Robert T. White was captured on 15 November 1969 in the Mekong Delta. In winter months, the nights super chilly wet cold went straight through the sickly POWs. In total, more than 3 million people were killed during the conflict – including 58,000 Americans. Brace was believed to be a CIA agent which may have helped his survival for the NVA awed, feared, and hated the CIA.

The Son Tay raiders returned with no combat casualties. NVA soldiers rescued him and hauled him off to prison. 02) First POW By Viet Cong:  Viet Cong (VC) were guerrillas in South Vietnam. Read CNN's Vietnam War Fast Facts and learn more about the conflict between communist-led North Vietnam and US-supported South Vietnam.

Sadly, the Vietnam War caused devastation and harm for thousands of civilians and soldiers, and continues to be remembered as one of the world’s longest and most deadly wars. Nowadays, Vietnam attracts plenty of tourists, many of whom come to pay tribute to those who lost their lives or visit the memorials, but also to see the beauty of the country despite the historic conflict and tragedies. A long war which began in 1955 and didn’t end until 1979, the Vietnam War is one of the most well-known conflicts of recent years.

This caused anger and frustration among many of the enemy troops in the South, who became unaware of who their enemies were and lost trust in their neighbors. As the US did not declare war on Vietnam but instead intervened and became the dominant player in a war that was already ongoing it should, strictly speaking, be referred to as a conflict rather than a war. White stated: “…they just plain forgot about me.”. OK, let’s carry-on with more Vietnam POW facts! Fellow POWs assumed he was being taken away for electric shock treatments. By 1995, Vietnam had realized the full scale of civilian harm during the war. Mr. Brace was captured along with Thai Special Forces Sgt. During his years as a POW, Garwood accepted favorable treatment for his cooperation. After more than 08-years as a POW, Mr. Brace was released on 28 March 1973. McCain was released 14 March 1973. However, even though that famous raid departed with no POWs, I want to give you two quotes that will take you back in time and give you a taste of what those brave Green Berets were about to do and what they were up against. Although many American citizens volunteered for service, others objected in principle to taking part in the fighting. Landing in a lake, he came to and twice kicked-up from the bottom of the lake to the surface finally activating his life-preserver. Status – released 15 March 1973. 15) Most Famous Ex-POW:  Probably the most famous ex-POW and a household name is Senator John S. McCain III. 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975). 01) First POW:  Charles J. Duffy – captured on 13 January 1961. Joseph A. Laydon Jr. 28/09/2018. According to Vietnamese authorities, Cpt. The Vietnam War was a conflict between the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong, and the South Vietnamese and the United States of America. This enraged “Fidel” even more and again he beat Cpt. He was beaten and bayoneted. To make their bombing campaigns more effective, the US wanted to clear large areas of the jungle of vegetation which could provide cover and hiding places. 21) Last Released POW:  On 28 September 1965, Marine Pvt. Although some of those who were responsible were charged, only the leader of the platoon was found guilty. During the war, there were some attempts to deal with themes that were relevant without mentioning the war directly. Eye witness accounts from former POWs pegged Garwood as a collaborator, a turncoat, a traitor. The protest movement against the American involvement in Vietnam began among college students but quickly spread into many areas of US society. The massacre took place in two small villages in South Vietnam. Cobeil unmercifully. His captors kept his POW status to themselves or just simply forgot about him.
The fall of Saigon in 1975 was an important milestone, and the North was able to bring together the country at last with Ha Noi as the capital. Later films dealt with the subject matter more directly and did not flinch from portraying the brutality of the war including events such as the My Lai Massacre. In Vietnam, it was called Kháng chiến chống Mỹ which translates as the “Resistance War against America,” usually shortened to the “American war.”. Vietnam War Statistics And Facts! The rest of the soldiers responsible received no punishment. Piloting his plane, landing at Boum Lao, his plane was hit with small arms fire and grenades from NVA (north Vietnamese Army) soldiers. One of the soldiers was posthumously awarded a medal for his attempt to shield civilians during the attack. Orville Fritz were both separated from their units and captured near Quang Tri. Cpt. They agreed to hold a general election two years later in 1956, which would seek to unite the country in a democratic manner rather than through warfare. Note:  In my humble opinion, the Vietnam War is long over. Soldiers within the battalion who had tried to stop the massacre and protect the civilians were initially denounced as traitors. The youngest was 16 while the oldest man killed in action was 62. See Item 17. A disproportionate number of young soldiers died in the conflict with over 60% of those killed being under the age of 21. There are many interesting facts about the Vietnam War which many people don’t know – let’s explore some of the lesser-known facts about this period of history.

