Joint Task Force and the Hanoi Hilton

Sunday, March 16th, Today is our last full day in Vietnam. Tomorrow we fly to Singapore. After an evening in Singapore, we will board the plane for Los Angeles and home. I am still not feeling all too well but am determined to make the best of my last day. This morning we are headed to a presentation by the Joint Task Force. The Joint Task Force the United States agency that investigates and coordinates efforts to repatriate the remains of American still missing in Vietnam. Mickey and Dixie Olmstead and Tony Cordero make a presentation on behalf of Sons and Daughters In Touch. Mickey and Dixie are the children of CMDR Standley E. Olmstead, who has been missing in action since 1965. Bill Duker and Bob Maras also make a presentation to thank the Joint Task Force for their efforts.

Next, we have the chance to hear about the Joint Task Force's work. We learn about their successes in returning remains of the missing to the United States. The work is slow and each site that is investigated costs a great deal of money. We are all very interested in the presentation. Those whose loved ones are still MIA listen intently. We all ask questions. Each member of the group takes away his or her own thoughts about the progress of locating our missing in action and our government's efforts.

After the presentation at the Joint Task Force, we depart for a tour of the Hoa An Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton to the American prisoners of war. Only a single city block of the original prison is still standing. The rest of the prison has been torn down and a new high rise building has taken its place.

High rise above the Hanoi Hilton wall

We disembark from the bus in front of the main entrance to the prison. This is the door through which our American military entered as they began their many years of confinement. The original doors have been replaced. Later, we see that they are still preserved and on display inside.

The outside and inside walls of the Hanoi Hilton. Notice the broken glass embedded in the top of the wall to discourage escapes.

Before the war in Vietnam, the Hoa An prison was a French prison. Vietnamese were imprisoned here by the French. The majority of the displays inside the prison today are examples of the suffering of the Vietnamese at the hands of the French. Only a small section is devoted to the American prisoners that were housed there during the 60's and 70's.

Outside, in a courtyard, we find a stiking bas relief etched in a stone wall. The images of the Vietnamese prisioners are a powerful statement. In one corner sits an old French guillotine.

As we enter the area of the Hanoi Hilton with the displays pertaining to the Americans held captive during the war, we are faced with party propaganda. A framed sign details the humane treatment of the American prisoners in both English and Vietnamese. Next to this sign, we see photos of the prisoners taken to as propaganda during the war. The Americans are shown in situations where they appear relaxed and well cared for. These pictures are in sharp contrast to what we know to be true about the living conditions of the prisoners and all they endured in captivity.

After seeing where Senator John McCain was captured in Silk Lake, we now have opportunity to see the flight suit and gear that McCain was wearing that day so many years ago.

We see other clothing that was worn by the prisoners during their captivity.

As we leave the Hanoi Hilton, we are very aware of the hard times that our servicemen endured during their time in this prison. We appreciate the devotion to country and to each other that kept each man going in dark times.

Once on the bus, our guides announce that we have some options for our last afternoon in Vietnam. I choose returning to the hotel to rest. My deep congestion is getting worse and tomorrow morning I need to get on the plane to Singapore. Again, I start to worry about keeping my ears clear as we take off and land. Connie and Gayle decide on last minute shopping in the ancient district of "36 streets and 36 wares".

Ed decides to go to the military museum with Colonel Tom. After the museum, they will go on a tour of "Uncle Ho's" home. I hand him the final disposable camera with instructions to take the final few pictures.

The official presidential palace and the home where Ho Chi Mihn lived

While Ho Chi Mihn, as president of North Vietnam, had access to a large and ornate palace, he prefered to live in a simple house nearby. Colonel Tom is well-read on Uncle Ho and gives Ed some insight into his character and beliefs.

In the afternoon, all of the travellers return to the Sunway Hotel to rest and refresh one last time. This evening we are to be the guest of the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam. The Ambassador is out of the country and so is not available to greet us. The Deputy Ambassador's home is on the penthouse level of a modern apartment building overlooking both Ho Tay and Truc Bach Lakes. Other prominent American and Vietnamese citizens residing in Hanoi are also on hand to meet us. The evening is very enjoyable, with good food, good drink and good company. One final toast at the end of the evening brings our trip to an end. Quietly, we return to the hotel.

Monday, March 17th- We are up early and on the bus to the Hanoi airport. Song, our guide for the past two weeks, is on the bus with us. We are all sad, knowing that soon we will be parting company, but trying to make the most of our last bit of time together. We ask Song to sing for us, as he has done during many other bus rides. Today, he offers two songs, one a song of the North Vietnamese Army and one a love song sung in the South. The two songs are very different. Even though we do not understand the words, we feel the emotions in both.

After the songs are finished and faded, Song lets us know that he will not be able to come into the airport with us. The buses will pull up to the curb. We will find our luggage and be on our own to enter the airport and get checked in. The reality of parting overcomes us as we pull into the airport. Good-byes are said. We are very aware that it is as hard for Song to say good-bye to us as it is for us to express our thanks and part company. Inside, we find that without Song's quiet help and guidance, checking ourselves and our bags does not go smoothly. We are emotional from the leaving and find it hard to deal with the problems that arise. At last, the bags are checked and we are on the way to the gate. Surprise- Song is waiting for us by the elevator leading to the gates. Somehow, he has managed to come inside. We have time for a final hug and a few tears. As we go up the elevator, Song waves from below.

Mr. Song Tran, our guide and friend

Our flight to Singapore is delayed and we arrive at the Excelsior Hotel later than anticipated. By now, I am very ill. I want to go to my room and get some sleep. Ed calls Linda and Marsha, two of our Vietnam Veteran nurses, to come to our room. They take my temperature and give me some medication to take before getting on the airplane tomorrow. I am very nervous about flying and wish I could stay in Singapore until I feel better. We will have a layover in Tokyo on the way home. I need to be able to keep my ears clear as we take off and land.

Tuesday, March 18th- The morning comes too soon and we are on our way back to the airport. I am sorry that I was not well enough to be able to enjoy our brief stay in Singapore. I had enjoyed my previous trip to Singapore, some 10 years earlier. At the airport, we check our bags in and proceed to the gate. As we wait for our flight, we hear President Bush on the television. Everyone stops what they are doing and all attention is on the television set. Mr. Bush is announcing his plans to begin the war in Iraq in the upcoming days. We are sad to think that other children, other families will be affected by war in the same way that we have been. Will today's children someday journey to Iraq to visit the sites where their fathers and mothers gave the ultimate sacrifice in another war?

The medication that Linda and Marsha have given me helps to make the trip home go quickly and easily. The layover in Tokyo is short and soon we are on the last leg towards Los Angeles. The trip that we dreamed of and planned for for such a long time will soon be a memory. We have come a long way, both in the physical sense and in the spiritural sense. Old ghosts that have haunted our veterans have faded. Fears have been faced and conquered. Peace, even in this time of war, has replaced anger. Comfort has replaced the aching heart. We return to a world that is changing and we ourselves have changed.