Intelligence and Security Operations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ministry of National Defense

“seen-;I_ ‘
l
LAS VEGAS AREA
V
l
- HEARTBREAK AREA
&Heartbreak Hotel
100 Feet
Hoa Lo Prison
Opposite, an aerial view
of Hoa Lo prison, known to its
American inmates as "The Hanoi
Hiltonf' Located in the middle of Hanoi
(see map preceding page), Hoa Lo was built
by the French. It is North Vietnam's main pen-
itentiary and the administrative headquarters for its
entire prison system. Heavily guarded, the place is
virtually escape-proof.
As indicated in the drawing above, it contains four major areas of
imprisonment whose names were given to them by the POWs. For
most, Heartbreak Hotel was a sort of receiving station. New Guy
Village was mainly for interrogation and torture. Vegas was a place
0/ long and brutal incarceration. Compound living began in Camp _
Unity in December, 1970, following the Son Tay raid. The North
Vietnamese, obviously fearful that the U.S. might again try to
retrieve some of their POW hostages, closed outlying camps and
gathered the prisoners into Hanoi.
On the /ollowing pages are scale drawings of the various Hoa L0 sub-
camps. Note the locations of the star chambers— Room 18 (The
Meathook Room) and Room 19 (The Knobby Room: the walls we're
covered with list-sized knobs 0/ acoustical plaster, to absorb the
screams of men in torture).
The Hoa Lo Prison——The “Hanoi Hilton"
98
si:-erm’
)
mm ~:.=wm1 ---__ 7-4/-