.
Jerry Michael Tate Shriver (24 September 1941 – 10 June 1974), also known by his nickname "Mad Dog", was a Master Sergeant in the United States Army who served in MACV-SOG in the Vietnam War.
Female POW Iraq: A Story of Hope and Healing. Every now and then, Shoshana Johnson finds herself questioning whether she was worthy of being rescued. The Army veteran was part of a convoy ambushed by enemy forces in Iraq in March 2003.
Before his iconic starring role on on "Magnum, P.I.," Tom Selleck served as an infantry soldier in the Army National Guard during the Vietnam War.
'Bad' girls have always known how to look after themselves. Barrier methods were always very popular. A halved, emptied lemon skin placed over the cervix worked well, for example, as did sponges soaked in natural spermicides such as vinegar.
The Elsan 'chemical closet' was used by soldiers in the Army and Navy during World War II. This was an early version of a portable chemical toilet.
By the end of the war, approximately 7,000 of the 10,500 SIS staff were female. These women on the home front contributed to the Allied victory by successfully breaking codes and deciphering enemy messages. The women cryptologists were held to strict secrecy and would become one of the best-kept secrets of WWII.
She wants to keep the horses with her forever, and it breaks her heart when Herr Major commandeers them for his artillery unit. After this final loss, she wastes away and eventually dies of sorrow and trauma at the young age of 15.
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While most people haven't heard of them, MACV-SOG was an elite organization tasked with the Vietnam War's most dangerous missions.