Re: POW Recalls Prison Camp Abuse

Date: May 18, 2004

"POW recalls prison camp abuse
By: Gary DeLaune

It has been 37 years since a young American was freed from a North Vietnam prison called, "the Hanoi Hilton."

He had been a prisoner for five years and three months and was incarcerated with 350 other Americans, all pilots except for two NCO's.

Major Kenneth Fleenor was shot down over Hanoi December 17, 1967. He and his co-pilot were captured and eventually taken to the prison compounds, "the Hanoi Hilton" and "the Zoo," where prisoners were tortured physically and physiologically.

"Our people were never degraded or sexually abused, I wasn't. On the other, the torture was horrendous, the physical torture," remembered Fleenor.

"There was no alternative but to try to get through the night and make it to the next day that was all, that was about what it amounted to."

Fleenor, now a general, is a highly decorated Viet Nam war hero, who married his high school sweetheart, Ann and credits her with raising their five children during his captivity.

"I determined if I ever got out of there and got home, I was going to have a smile on my face for the rest of my life and was never going to look back. That has been my approach and my attitude," said Fleenor.

He said the abuse he of the Iraqi prisoners by the American's was despicable and inexcusable.

"I don't think they realized they would do what they have done in terms of international total embarrassment for their country."

However he believes the murder of Nick Berg by Al Quaida is a murderous act that should repulse the world even more.

"That's the most hideous, unbelievable human thing that anybody could do, because this guy was totally innocent, he didn't do anything."

Fleenor said the P.O.W survivors had to stay positive during the abuse and captivity or they would never have lasted six months.

Brigadier General Ken Fleenor retired in 1981 as deputy of operations at Randolph Air Force Base.©2004 San Antonio News Channel, L.L.C. d.b.a. News 9 San Antonio"