Hanoi Hilton, February 3, 2024

After our sojourn through the market, we visited the infamous Hanoi Hilton; a prison where, during the Vietnam War, American servicemen were held in dreadful conditions.  The most well known and famous being John McCain.  As fate would have it, later John McCain was well regarded in Vietnam for urging the normalization of relations between Vietnam and the United States and was memorialized following his death.  There is a monument to him alongside the Truc Bach Lake which is where he landed after bailing out over the city. 

Here are three photos of McCain on exhibit in the prison.

The history of the prison began many years before the war between Vietnam and the United States.  It started as a French colonial prison in which political prisoners were held in the most brutalizing conditions.  Men and women were imprisoned and frequently tortured.  Some were even beheaded.  

I am including, among my shots, photos of photos with descriptions of the pictures.  I hope you can read the English included with the description. Let’s take a walk through, beginning with the front door.

And now, let our stroll begin. The first photo is an aerial shot of the prison grounds. Note in another photo that the prisoners were shackled to their seats in the dungeon where they spent days if not longer. Take a look at the photo and description that follows.

This next photo is of a sewer pipe through which, in March 1945, over 100 Vietnamese political prisoners escaped.

And, yes, as I said, woman were imprisoned as well. Have a look.

As we journeyed through the part of the prison that still remains, our guide Ut explained what took place inside and pointed out many interesting facts about the place. Here is a photo of him (he is the person wearing the hat) and one or two others.

Good bye Hanoi Hilton.