Vietnam War veterans recall prisoner exchanges 50 years on

When peace was reestablished in Vietnam following the signing of the Paris Accords on January 27, 1973, one of the terms of the accords was prisoner exchanges. The United States and the Republic of Vietnam then formed a list of over 26,700 prisoners to be exchanged with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The sites for the exchange were located in different localities, including Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces. Among them, Quang Tri was one of two major sites for the exchange, the other being Binh Phuoc.

Fifty years ago, Luong Chi Hien, now 96, a political instructor at the Quang Tri military headquarters, received orders to become the head of Vietnam’s delegation for the prisoner exchanges. Another 19 people were also in the delegation, along with other units.

The chosen site for the exchange was the northern bank of the Thach Han River, located about 0.5 km from National Highway 1. Hien remembers how the area was a field of reeds and weeds back then.

The initial tasks included making sure that no bombs and mines were in the field and to erect tents at the site. Five delegations were present at the location, belonging to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (1969-1976), the Republic of Vietnam, the United States and the International Control Commission.

Luong Chi Hien (C) is with members of the International Control Commission at the northern bank of the Thach Han River, during a prisoner exchange session in 1973. Archive photo courtesy of Luong Chi Hien

Before the exchanges took place, delegations came and discussed how the exchanges would take place. Hien proposed that each day, about 100 prisoners be exchanged from each side. Military prisoners were prioritized over political ones.

The first prisoner exchange took place on March 12, 1973. Parties sent each other the lists of prisoners to be exchanged early in the morning, and Hien also informed all the parties about weather conditions that day for the best preparations.

The Republic of Vietnam used motor boats to carry prisoners across the river, with each ride carrying about 20. Many of them were severely malnourished and weakened, some unable to walk properly. Once the prisoners made it onto land, they were ushered away to have their clothes changed and to rest.

Similarly, prisoners on the Republic of Vietnam side were carried to the opposite bank by motor boats. Small gifts, like notebooks and pens, were given to the prisoners.

"I prepared tea and snacks brought from northern Vietnam, as well as holding mutual art performances for delegation at the Thong Nhat Hall," Hien said, adding that the activities helped foster a friendly atmosphere between the delegations.

On the first days of the exchanges, the United States flew helicopters around the site, which was a violation of the Accords. Hien and the Vietnamese delegation called the United States out and requested an end to the violation, which the Americans eventually complied with.

The prisoner exchanges ended at the end of April 1973, Hien said.

Mai Van Lop, a Vietnam War prisoner exchanged in 1973, at a gathering of veterans in Quang Tri Province, March 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tao

Mai Van Lop, 79, who lives in Hai Lang District, was one of the prisoners exchanged. In 1970, when he was a soldier, he was ambushed and kept prisoners in Phu Quoc Island. In accordance with the Accords, Lop and his fellow prisoners were brought to the bank of Thach Han River on March 26, 1973 for the exchange.

"After years of imprisonment, when we saw the flag of the revolution, we were very excited," Lop said. "We knew we were alive, and that we were about to go home to be with our families." As the night fell, Lop was reunited with his comrades and the families who helped him during the war. They laughed, they cried, they talked about things all night. The following morning, Lop departed and returned to northern Vietnam, home at last.

50 years after the prisoner exchange, most of those who are still alive are now old and weak. They reunited on March 23 during a meeting organized by the Quang Tri Association of Captured and Imprisoned Revolutionary Soldiers, and together recounted stories of the past.