Performance of American POWs in the Vietnam War: Adequate Training or Creative Leadership?
Abstract
When examining the extraordinary circumstances American prisoners of war (POWs) faced in North Vietnam, one asks the following questions: Were these men trained to know exactly what to do, and can a training environment adequately duplicate the horrendous conditions they faced? This paper intends to show that no amount of training could have fully prepared these airmen for the grueling captivity they faced as POWs in North Vietnam. Rather, it was their heroism, innovation, imagination, and professional character that cause us to hold them in such high esteem. These traits cannot be taught directly, but certain levels of training can help develop them. These traits led the POWs to find creative ways to communicate, maintain the chain of command, avoid giving aid or comfort to the enemy, and return with honor. Though training may have provided some basic survival skills, the incredible sacrifice and leadership of the POWs were more significant in allowing them to persevere. First, the paper focuses on the protections afforded POWs by the Geneva Convention of 1949. After showing how the Convention was put to the test during the Korean War, the paper examines steps taken to improve POW guidance and training for servicemen in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the inception of the Fighting Man's Code of Conduct. The paper then looks at the specific training U.S. servicemen received immediately prior to and during the Vietnam War. The next four sections examine the roles of religion, communication, ingenuity, imagination, organization, and leadership in former POWs' survival, and whether their training prepared them in any of these areas. Lastly, the paper looks at the Vietnam War's immediate aftermath and the recommendations that were made to increase the effectiveness of service preparation for captivity. The research is limited to those POWs held in North Vietnam at the Hoa Lo Prison, the infamous "Hanoi Hilton."
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA476288
Entities
People
- Scott A. Arcuri
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College