Hanoi Hilton

Lost in translation.

A very interesting site in Hanoi to visit is the Hoa Lo Prison. I didn’t take too many photos because really, it’s kind of an eerie place. Before visiting I only had a vague idea of the prison. I knew it was where American prisoners of war were kept, but that’s about it. Turns out, before the Vietnamese used the prison to jail the Americans, the French used the prison to jail the Vietnamese.

Built in the late 1880s while Vietnam was under French rule, the prison was used to detain Vietnamese political prisoners. Naturally, the Vietnamese people wished to govern themselves and to be free of foreign powers. The French did everything possible to prevent that from happening. Torture, executions, and miserable living conditions were the norm. For example, the prison was built to hold 600 prisoners but in 1954 (when France withdrew) it held 2,000.

The displays at Hoa Lo Prison are quite somber…that is until you get to the American side.

The Vietnamese are eager to show how well American prisoners were treated during the Vietnam War. There are photos of Christmas parties and cheerful artwork made by prisoners displayed on the wall. You’d think they were having a pretty good time. A video even stated that the prisoners were so well cared for at the prison that they gave it the nickname, “Hanoi Hilton.” I think sarcasm must get lost in translation.

I will admit to being really confused. Although I’m not a Vietnam War scholar, I learned enough during high school history class and the McCain campaign to know it wasn’t all ping pong and dance parties for the POWs. When we returned to our hotel room a quick Google search confirmed what we already suspected. It was actually a pretty nasty place.

Visiting the Hoa Lo Prison was a good reminder for me that there are many different perspectives to history.

xo, jill