How were US soldiers tortured in Vietnam?

Although North Vietnam

North Vietnam

North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist country supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed from 1945 to 1976 and the country was recognized in 1954.

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North Vietnam - Wikipedia

was a signatory of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, which demanded "decent and humane treatment" of prisoners of war, severe torture methods were employed, such as waterboarding, strappado (known as "the ropes" to POWs), irons, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement.

How were soldiers tortured in Vietnam?

North Vietnamese torture was exceptionally cruel--prison guards bound POWs' arms and legs with tight ropes and then dislocated them, and left men in iron foot stocks for days or weeks. Extreme beatings were common, many times resulting in POW deaths.

How are POWs tortured?

POWs described being beaten, including with batons and wooden hammers, being kicked, and given electric shocks with tasers and a military phone known as TAPik.

How were POW treated in Vietnam?

They were tortured, isolated, and psychologically abused in violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949, to which North Vietnam was a signatory. Some POWs were paraded before reporters and foreign visitors and forced to confess to war crimes against the people of Vietnam. Others resisted torture and refused to comply.

What were the horrors of the Vietnam War?

The brutality has been well documented: American soldiers raped, mutilated, and tortured the villagers before killing them; families were dragged from their homes, thrown into ditches and executed.

U.S. Veteran Describes Being Prisoner of War in Vietnam

What was the worst atrocities in the Vietnam War?

The My Lai massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence committed during the Vietnam War. A company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people—women, children and old men—in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968.

How traumatizing was the Vietnam War?

Approximately 30% of men and 27% of women had PTSD at some point in their life following Vietnam. These findings obtained approximately a decade after the end of the Vietnam War, found that for many veterans, their PTSD had become a chronic (that is, persistent and long-lasting) condition.

Were there any female POWs in Vietnam?

During the Vietnam War Monika Schwinn, a German nurse, was held captive for three and a half years - at one time the only woman prisoner at the "Hanoi Hilton". The following missionaries were POWs: Evelyn Anderson, captured and later burned to death in Kengkok, Laos, 1972.

Did prisoners of war get tortured?

They have been victims of such war crimes as torture and mutilation, beatings, and forced labor under inhumane conditions. Prisoners have been targets of intense interrogation and political indoctrination. Most prisoners of war carry physical or psychological scars from their experiences as captives.

Why were American POWs treated so badly?

One reason why POWs were treated so poorly was because of the Japanese belief that surrender was dishonorable.

How does Russia treat prisoners?

The vast majority of Russia's prisons are in fact penal colonies, where inmates are housed in barracks instead of cells and are often put to work, according to a report by Poland-based think tank the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW). More than 800 such facilities existed across Russia as of 2019, the organization said.

How were prisoners mistreated during the war?

Some soldiers fared better in terms of shelter, clothing, rations, and overall treatment by their captors. Others suffered from harsh living conditions, severely cramped living quarters, outbreaks of disease, and sadistic treatment from guards and commandants.

Did US soldiers commit war crimes in Vietnam?

During the war, 95 U.S. Army personnel and 27 U.S. Marine Corps personnel were convicted by court-martial of the murder or manslaughter of Vietnamese. U.S. forces also established numerous free-fire zones as a tactic to prevent Viet Cong fighters from sheltering in South Vietnamese villages.

What did Vietnam soldiers suffer from?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as having flashbacks, upsetting memories, and anxiety following a traumatic event. It was first officially recognized as a mental health condition in 1980, only five years after the end of the Vietnam War.

When was the last POW found in Vietnam?

Often cited as the last verified American POW from the Vietnam War, Garwood was taken to North Vietnam in 1969, and reportedly was released in 1973 along with the other U.S. POWs as part of the Paris Peace Accords. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979.

What is the German chair punishment?

Among the techniques Amnesty documented is one called the “German Chair,” in which the detainees are tied by their arms and legs to a metal seat, the back of which is moved backwards. That causes acute stress to the spine and severe pressure on the neck and limbs, often resulting in permanent injury.

Are there any Vietnam POWs still alive?

There are no known living POWs left in Vietnam from the American War. Many veterans and survivors of those terrible years have returned to the country to visit and pay respects to their peers left behind.

Are there still POWs in Vietnam?

STATUS OF THE POW/MIA ISSUE: July 12, 2022

1,584 Americans are still listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,244 (VN-442, VS-802); Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7.

How did the Japanese treat female POWs?

Unprepared for coping with so many captured European prisoners, the Japanese held those who surrendered to them in contempt, especially the women. The men at least could be put to work as common laborers, but women and children were "useless mouths." This attitude would dictate Japanese policy until the end of the war.

How many American soldiers are still missing in Vietnam?

Current Status of Unaccounted-For Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. Of the remaining 1,244 Americans still unaccounted for in Vietnam, 470 are in a "non-recoverable" category.

What did Vietnam soldiers do for fun?

Reading paperback books, and playing cards was common (Gambling). Fishing in rivers was popular, some GI's hunted deer and other small game (no fishing/hunting license REQUIRED!).

Why were Vietnam vets called baby killers?

Etymology. The Vietnam War veteran usage stems from the My Lai massacre, in which several civilians, including infants, were massacred.

Was the Vietnam War brutal?

The fighting was intense and the results, the former soldiers say, were especially brutal. Villages were bombed, burned and destroyed. As the ground troops swept through, in many cases they gunned down men, women and children, sometimes mutilating bodies -- cutting off ears to wear on necklaces.

What is the most common mental illness in Vietnam veterans?

Veterans who served in Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos during the Vietnam War have a higher prevalence of mental health issues, particularly PTSD, compared with both other Vietnam-era Veterans and non-Veterans, according to an analysis of data from the Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study (VE-HEROeS).