cubdriver2
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A new Smithsonian Channel special will reveal one of the greatest secrets of the Vietnam War. THE SPY IN THE HANOI HILTON, premiering Monday, April 27 at 8 p.m. ET
/PT, uncovers the true story of POWs inside the Prison, known as the Hanoi Hilton, who created a high-level espionage operation that reached all the way to the CIA and the White House. This included sending radio transmissions to the Pentagon and President Nixon's White House during the brutal Christmas Bombings of 1972, signaling that POWs inside the Hanoi Hilton were still alive and that the raid should continue.
SPY IN THE HILTON
SmithsonianChannel Trailer
________________________________________________________
This letter was reportedly written to the returned POW community by the
late VADM Stockdale's son.
"This is my first posting on the Camp Radio - so please bear with me if I
stray from protocol. It will be longer than most messages that I have
seen - but it requires some explanation. I write to let the POW family
know about an important film that is being released by the Smithsonian
Channel. Over two years ago I began work with David Taylor, an Emmy and
Peabody award winning documentary producer, on a story about
communication inside and outside the walls of Hanoi's prisons. As many
of you know, I spent months with Dad immediately after homecoming and
served as aide-de-camp and editor throughout the 'debrief days.' We
were pretty much attached at the hip - and when the debrief binders were
coming off the copier at AirPac, Dad pulled one from the stack and gave
it to me for safe keeping. Our conversations during those days were
comprehensive - but (as all of you can understand) not for discussion
beyond household walls.
As David and I looked into Operation Thunderhead, Son Tay, and other
needs for communication, we discovered that the intelligence community
was (coincidentally, mind you) declassifying parts of "outside"
communication methods. They were doing so because, as Robert Wallace
(CIA) explains in the film, the information is no longer 'radioactive'
and nothing was being disclosed that is in use now or at any time in the
foreseeable future.
I had leverage - but inevitable arguments with Smithsonian execs ensued.
The last argument I lost was about the title. It was a decision made
by marketing at CBS (CBS owns Showtime and Showtime owns Smithsonian)
that could not be undone. The title is "Spy in the Hanoi Hilton" -
presumably to titillate curiosity among causal viewers. That being
said, the other inevitable compromises (condensations in almost all
cases) taking place around and in the film do not hamper or interfere
with the integrity of the story.
On Wednesday night (tomorrow, the 22nd) the film will be previewed at
the Naval Academy for midshipmen who choose to attend. I regret that
seating limitations sharply curtailed 'invitations' to attend the
preview. We could not invite anyone who did not appear in the film or
was not critical to its production in order to assure seats for members
of the brigade.
The film will AIR at 8:00 p.m., Monday, April 27 on the Smithsonian
Channel. There will be a repeat showing that same night at 11:00 p.m.
I hope you are able to watch the film. It deals with many aspects of
imprisonment and communication that have never been made public -
aspects that were held safe as ordered for decades.
I think the documentary brings forthrightness and dignity to the
remarkable work many of you participated in well over 40 years ago.
If nothing else, it may serve to 'clear the path' for conversations with
loved ones and extended family that may never have taken place - until now.
GBU - each and every one. Mom joins me (as I am sure Dad would, as
well) in a salute to your service and dedication.
With respect and affection,
Jim Stockdale
/PT, uncovers the true story of POWs inside the Prison, known as the Hanoi Hilton, who created a high-level espionage operation that reached all the way to the CIA and the White House. This included sending radio transmissions to the Pentagon and President Nixon's White House during the brutal Christmas Bombings of 1972, signaling that POWs inside the Hanoi Hilton were still alive and that the raid should continue.
SPY IN THE HILTON
SmithsonianChannel Trailer
________________________________________________________
This letter was reportedly written to the returned POW community by the
late VADM Stockdale's son.
"This is my first posting on the Camp Radio - so please bear with me if I
stray from protocol. It will be longer than most messages that I have
seen - but it requires some explanation. I write to let the POW family
know about an important film that is being released by the Smithsonian
Channel. Over two years ago I began work with David Taylor, an Emmy and
Peabody award winning documentary producer, on a story about
communication inside and outside the walls of Hanoi's prisons. As many
of you know, I spent months with Dad immediately after homecoming and
served as aide-de-camp and editor throughout the 'debrief days.' We
were pretty much attached at the hip - and when the debrief binders were
coming off the copier at AirPac, Dad pulled one from the stack and gave
it to me for safe keeping. Our conversations during those days were
comprehensive - but (as all of you can understand) not for discussion
beyond household walls.
As David and I looked into Operation Thunderhead, Son Tay, and other
needs for communication, we discovered that the intelligence community
was (coincidentally, mind you) declassifying parts of "outside"
communication methods. They were doing so because, as Robert Wallace
(CIA) explains in the film, the information is no longer 'radioactive'
and nothing was being disclosed that is in use now or at any time in the
foreseeable future.
I had leverage - but inevitable arguments with Smithsonian execs ensued.
The last argument I lost was about the title. It was a decision made
by marketing at CBS (CBS owns Showtime and Showtime owns Smithsonian)
that could not be undone. The title is "Spy in the Hanoi Hilton" -
presumably to titillate curiosity among causal viewers. That being
said, the other inevitable compromises (condensations in almost all
cases) taking place around and in the film do not hamper or interfere
with the integrity of the story.
On Wednesday night (tomorrow, the 22nd) the film will be previewed at
the Naval Academy for midshipmen who choose to attend. I regret that
seating limitations sharply curtailed 'invitations' to attend the
preview. We could not invite anyone who did not appear in the film or
was not critical to its production in order to assure seats for members
of the brigade.
The film will AIR at 8:00 p.m., Monday, April 27 on the Smithsonian
Channel. There will be a repeat showing that same night at 11:00 p.m.
I hope you are able to watch the film. It deals with many aspects of
imprisonment and communication that have never been made public -
aspects that were held safe as ordered for decades.
I think the documentary brings forthrightness and dignity to the
remarkable work many of you participated in well over 40 years ago.
If nothing else, it may serve to 'clear the path' for conversations with
loved ones and extended family that may never have taken place - until now.
GBU - each and every one. Mom joins me (as I am sure Dad would, as
well) in a salute to your service and dedication.
With respect and affection,
Jim Stockdale
