The Nixon Library will host three former Vietnam War POWs for a panel discussion celebrating the 50th anniversary of their emotional return home to the United States. These decorated veterans will reflect on their harrowing experiences of survival while imprisoned in North Vietnam and share their perspectives on the past fifty years of freedom. The panelists, all of whom were imprisoned in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison camp, will discuss the challenges they faced during their captivity, including physical and emotional torture, as well as the bonds of brotherhood and faith that helped them to endure. They will reflect on their homecoming experiences and how their time as POWs shaped their lives. Panelists are U.S. Navy Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., U.S. Navy Captain Jack Ensch, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel Tom Hanton.
The Documented Cases: POWs Left Behind
The actual story of Prisoners of War (POWs) left behind in previous wars is quite documented but became obscured by hoax POW pictures, small time scams, and other diversions. This is the story of those POWs left behind in Laos and Vietnam, drawn on facts from government published reports and official testimony from high-level figures such as former U.S. Defense Secretary and CIA Director James Schlesinger who testified under oath that POWs remained behind in
