News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci
(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Return With Honor - Review

Date: October 26, 1998

Variety has reviewed a new film, 'Return With Honor', a documentary on the experiences of POWs held in North Vietnam during the war.

Among the eight men featured are Robinson Risner, who was also featured in 'We Can Keep You Forever', and Ed Alvarez. In their on-camera interviews they discuss the events of their capture and confinement to include beatings and torture, communication using tap code and morse coded facial expressions during filmed propaganda interviews, finally culminating in Operation Homecoming.

A glaring mention is the reviewers comment, "...when negotiations led to the release of all 462 U.S. servicemen still being held captive." Evidently 'Variety' is of the opinion that ALL the POWs were released.

Variety appears to be good at propaganda as well.

There is noticeable mention that the documentary features a substantial amount of 'previously unaired' enemy propaganda footage. We must remember that the East Germans, former Soviets and Japanese in particular, have archives overflowing with footage of captured men. A perfect example is, 'Pilots In Pyjamas.' Although the average film reviewer may not be familiar with propaganda footage, many family members and activists are.

However, some of that previously unaired footage appears to have come from the Vietnamese government. As the article states, "The wartime-era North Vietnamese propaganda minister believed such extensive visual records were an inestimable tool in boosting morale."

We can only wonder why it is that a film crew had access to film footage of captured personnel and unaccounted-for men that family members did not.