Vietnam P.O.W.'s: Stories of Survival

Although I was prepared to dismiss this as yet another superfluous Vietnam video, unnecessary for libraries whose shelves are already filled with war videos gathering dust, a few minutes into this film my tears were flowing freely. I served as a civilian in Vietnam, and when I moved to Okinawa, I was the librarian in the Army hospital that received many of the newly-released P.O.W.'s. It was an experience I've never forgotten: these once young and vibrant men now cautiously accepting any act of kindness with suspicion and hesitation, as if any overture were still part of some hideous North Vietnamese plot to get them to confess to war crimes. Vietnam P.O.W.'s: Stories of Survival features recently released Vietnamese film that takes viewers inside the infamous "Hanoi Hilton," and includes scenes of torture and interrogation that were once used to incite the civilian population to hate the Americans that were bombing their country. Today, the veterans are retired and comfortably middle-aged, but as they describe their experiences they cannot hide the raw emotions that still reside deep within. This powerful, heart-wrenching program is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: P. (J. Carlson)