The Newsroom

From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E's). He
spent 6 years in the ' Hanoi Hilton'...the first three of which his
family only knew he was 'missing in action'. His wife lived on faith
that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and
clothed routine in preparation for a 'peace delegation' visit.

They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world
that they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny
piece of paper, with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of
his hand. When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked
the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging
snippets like: 'Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?' and 'Are you
grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors?'
Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of
paper.

She took them all without missing a beat.. At the end of the line and
once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs,
she turned to the officer in charge and handed him all the little
pieces of paper...Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was
almost number four but he survived, which is the only reason we know
of her actions that day.