The exhibition has four parts. The first part themed “Facing with B52’s” introduces images of Hanoi and Hai Phong which were heavily bombarded. However, with love and deep belief, the Vietnamese army and people turned each village into a fort and each person evolved as a soldier in defense of the Fatherland.
During the opening ceremony
The second part, “Hilton Hotel-Hanoi” (the nickname given to Hoa Lo Prison by US prisoners), brings stories of prisoners and prison guards to life from during wartime while the third section, “Returning day”, recalls stories on January 27, 1973 when the Paris Peace Accords on Vietnam was signed, resulting in the end of the Vietnam War, the repatriation of US prisoners and temporarily restoring peace in Vietnam. The final exhibit, themed “Building up the future”, shows the Vietnamese people’s longstanding aspirations for peace.
Touching moments of family reunions of family members whose relatives were soldiers and civilians in the resistance war
The exhibition is a means for Vietnamese people to remember and express a token of gratitude to predecessors for their sacrifices for their beloved city, Hanoi, and for the national freedom and independence and to show their pride in their home country which secured an impressive victory over a much more powerful enemy, the USA, in the mid-20th century. It is also an opportunity for visitors to witness, first-hand, the dangerous days of wartime and the final victory of the Vietnamese army and people.
Happiness of the family members of US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert L.Stirm when welcoming him home at Travis Air Force Base in California on March 17, 1973 after his release following the Paris Peace Accords.
At the opening ceremony, visitors had a chance to meet with historical witnesses of ‘the Dien Bien Phu in the air’ campaign, including militiawoman Pham Thi Vien, family members of fallen pilot Hoang Tam Hung, Heroes of the People’s Armed Force-pilots Nguyen Duc Soat and Tran Viet, and those who managed, took care of and guarded American pilots in the 1964-1973 period, some in Hoa Lo Prison.
Also present at the ceremony were Robert P. Chenoweth, an ex-US Army corporal, who was an inmate in the so-called “Hanoi Hilton” and Thomas Eugene Wilber, the son of Navy Commander Walter Eugene Wilber who was also jailed in Hoa Lo Prison.
Translated by Mai Huong