POWs

There were 13 camps in Vietnam used for Prisoners of War. The camps were named Alcatraz (POW camp), Camp Faith, Dirty Bird, Briarpatch, Dogpatch, Farnsworth, Hoa Lo, Mountain Camp, Plantation, Rockpile, Skidrow, Zoo, and Camp Hope. Those are the names of the 13 POW camps located in North Vietnam.

POW Camps

==== Alcatraz: Located North Central of Hanoi, opened on October 25, 1967 and closed on December 9, 1969. During this time Period there were 12 prisoners captured in North Vietnam that were moved to this facility. Those held here were either high ranking POWs or POWs known to the Vietnamese as "troublemakers". In '69 when it closed, it closed for a six week period until summer in 1970 where one prisoner, captured in South Vietnam, was held here for one month until his release in August of 1970.====

==== Camp Faith: Located 9 miles west of Hanoi. Opened on July 14, 1970 and closed on November 24, 1970. This camp became operational when a major consolidation of U.S. prisoners began. Small and medium POW camp holding American POWs were closed. This was the first time the Vietnamese allowed a large number of POWs in a single camp. Camp Faith held 220 U.S. POWs at one point and after the Son Tay rescue effort they were moved to the Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi.====

==== Dirty Bird: Northern Hanoi. Opened on June 29, 1967 and closed on November 24, 1967. In 1967 POW camps were in the immediate vicinity of the Hanoi Thermal Power Plant. Approximately 30 POWs captured in North Vietnam were held at Dirtybird for any attempt on the bombing of the Power Plant. in October of 1967 all prisoners at Dirtybird were removed to regular POW camps. After it closed it was never reopen for the use of a POW camp again.====

==== Briarpatch: 33 MIles WNW of Hanoi. Opened September 13, 1965 and closed on September 20, 1965. It was closed so early because it was reported that Americans were bombing the area. It was reopened in December of 1965 and used until February 1967 when its POW population was moved. In February 1971 it was reopened for a second time to hold a small group of POWs captured outside of North Vietnam. It was finally closed in July 1971 when the last POW group was moved into Hanoi.====

Dogpatch: Located 105 miles NNE of Hanoi. Opened May 14, 1972 and closed on January 31, 1973. This camp became operational in may 1972 when 220 U.S. POWs were captured in North Vietnam and transferred from Hao Lo to this location. The move was caused probably to disrupt the U.S. POW organization, which was extremely strong at Hao Lo.When the camp closed in 1973 the prisoners were transferred back to Hao Lo.

==== Farnsworth: Located 18 miles SW of Hanoi. Opened August 28, 1968 and closed on November 25, 1970. This location opened when 28 U.S. POWs were captured outside North Vietnam and they were brought to this location. In reaction to the Son Tay rescue effort, the population located at Farnsworth were transferred to the Plantation POW Camp in Hanoi in November 1970.====

==== Hoa Lo: Located in Central Hanoi. Opened on August 11, 1964 and closed on March 28, 1973. This camp became operational with the capture of L-CDR( Lieutenant Commander) E. Alvarez, U.S. Navy. The Facility was used continuously since that time as a processing point for captured U.S. personnel and as a camp of permanent Detention. All acknowledged U.S. POWs captured in North Vietnam were moved into Hao Lo in November and December 1970, after the Son Tay rescue Attempt. The Camp was the staging/collection point for the release of the first and second increments of U.S. POWs captured in North Vietnam and for the release of all U.S. POWs moved from South Vietnam and Laos.====

==== Mountain Camp: Located 40 Miles NW of Hanoi. Opened on December 12, 1971 and closed on January 28, 1973. This camp became operational in December 1971 when a prisoner from Hao Lo an eight other prisoners from Skidrow were transferred to this location. This camp was run by Ministry of Public Security until LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) Ben Prucell escaped. The camps POW population was permanently transferred to Hanoi for repatriation.====

==== Plantation: Located in Northeast Hanoi. Opened June 6, 1967 and closed on July 30, 1970. This installation became a "showcase" for the U.S. POWs captured in North Vietnam. Films, photography, and interviews were staged here at the Plantation. The camp closed when a major cosolidation of U.S. POWs occured. From July to November in 1970 no prisoners were held here at the camp. In November because of the Son Tay rescue effort and the the North Vietnamese moved the majority of the POWs captured outside of NOrth Vietnam to Plantation. The camp remained open after this movement and in 1973 the POWs were moved to Hanoi and this camp was used as a staging and collection area for the release of the third increment of POWs captured in North Vietnam.====

==== Rockpile: Located 32 miles South of Hanoi. Opened June 21, 1971 and closed on february 14, 1973. This camp became operational inJune 1971 when 14 American and foreign POWs captured outside North Vietnam, were moved from the Skidrow POW camp to this facility. This installation ceased to function as a POW detention installation in February 1973, when its POW population was moved to Hanoi for repatriation.====

==== Skidrow: Located 6 mies Southwest of Hanoi. Opened on July 7, 1968 and closed August 19, 1971. Skidrow became operational as a U.S. POW detention facility in July 1968, when U.S. civilian and military prisoners captured outside North Vietnam were moved here. in March 1971, 36 prisoners captured were moved from from Hao Lo to this facility because the North Vietnamese considered the troublemakers. In early September, 21 POWs were moved from Hao Lo to Skidrow where there they remained until November 1971, when they were again returned to Hao Lo.====

==== Son Tay: Located 9 miles West of Hanoi. Opened on May 23, 1968 and and closed on July 14, 1970. The Son Tay POW camp became operational when twenty U.S. POWs captured in North Vietnam were moved to the Camp. The total Population of POWs was 55 men. July 14, 1970 a major movement of the prisoners moved to Camp Faith which was the beginning of a major regroupment of U.S. POWs.====

==== Zoo: Located in the Sw suburb of Hanoi. Opened on September 20, 1965 and closed on december 26, 1970. It became operational in September 1965 and remain open until december 1970, when all POWs were transferred to Hao Lo. In 1971 the Zoo was reactivated on a more permanent basis and used primarily to hold U.S. POWs captured after December 1971.====

http://lawofwar.org/vietnam_pow_policy.htm This site tells about the Geneva Conventions to Prisoners of War.

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A U.S army Colonel Reeder was a trapped pow in vietnam in 1971. It was when nixon was sending in many men. The incident happened during the easter offensive. He was flying a bomber during an attack mission, was shot up, and came spiraling to the ground. He was surrounded by enemy infantry and tanks. There was nothing he could do from here except give up. First he was beaten and interrogated but later his life became somewhat better doing slave labor carrying bamboo. He was mostly locked up in a cell. Finally in 1975 when the war was over he was released to freedom.

"Viet Nam POW Story." //Viet Nam POW Story//. William S. Reeder, Jr., Ph.D, Colonel, U.S. Army. Web. 18 May 2012. .

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