Cpt. Over 2 million civilians from both the North and South had been killed, with over a million soldiers killed between all armies involved. How did this happen? Films and books also created a popular image of the Vietnam veteran as a damaged outcast unable to reintegrate into society as a result of his experiences in Vietnam. Vietnam War summary: Summary of the Vietnam War: The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 1954–1975. The brave Green Berets penetrated deep into North Vietnam (23-miles northwest of Hanoi). He was so badly beaten that even the Vietnamese captors wanted “Fidel” to stop the beatings.

There are many interesting facts about the Vietnam War which many people don’t know – let’s explore some of the lesser-known facts about this period of history. Lt. Browning’s father was also a POW. Spec.4 Fryett was released on 24 June 1962. Lizzie Robinson has been a freelance writer since 2011. He was given a prison sentence and banned from boxing for three years although the prison sentence was later overturned, and he was released. 08) Highest Ranking POW:  Colonel John Flynn. They included Joseph Heller’s novel Catch 22 and Kurt Vonnegut’s The Slaughterhouse Five as well as films such as M*A*S*H, which all had an anti-war element in them. YOU MUST GO TO YOUR LIBRARY and get the book:  “An Enormous Crime – The Definitive Account Of American POWs Abandoned In Southeast Asia.”, IRISAP Copyright 2018 – All Rights Reserved. 07) Last Captured POW:  Emmet James Kay – captured 07 May 1973. We’ll make them pay for every foot across the sonofabitch.”. The war had been going on for some years, but it was not until 1965 that the protests become more widespread. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam had come into power in 1945 and was seeking to gain independence from France.

It took thirty years before their action was given the recognition it deserved. Cpt. They could be both male and female of all ages young and old, even young teenagers. One of the best known and disturbing events of the Vietnam War was the My Lai Massacre in which US soldiers killed between 400 and 500 unarmed civilians.

Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world, with an estimated 30% of cluster bombs remaining unexploded.

42 Anti-Tracking Facts & Tactics Used By Green Berets. refused early release. 04) Number of POWs Died In Captivity:  113, 05) Number of North Vietnam POWs Camps:  19, 06) Number of POWs Camps In And Around Hanoi:  08. This made it difficult for their enemy to find them, and involved setting up hundreds of booby traps which caused injuries and deaths to their opponents. This is something American prisoners have a right to expect from their fellow soldiers. This region is humid & hot and drained the POWs energy and aided in the progression of skin sores, skin ulcers, skin infections, and lung infections. Just over a year later North and South Vietnam were unified under the Communist regime and the capital city Saigon given its current name Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam War Statistics and Facts. Since the Northern Vietnamese government wanted to make the country united and a communist state, the West grew worried at the prospect of yet another communist country, following in the footsteps of the Soviet Union and China. Although international law has many measures and regulations in place to prevent injuries and deaths to civilians, the sad reality is that it is often innocent civilians who pay the price for war. Plus, the abuse and torture by their captors. It was played out not only in Vietnam itself but also in Laos and Cambodia. White. Cpt. All Rights Reserved. These facts put the war in perspective and dispel many myths. On 21 May 1965, Mr. Brace was attempting to fly food supplies into Laos. Laos is thought to be the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita, with an estimated 30% of cluster bombs remaining unexploded. One of the main tactics of guerrilla warfare was to make it difficult for the enemy to discover their opponents. Like other POWs, for 08-years he survived impossible conditions. States including France and Japan were concerned that if one country became a communist nation, other neighboring and nearby countries would follow closely behind. 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. Lt. Grammar was also shot in the head at point blank range. The Vietnam War was primarily between the North and South of Vietnam, but it didn’t end there. If it happens, I want to keep this force together. When the United Nations set the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals, they included an extra goal for Laos – to rid the country of dangerous unexploded items. Cobeil. All 03 POWs faked insanity to resist their interrogators. POWs in this region suffered every day and suffered more and died more often in this region than POWs held in Hanoi. In my humble opinion, the entire truth about American POW has been hidden since WWII or before.

In 1976, Vietnam was united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. She studied English Literature at university and enjoys sailing & playing the piano in her free time. 20) Forgotten POW:  Army Cpt. Two-thirds of them were volunteers, not conscripts.

POWs were simply overcome by constant starvation, disease, and exposure to the elements of Mother nature and all She possesses. Their 1st captive was Army Specialist-4 George F. Fryett captured on  26 December 1961. At the shore, Lt. Cmdr. When Richard Nixon became President of the United States in 1969, he wanted to bring the US troops out of Vietnam and leave the fighting to the Vietnamese soldiers.
According to historians, the United States did not want to take over Vietnam, but rather give enough support so that the South Vietnamese army could take on the North Vietnamese communists, and defeat them. Status – civilian,  released 18 September 1974. Two other possible Cuban interrogators were named “Chico” and “Poncho.”  Their mission was to break POWs. James Stockdale, Air Force Major George Day, and Air Force Lt. Lance Sijan. Napalm, which had previously been used in WWII and the Korean War was also used to a considerable extent in Vietnam. His wounds were poorly treated but he survived.