Vietnam War POWs

American pilots and soldiers captured during the Vietnam War faced years of torture and mistreatment. Some of the prisoners of war endured almost nine years of imprisonment, the longest in U.S. history. During this time, the POWs were rarely given medical treatment. Their food was often nothing more than pieces of bread and watery soup filled with rat droppings. But despite the horrible conditions, the men stuck together and helped each other survive their ordeal.