“Hanoi Hilton:” Two Sides to Every Story
Hanoi, Vietnam - December 2025
The first time I saw history shared in a way that was different from what I learned in school, I was visiting a museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. Every display consistently referred to the Civil War as “The War of Northern Aggression.” While it may not be entirely true that history is written by the victors, your view will certainly be colored by the geographic area of your education.
Vietnam has its own way of telling its story about “the American War,” including what happened at the Hanoi Hilton. That sarcastic name was given to Hoa Lo Prison by U.S prisoners of war. When I was growing up, the name always brought to mind torture and unbearable conditions. In his book Faith of My Fathers, Senator John McCain wrote, "It’s an awful place. I look back on it with disgust and a little bit of fear, since I never knew from one minute to the next if I was going to survive."
Before we toured the prison, we stopped at Truc Bach Lake where we saw a memorial depicting John McCain’s capture where his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down. The memorial made me feel terribly sad, knowing that Senator McCain was held and tortured as a prisoner of war from 1967 to 1973. This was a real contrast to our guide’s upbeat attitude, seemingly proud of the statue of a famous American and thinking we would be proud, too.
Hoa Lo prison was built by French colonists in 1896 for political prisoners. With a capacity of 450, the inmate population grew to more than 2,000. The museum displays tools of torture and execution and talks about the harsh conditions. Exhibits criticize the brutal treatment of the Vietnamese by the French. On the other hand, photos of American prisoners show them receiving medical care, preparing food during the holidays, and “receiving gifts from their wardens before being returned.” The man who pulled McCain from the water in Truc Bach was referred to as “one of his savers.”
To hear it from their side, prison life under the Vietnamese was a real picnic. I’d say they followed Winston Churchill’s lead: “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
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Tips & Recommendations
My observations aren’t intended as criticism. The history of the Vietnam War is complicated and involves a lot of propaganda and political manipulation on both sides. This experience was a good reminder to explore multiple sources from different perspectives.
This site gives a concise summary of Hoa Lo with commentary on the conflicting narratives.
This site provides good detail on the significance of the prison and how to visit.
I like this take on how winners write history. He says, “It is a mistake, however, to assume that only the “winners” of history have the power to manipulate the past to attain their present-day goals.