P.O.W.s in the Vietnam War Essay - 691 Words

P.O.W.s in the Vietnam War The Vietnam war, also called the Indochina War , may be said to have started in 1957 when Communist-led rebels began mounting terrorists attacks against the government of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The rebel forces, commonly called the Vietcong, were later aided by troops of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). American combat personnel were formally committed to the defense of the South in 1965. An agreement calling for a ceasefire was signed in January 1973, and by March the few remaining U.S. millitary personnel in Vietnam were withdrawn. However, the war between the two Vietnamese sides persisted inconclusively for two additional years before South Vietnamese resistance†¦show more content†¦They would tie their hands with rope and turn a wheel that stretched their back. The worst part was coming off and getting the rope off of you. Soldiers were placed in handcuffs and leg irons and were left that way for sometimes many years. Mr. Ralph Gaith er was a navy ensign when his plane was shot down. He was immediately taken to one of the thirteen vietnamese prisons. He would spend the next seven to eight years of his life in an 4.5x9 cell with another man. From the cell he watched many of his friends lives get wasted, because they talked back to the Vietnamese. There was no love in these camps between the Americans and the Vietcong. Soldiers were told that they were not prisoners-of-war, but mere criminals. A war had not been declared by the United States Government so therefore they could treat their advisaries as murderers and thieves. The prisons that they were being held in were built by the French in the latter parts of the nineteenth century. The same times when the Geneva Accordance came around. This was the law on treatment of all foreign prisoners of war and civilians. It stated that humane treatment of civilians, prisoners, and wounded persons in wartime must be adhered to or a war crime indictment would be issued. Co lonel Bud Day whose f100 was shot down in Vietnam stated I was hung by my feet like a side of butchered beef for many hours because I refused to answer my captors questions. Beatings were uncontrollable and sometimes resulted in death.Show MoreRelatedThe Vietnam War And The United States872 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War was unlike any other war in which the United States has participated. The Vietnam War has many unique attributes, beginning with the unclear reason as to why the U.S. became involved in a war that presented no threat to U.S. citizens or national security. Three unique attributes of the Vietnam War that are very interesting are the U.S. combat strategy, the Vietnamese guerrilla warfare, and the MIA issue. The first interesting attribute is the combat strategy used by the American soldiersRead MoreThe Vietnam War Was A Tragic Part Of The United States1465 Words   |  6 PagesP.O.W/M.I.A.s of the Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a tragic part of the United States’ history that to this day holds a great deal of mystery and a lack of information. It was an unpopular war, taking place from 1955 to 1975, with surmountable losses on each side. Forty years later, the consequences of the Vietnam War are still prevalent in the side effects of Agent Orange, post-traumatic stress disorder of soldiers, and the national debt. Though those are significant problems, the biggest influenceRead More American Pirsoners Of War In Vietnam Essay2216 Words   |  9 Pages Prisoners of War (POWs): In international law, term used to designate incarcerated members of the armed forces of an enemy, or noncombatants who render them direct service and who have been captured during wartime.1 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This definition is a very loose interpretation of the meaning of Prisoners of War (POWs). POWs throughout history have received harsh and brutal treatment. Prisoners received everything from torture to execution. However, in recent times efforts have been