Colonel Thomas Moe: American POW in North Vietnam

Moe: I discovered after a month or two that they were looking for people to send home early. After I found that out, things started to make sense as to why they were being relatively easy on me. When they asked me if I wanted to go home early, I told them only if everyone else went home. I discovered later that they had made this same offer to other prisoners. I kept trying to think of a way to get them off my back about going home early and decided I would stop eating. I did not eat for a couple of weeks, total starvation. I thought that one night I would go to sleep and not wake up. They finally asked me what was wrong, and I told them that they were not going to use me for propaganda by sending me home early before everyone was released. I told them that if I starved to death it was their problem, not mine.

Moe: It was hard. I would shake and almost be in convulsions after I had not eaten in a few days.

Moe: Bread, so-called soup and a jug of water. The soup was a watery vegetable soup. We called it sewer greens.

Moe: I did drink the water. I did not want to kill myself, although I figured that I would die from not eating.

VN: What happened after they determined that you were not going to be released early?

Moe: I was put in with another prisoner, Myron Donald, whom I knew from pilot training. They also made up for lost time, and I experienced the severe beatings and torture that most of my mates had suffered. I ended up with three broken ribs, bruised kidneys, internal bleeding and a lot of other injuries. Myron nursed me and saved my life. Luckily, even though he was also being tortured, he was not as badly injured as I because he did not get kicked. But he was sick with an intestinal disease, so his actions were heroic.

Moe: He wrapped my ribs, gave me most of his food and encouraged me. I was in pretty bad shape because I had not been eating. He was pretty emaciated too. He risked his life when he gave me most of his food.

Moe: Normally only a few days or a week. They knew how far they could go without killing you, but they did deliberately beat some guys to death. We had some propaganda value to them, and it would not have looked good if they killed all their prisoners. I will always be thankful to President Nixon for really turning the heat up [concerning the] MIA issue. Later, after the bombing started back up again in the North and especially after the Son Tay raid, they started being much nicer to us.

Moe: I started out at the [Hanoi] Hilton and then moved to a camp called the Plantation. I was in solitary my entire time at the Hilton and started out in solitary at the Plantation. I was at the Plantation for about a year. Both Myron and I moved to Son Tay from the Plantation.

Moe: It was not all that unusual to keep roommates together. Some guys had the same roommates for years. There was a space problem, so they finally had to pair us up. They tried to drive a wedge between us, but it didn’t work. We were well educated and well trained. The vast majority of the guys did not buckle under. After a while they gave up trying to indoctrinate us, especially after the Son Tay raid. After that raid, they put us in rooms with about 50, 60 or 70 people per room. That was mostly done for security, because they had to close the outlying camps. The bigger rooms helped morale, as we could tell each other stories and teach each other. When we were moved from Son Tay, we moved to a camp under construction. It looked like they were going to turn it into a place where we could have recreation. The buildings even had windows. Before that, all we had were rat holes that were just big enough to let the moisture out.

19 Comments to “Colonel Thomas Moe: American POW in North Vietnam”
I was so thrilled to see Thomas Moe at GOP convention when Sarah Palin spoke about him. I had his POW bracelet when I was in Jr. High

By Tracy on Sep 3, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I have a POW bracelet from elementary school for a Capt. Thomas Moe. I was watching the convention and when Sarah Palin said something about Tom Moe. I got all excited and told my husband that Tom Moe was on my POW bracelet. I was so ecstatic at remembering something from 30 odd years ago that I went and found the bracelet to prove my thoughts. I have often thought about the man on my bracelet and to be able to see him in person was something incredible. I would like to be able to tell him that he has been thought of numerous times in the past 30 years. He looks to be a very personable man and I am proud to have had him in my prayers for a long time.

