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File: 120596_aaczf_14.txt
Page: 14
Total Pages: 22

		14
 could hear the bombs going off, too. Some of them had
 been pretty close and you could tell a close one from a
 far one. But really, we had no idea of anything. As I
 mentioned earlier, on the night of the 23 February, we
 were bombed out and I was put in a cell with ten other
 prisoners. One of those guys had been the latest shoot
 down on the 18th of February. Those of us who bad been
 shot down about a month earlier were very anxious for
 news so we said: "How's the ground war going?" And he
 replied: "It hasn't started yet." And I thought: "Oh,
 s---, I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but
 it's going to be a while if they haven't even started the
 ground war." I couldn't believe it hadn't been started
 yet. Of course, we had no idea it would only take 100
 hours. It was depressing when I heard that.

 Q: How long did these interrogations last?

 A: I wasn't interrogated after 23 February, and was released
 on 4 March. Once we were bombed out of that prison, it
 seemed like events were happening too fast for them; they
 couldn't keep up with things that were going on.
 Q: Did you have any indication when this was going to
 happen, or did your release just suddenly crop up?

 A: We stayed in one prison from about the 23rd to the 28th
 of February. On the 28th of February we were moved to
 another prison that appeared to be back under the Army's
 control. When we arrived at this prison, they threw us
 in our cells, of course we were in solitary, and they
 gave us two blankets initially. Then a guy came around
 and said: "Do you want any more blankets?" I said sure!
 So be threw in about four more. I couldn't believe it,
 but I got some more blankets. That night there was no
 bombing and I thought maybe the weather was too bad. The 
 next day, they started feeding us more and then again,
 that night there was no bombing. The day after that,
 they allowed us to wash, which was the first time I had
 done that in six weeks. They shaved us and the food kept
 getting a little better, and then they gave us new prison
 uniforms. So based on all those things and what I had
 read about Vietnam where the conditions improved prior
 to the release, and there was no bombing, I thought it
 was possible we were going to get released fairly soon.
 Either that , or something was afoot, I didn't know what.
 However, I thought they would come around to the cells
 a lot and ask you your name before they released you...
 because they weren't too good on English names and their
 bureaucracy was atrocious. So, I thought they would make
 sure they had the right guy. I was prepared that some
 thing was going to happen But that actual morning, a
 guy came to the cell, and said: "What's your name?" I


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