[Matt Wiser]

Here's a story that the forum might appreciate, and it's a related topic: a female POW in Vietnam. But she wasn't American. Her name was Monika Schwinn, a West German aid worker who was captured along with four other aid workers (two other women and two men) in the Tet Offensive in '68. They were taken by the VC to a camp in the jungle where they were held with a number of American POWs. This camp was brutal not in terms of torture, but starvation and disease-seven Americans died there, as did Monika's two female colleagues and one of the men died as well. In early fall of '68 she and her male colleague were taken north to Hanoi and promptly thrown into solitary in the Hanoi Hilton. Their conduct in captivity impressed a number of American POWs, and they were reccommended for the Presidential Medal of Freedom by two senior POW officers (An AF Col. shot down in an F-4 west of Khe Sanh, and an Army Lt. Col. shot down in a UH-1 near the DMZ during Tet). I don't know if they got that award, but DOD did recognize them in some way. There is a picture of Monika being escorted onto a C-141 at Hanoi/Gia Lam Airfield on 15 Mar 73 when she, her male colleague, and two dozen American POWs who had been brought up from SVN to the North were released and flown to Clark AB in the Philippines. She's being escorted by a State Department officer in the pic as the U.S. was responsible for all American and non-South Vietnamese POWs in the North, and they were handed over to their own authorities at Clark.

[patience]

The following link gives a listing and information of female POW's from the Civil War to the War in Iraq. Monika Scwinn is mentioned. Jessica and Shoshana Johnson are the last 2 entries on the page.

[Soprano84]

I knew about Olson from 'Nam...heard her story on Discovery Wings...the bastards poisoned her and Benge...and the refused treatement and allowed her to die in misery several days later.

I dropped the webmaster an email ashing that Lori Piestewa be added to the Iraqi Freedom list, sicne she survived the actual ambush and died in the custody and control of the Iraqis, and thus as a POW.

[Matt Wiser]

Weren't Lori's folks presented with a POW Medal for Lori? ISTR there were some news stories mentioning that Lori was eligible for the medal since she died in captivity.

[Soprano84]

I seem to recall that she DID receive the POW medal...I think it followed the release of the video from the first hospital that showed Lori alive. After that, not much else was said. I AM gratified, however, that following that video, news sources started referrign to Lori as a POW who died incaptivity, which is her proper status.

[patience]

[Matt Wiser]

Check http://www.pownetwork.org. Their Gulf War II section lists Lori. She was originally listed MIA, then KIA, then DIC (Died in Captivity).

[Laracroft]

http://www.pownetwork.org/
this very interesting page thanks for the post

[patience]

[patience]

[QUOTE=Matt Wiser,Apr 30 2005, 04:48 AM]Here's a story that the forum might appreciate, and it's a related topic: a female POW in Vietnam. But she wasn't American. Her name was Monika Schwinn, a West German aid worker who was captured along with four other aid workers . There is a picture of Monika being escorted onto a C-141 at Hanoi/Gia Lam Airfield on 15 Mar 73 when she, her male colleague, and two dozen American POWs who had been brought up from SVN to the North were released and flown to Clark AB in the Philippines. She's being escorted by a State Department officer in the pic as the U.S. was responsible for all American and non-South Vietnamese POWs in the North, and they were handed over to their own authorities at Clark.[QUOTE]

Apologies for the delay in posting this photo that Matt sent me several days ago.