By christy on Sep 3, 2008 at 11:40 pm
I also have a bracelet that has Captain Thomas Moe and the date 1-18-68. It was not mine it was my little sisters Tina Hadwin, We had a car accident on April 2, 1973 and she was killed, she had kept the bracelet in her purse and it was with her that night, she was only 8 years old. I have kept the bracelet and have also thought and prayed for Capt. Moe. When I heard his name last night, I also told my husband and ran to find the silver bracelet, that meant so much to Tina, and myself. God Bless you Colonel Thomas Moe. And God Bless our Great Country, and the Leaders of it. I am voting for John McCain. I have a Son in Iraq at this time, this is his second tour. May the Lord Jesus keep a hedge of protection around all of our troops and bring them home undefeated. And Thank you Sarah Palin for letting Myself, Christy and others whom have kept these bracelts and wondered about this couragous man, We have a peace of this matter knowing he returned to his family safely. Once again, I thank you.

By jeanie on Sep 4, 2008 at 9:49 am
To gain a thorough respect for our country’s POWs and how they sacrificed for us, read the following 1996 article (written by Tom Moe) in Notre Dame Magazine;
printed January 1996: http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/moew95.html

Also, re: Wright Patterson Air Force Base Museum: please go to the Viet Nam era section and see the mock up of the cells they lived in for years. The display (Tom assisted the Museum in its replica construction, and as told to a Lancaster group by Tom Moe on a 2007 tour to the Dayton museum) depicts how the prisoners developed a code system (something like Morse code, but not that code), with which they communicated by tapping on the cell walls with their alphabet code. The emphatic messages were “Return with Honor”

The character of John McCain and Tom Moe are reflected in their ability to return to their beloved country with honor.

By Will on Sep 4, 2008 at 11:14 am
I too wore the MIA/POW bracelet for Capt Thomas Moe. It was so exciting to see him at the convention and to know that he is alive and being honored by the Republican as well as all other American who are very grateful for all of his sacrifices. I wish him and his family God’s speed.

By Emily on Sep 4, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I knew Colonel Thomas Moe’s father, Al. He was a civilian engineer with the Navy during the Vietnam war. Al Moe was a very fine man. I was delighted to see Thomas introduced at the Republican convention.

By Mike on Sep 4, 2008 at 6:01 pm
The Republican Convention gave us the best gift one could get. To know that Tom Moe was alive. My wife and I wore Tom’s bracelet till the late 70’s when we left the USAF (we still have them). My wife picked his name randomly at a wives club meeting and I did because a friend, Bill “Wimpy” Hamilton Maj USAF, told me about him. We were thrilled to hear his name and see that he made it back in one piece. We often wondered if he made it but never knew until last night.

Garvin T. Nowell, Jr. Major USAF Ret.

By Garvin T.Nowell, Jr. on Sep 4, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I also wore Col. Moe’s bracelet for many years. It was an honor and I can not be more happy that he was one of the lucky ones to make it home. God bless him for all he gave up for our country.

Gina Nowell Armbruster

By Gina Nowell Armbruster on Sep 4, 2008 at 11:49 pm
As with several others, I too, wore the bracelet in honor of COL Moe. In the early 1990’s, I was able to locate and speak with him directly via the telephone. I was very excited to know he was alive and well. What a great American he is and I am forever grateful for his contribution to our country. God bless you COL Moe.

By Jill Stephenson on Sep 5, 2008 at 5:52 am
tom moe my heart goes out to him. I read what he went through it made me sick to my stomach. I think he is a hero in every sense of the word. I wish him and his family well I heard his name and researched it and wow. he makes me proud to be an american. I wish he was campaigning for the democrats but nobodys perfect lol.

By mi9chael beese on Sep 5, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Col Moe was my very first commander when I entered active duty. My respect for him cannot be described in a short paragraph. He taught me tact and integrity, which I carried throughout my Air Force career. I didn’t have a POW bracelet with his name, but had the opportunity to serve with him. He put a lot of trust in a very green 18 year old. I recall the stories of his downing and capture first-hand. And I wondered how he could continue flying after all he had been through. “For the love of country”, he would say. It was “awesome” to see him during the RNC continuing his “love for country.”

