THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FIRST FEMALE POW IN VIETNAM WHO VANISHED


By akirschbaum
Pow in vietnam posing for a picture.

Over 60 years ago, the Vietnam War happened, and a lot of civilians, Soldiers, and military personnel from supporting countries vanished. The survivors of being a POW in Vietnam can still remember what exactly happened during this time. They have a very traumatic and haunting experience. Most of the time, the torture depends on the individual who captured them. During the war from 1964 to 1973, most of the captured were officers from the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps Airmen. This is unlike in other wars where the prisoners were enlisted troops. American POWs were released in early 1973 when the U.S. concluded its involvement in Vietnam. But, there are still 1,244 American POWS in Vietnam who have not returned, and their bodies are still missing.

The Living Conditions of POWS in Vietnam

There are numerous inhumane experiences that the prisoners of war have experienced during their stay in Vietnam. The scars of suffering are forever in their hearts and minds. Many U.S. service members were captured after their aircraft was shot down in North Vietnam. They were blindfolded, bound, and subjected to physical abuse during the interrogations. American POWs in Vietnam also marched to prison camps, which could take days or weeks. While on the road, they even experience mistreatment from guards or local villagers. In the prison camps, they had to deal with poor sanitation, overcrowding, lack of medical care, malnutrition, and mosquitoes. Most of the POWs in Vietnam suffered from diseases such as pellagra, beriberi, malaria, and dysentery.In addition to their subpar living circumstances, the POWs in Vietnam have endured horrendous forms of torture, which include rope restraints, prolonged beatings, solitary confinement, iron stocks, and even vermin and filth. In spite of this, many POWs have devised a covert communication technique known as the "tap code," which is their only means of demonstrating resistance and preserving their faith in their captors—a crucial aspect of their psychological health.

America's First Woman POW in Vietnam

American doctor Eleanor Ardel Vietti was in the dense jungle in Darlac Province, near Ban Me Thuot, South Vietnam. Her good intentions to serve her country and contribute to the war effort led Vietti to become the first female prisoner of war, and to this day, her remains are still unknown. While in Vietnam, she served alongside the Christian and Missionary Alliance and tribal nurses. They worked with the Montagnards (the largest ethnic minority) to treat those with leprosy. However, the tension between the guerrillas and South Vietnamese forces was escalating, and attacks on the Montagnards were on the rise. Thus, the U.S. Department of State advised all expats to flee the country.Despite the warnings and the rising danger, Vietti and the other missionaries remained in the region and continued treating needy people. But everything changed on the night of May 20, 1962, which is also the last time Vietti and two other men were seen alive.

Her Death Is Still a Mystery, But Her Legacy Lives On

There were no ransom demands for them. Up to this day, their abduction is still a mystery.Theories suggest that the raid at the leprosy camp was to confiscate hospital equipment and medical supplies. Since the three were doctors, the guerrillas probably used them to treat their wounds, but everything is just speculation. Since that evening, Vietti's status as a POW in Vietnam remains "unaccounted for."The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has a theory that Vietti and the other two male missionaries who were with him were executed in the hands of the Viet Congs, but the exact locations of their deaths are still a mystery. Over the years, there have been rumors from tribe members that they have seen a white woman with two white men in the jungle, but these have never been confirmed.To this day, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has stationed an office in Hanoi. It is still in the search for the missing prisoners of war. There were 300,000 Vietnamese Soldiers and personnel that the U.S. had located since 2018. Hopes are still up that one of these days, all the POWS in Vietnam will be found.Related reads:


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