HANOI HILTON: INFAMOUS POW CAMP IN VIETNAM TAKEN OUT BY A BRILLIANTLY “STUPID” SAILOR
During the Vietnam War, American troops would come up against many different clever ways their enemies sought to kill them. Yet, what was often a battle of wits fought in the jungles and mountains, would also feature an odd moment of chance and espionage where a perceived lack of intelligence was actually the advantage. The Hanoi Hilton was one of the war’s most infamous prisons and an American Sailor fooled its guards, ultimately, leading to justice for those who suffered within its walls.
What Was the Hanoi Hilton?
Hanoi Hilton is the informal nickname bestowed on the Hỏa Lò Prison. A French structure was built in the city, originally used to house Vietnamese political prisoners during its colonial era.
At the time of the French ruling the land, the prison was named Maison Centrale and would become a symbol of oppression.
Known for its harsh conditions and severe overcrowding, North Vietnam would use the facility to detain U.S. POWs, which is who sarcastically gave it the nickname Hanoi Hilton.
Today, only the gatehouse remains and serves as a museum of the building’s violent past. The original complex was destroyed in the 1990s.
Hỏa Lò Prison During the Vietnam War
Lt. Everett Alvarez Jr. was the first to arrive at the Hanoi Hilton as the POW entered on August 5, 1964. The Navy officer spent over eight years in captivity, the second-longest stint in the history of the U.S. for a POW.
Prisoners at the Hỏa Lò Prison faced poor food, unsanitary conditions, and harsh treatment from the start, leading Lt. Cmdr. Robert Shumaker to carve Hanoi Hilton into a pail, ironically naming the prison.
Other nicknames would come about, influenced by the many American Pilots placed in a new section of the prison beginning in 1967.
Known as Little Vegas, many areas would become known as famous Vegas landmarks, such as the Golden Nugget, as many had trained for the war stationed at Nellis AFB.
Many of those captured were already dealing with harsh injuries, including pilots who were forced to eject or endure crash landings before captivity.
Torture, beatings, rope bindings, and much more were all an everyday part of life at the Hanoi Hilton—a far cry from the pampered lifestyles enjoyed by guests staying at the real iconic hotel brand’s many locations.
Despite being a part of the Geneva Conventions, North Vietnam was violating these terms and lying about its treatment of POWs.
To North Vietnam, the conditions found at the Hỏa Lò Prison were comparable to South Vietnam’s facilities, including Côn Sơn Island where abuse was also common.
Check-ins increased at the Hanoi Hilton following the failed Sơn Tây rescue in 1970, where POWs from remote camps were moved to Hỏa Lò for easier monitoring.
There were improvements and the formation of Camp Unity, which led to less isolation and higher morale among American troops. However, the prison was known as "Hell's Hole" because it was more often than not capable of living up to this distinction.
Douglas Hegdahl: The Incredibly Stupid One Who Exposed the Hanoi Hilton
There are times when fate delivers a story that is almost too incredible to believe. Which is exactly where Douglas Hegdahl comes into the mix.
After falling off of the USS Canberra in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Sailor could have been a dead man but instead, hours later, Vietnamese fishermen found him and rescued him.
Despite them treating him well, they turned him in to Vietnamese fighters who beat Hegdahl and placed him in the Hanoi Hilton prison.
While being interrogated, nobody would believe his story and before too long, Hegdahl realized that he needed to convince his captors that he was too dumb to be an agent of some sort.
Days of torture ensued by Hegdahl finally showed the North Vietnam fighters that he wasn’t a valuable asset and was eventually given up on after he “couldn’t be taught to read.”
This is how Hegdahl would come to be known as "The Incredibly Stupid One," leading to more freedom than other POWs, as he was believed to be no threat. A huge mistake.
Using wall taps with other POWs, especially with the assistance of First Lieutenant Joseph Crecca Jr., Hegdahl was able to gather a variety of vital intel, including the names of those captured, when they were taken to the prison, how they were captured, and even personal info.
By doing so, Hegdahl was able to gather a lot of valuable intel on around 256 POWs and when he was finally able to convince his captors he needed glasses, he also memorized how to get to the city of Hanoi from the prison.
Sabotaging when he could, Hegdahl was eventually released on August 5, 1969, with other POWs as a part of North Vietnamese propaganda.
When he was discharged, he was able to provide vital information identifying POWs thought to be lost as well as how to access the prison and the conditions prisoners faced.
The following year, Hegdahl would go to the Paris Peace Talks and directly bring up the abuse POWs faced, much to the surprise of his ex-captors.
Doug Hegdahl didn’t just provide hope to families who thought their loved ones might be gone forever but he was also able to bring up war crimes against North Vietnamese fighters improving conditions for POWs and bringing a bit more justice to the table.
"The Incredibly Stupid One" changed the way the Hanoi Hilton operated between his exposure on the international stage and Operation Homecoming in 1973, surviving incredible odds, using his incredible intelligence, and persevering through hellish conditions.
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