By Renell Anderson on Sep 6, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I still have my POW bracelet with the name Capt. Thomas Moe, and it thrilled me to see him live on TV at the RNC! I wonder how many of his had his name and prayed for his safe return. Our prayers were answered.

By Julie on Sep 7, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Add me to the list of those that wore the Thomas Moe POW bracelet in high school and prayed for his safe return. Like several of you, I heard his name in Sarah Palin’s speech and came to find out more.

By Michele Everett on Sep 9, 2008 at 1:13 am
I read Mr. Noe’s story with great interest. Having learned about his story from mutual frineds, the Simpson’s, I was both horrified and uplifted by the sheer courage and determination it took for him to remain alive. To survive such an ordeal surely took a very special type of individual. Maybe sometime I will be lucky enough to meet such a person and spend some quality time talking about faith and spirituality. Because Mr. Noe must have had an abundance of both. God bless.

By Mary L. Shupp on Sep 9, 2008 at 9:20 am
In 1972, when I was 14 years old, I met the man who would become my husband. He was only 13. We soon discovered that we both wore the POW bracelet for Captain Thomas Moe. We still have one of the bracelets and our children ware it regularly. in 1973 when the prisoners decended from their plane, we watched in hopes of seeing Thomas Moe. We never did and feared the worst. It was such an amazing feeling to see Col. Thomas Moe during the convention. My family is thrilled to know you made it through safe and sound.

By Sandy Rothstadt on Sep 11, 2008 at 11:52 am
While stationed at Kadena, Okinawa in 1973, I volunteered to act as Escort Officer for returning POW’s. I was sent to Clark AFB, PI and was assigned to assist POW’s to be released on 13 March, 1973. Captain Moe and future Senator John McCain were released on this date. I was assigned to assist Captain Moe and escort him on the trip to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Our first stop on the trip was at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. When we landed at Hickam after midnight, we were amazed to find a crowd of hundreds of men, women, and children there to greet the aircraft. The same thing happened at Scott AFB, Illinois and finally at our arrival at Wright-Patterson. The opportunity to perform a service for our returning POW’s and the emotional high of the welcome home crowd was definitely one of the high points of my military career.

By Jim McLaughlin, Capt, USAF Ret. on Oct 22, 2008 at 9:29 am
/While watching the Republican National Convention, I heard
the name of Col Thomas Moe mentioned as a POW who was
imprisoned with Sen. McCain, and I immediately recognized his
name as that on the POW bracelet I wore for many years. I got
my bracelet after my husband and I arrived at KI Sawyer AFB in
December 1970. I still have it, and like others who’ve written
never did know whether he came home until I heard his name
spoken. I still see people today, now and then wearing their
bracelet, and I would thinks of “my POW”. How wonderful it was
to learn at last that he survived and came home to his family and
his grateful country. I now want to hear his story and will
continue to think of him and wish him well and God bless him
and his family.
Stephanie Schulz

By Stephanie Schulz on Oct 22, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Hey Tom, just saw the video with you and Chris looking fine. It sure has been a long time since we’ve been able to give one another a hug. Hope you still play on the guitar occasionally and sing. There will be a day when we are in Columbus at the same time. I am sure of it. Best to you both. Laurel

By Laurel Riemenschneider Johnson on Nov 19, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I had the opportunity to meet Lieutenant Tom Moe during the Convention in Minneapolis. He related his story to me as I stood in amazement and listened intently. He is certainly a brave man and one who has gone through hell to get back to America ,his beloved land. I still cry when I tell his story of torture in the way he related it to me. We should all be proud to be Americans and say it often and believe it forever. Tom Moe is my Hero.
Check out my web site at bettypace.com Betty Pace

By aaBetty Pace on Dec 4, 2008 at 11:59 pm

Colonel Thomas Moe: American POW in North Vietnam

19 Comments to “Colonel Thomas Moe: American POW in North Vietnam”

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