Thomas Eugene Wilber: A Journey to Heal Vietnam - US Relations Through His Father’s Keepsakes

	Exhibition Traces 30 Years of Vietnam - US Diplomatic Ties, 200 Sets of War Records Returned
	New Milestone in Vietnam-US Cooperation on Identifying War Martyrs’ Remains

The Father’s Keepsakes

In December 2023, at the exhibition space “Melodies of War” at the Hoa Lo Prison Relic - held to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the “Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu Victory in the Air” and the 50 years since the release of American pilots imprisoned in the North - Thomas Eugene Wilber paused for a long time before archival photos capturing the humanity the Vietnamese people had shown toward American prisoners of war. Among them was a picture of his father at the age of 45.

Thomas Eugene Wilber beside photographs of his father at the special exhibition “The Scales of War” at Hoa Lo Prison Relic, December 2023. (Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic)

Thomas first came to Vietnam in 2014 to fulfill his late father’s unfinished wish: to return to Vietnam and visit Hoa Lo. Since then, he has returned regularly - 43 times by the end of 2023. Each time he set foot on the site, he said it felt as though he was “walking in his father’s footsteps from more than half a century ago, like coming home.” For Thomas, Hoa Lo has become a second home.

In an interview with the Vietnamese press, Thomas recalled that when his father was imprisoned at Hoa Lo, the family “had no worries at all,” as they frequently received news and knew that he was treated humanely, from food and personal items to medical care. He still vividly remembers a recording broadcast on Hanoi Radio, in which his father wished him a happy birthday and ended with three words: “I am okay.”

“Even now, I still keep that recording on my iPhone and often listen to it, especially the part where he says, ‘I am okay,’” Thomas shared.

According to him, his father recalled that in the first days of captivity, his spirit was unsettled. One day, a feather drifted in through the window; he picked it up, tossed it into the air, and caught it over and over until his mind grew calmer. From then on, he began to reflect on the war, on the Vietnamese people he had met, and decided to speak out against the war.

In interviews with the international and American press afterward, Walter consistently affirmed: “The fact that so many anti-Vietnam War organizations and millions of peace-loving citizens are fighting to bring this war to an early end gives me great joy. I was never tortured, though the treatment was not very kind. I was never beaten or subjected to the kind of cruelty we had once imagined.”

According to records preserved at the Hoa Lo Prison Relic, on June 16, 1968, US Navy Lieutenant Commander Walter Eugene Wilber took part in combat operations in Southeast Asia, piloting an F-4J Phantom II to bomb North Vietnam. His aircraft was shot down by pilot Dinh Ton (MiG-21) over Do Luong, Nghe An. While his comrade was killed, Wilber parachuted into the fields of Thanh Tien Commune, Thanh Chuong District. Captured and transferred to Hoa Lo Prison, he spent five years in detention, where he was treated with humanity and leniency. On February 12, 1973, he was released at Gia Lam Airport, Hanoi. The personal belongings he had used during captivity were brought back to the United States and carefully preserved.

During his time at Hoa Lo, Walter wrote many letters to his family. One letter, sent to his eldest son on his 17th birthday at Christmas in 1970, is still preserved at the Relic Site today. In it, he wrote: “Seventeen is such a joyful age. The horizon is opening wide before you, and you will grow more confident. Don’t miss any of the happy days of youth, but keep strengthening both your body and your mind, especially learning how to think and solve problems. Be honest, but don’t let yourself become afraid of speaking before others. I have nothing to send you except my love and my very best wishes.”

Pilot Walter Eugene Wilber (center), during his imprisonment at Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi, received photos and daily necessities sent by his family. (Photo: KT)

The belongings once used by Walter, an enamel-coated metal mug, clothing, a matchbox, letters, and more, are still preserved at Hoa Lo today. Over the years, the Wilber family has donated many keepsakes to the Relic Site: letters sent to his wife and children, recorded interview tapes, old newspapers, and even a piece of gift wrap once used by 12-year-old Thomas to send a parcel to his father.

The enamel mug, produced by the Hai Phong Enamelware and Aluminum Factory, was Walter’s daily companion for drinking water or making coffee. The coffee, supplied by his family, was kept at the camp and rationed to him over time. After years of use, the mug’s lid and base became chipped.

The Son’s Journey of Healing

In an interview with the press, Thomas shared that during his time at Hoa Lo, his father had helped a prison guard learn English, while in return, the guard taught him Vietnamese. Thomas also came across a notebook containing idioms and phrases that American prisoners had used to communicate in Vietnamese with the prison staff. “When I look at the photographs, I see him smiling brightly,” Thomas said. “It shows me that he was trying to do everything he could to build understanding between American prisoners and their guards at Hoa Lo Prison.”

Not only preserving his father’s memories, Thomas has also sought out and donated mementos of other American pilots once held at Hoa Lo. He has met with the family of Colonel Dinh Ton, the pilot who shot down his father’s plane, Colonel Nguyen Van Suu, a fellow aviator of that era, and many Vietnamese museum staff and officials.

Wilber father and son in 2015 with a vase made from the wreckage of an American plane brought back from Vietnam.

“What surprised me most is that through this journey, I have also changed after coming to Vietnam. After meeting so many Vietnamese people, I came to realize that one of the most important and profound reasons behind my search for information was to help sustain the good relationship between Americans and Vietnamese. I don’t have enough words to fully express it, but I can say that it is the humanity of the Vietnamese people and culture that has driven me to want to learn more about the shared history of our two nations,” Thomas shared.

After more than 40 visits, Thomas is no longer a guest but a friend of Hoa Lo Prison Relics. He is grateful for the humane treatment of his father and the American pilots, and continues to return to preserve the memories of war through the language of relics.

“The Vietnamese treat everyone equally. Even in the most difficult circumstances, they still show respect for people of other nations. Vietnam is a prime example of how a country can maintain good relations with others while preserving its own unique identity,” he said.

Inspired by his father’s anti-war stance and the keepsakes he left behind, Thomas Eugene Wilber has become an independent researcher on Vietnam. Since 2015, he has donated numerous wartime mementos from American veterans to the Management Board of the Hoa Lo Prison Relic. He has also served as an inspiring guest at various exhibitions, thematic displays, and public programs held at the site. Wilber is the author of several books, including “Dissident Prisoners of War: From Hoa Lo Prison to America Today” and “American POWs for Peace: The War Within America.” In addition, he represents a US-based non-governmental organization engaged in humanitarian projects with Vietnamese partners.

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