Just Released Exhibit Renderings Offer Sneak Peek of Upcoming POW Exhibit at the Nixon Library
Beginning on May 24, visitors to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum will be able to relive the harrowing experiences of prisoners of war in the new special exhibit, Captured: Shot Down in Vietnam.
The opening of this special exhibit coincides with the 50th anniversary of Operation Homecoming, which brought the return of nearly 600 American Prisoners of War from Vietnam.
An immersive experience, Captured takes visitors on the journey of American aviators who spent up to eight years enduring brutal conditions as prisoners of war in North Vietnam. Over 75 unique artifacts —assembled together for the first time— will go on display, including:
- the flight suit of Rear Admiral James B. Stockdale, the most senior naval officer held captive in Hanoi
- the prison-issued pajamas of U.S. Navy Captain Jack Ensch
- items from the Hanoi Hilton including a brick, roof tile, broom and tin cup
A sneak peek of what visitors will encounter:
Receive a pilot briefing in a Ready Room of a mighty U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier. This space might look familiar to fans of the Top Gun movies. The Navy Fighter Weapons School, more popularly known as Top Gun, was founded during the Vietnam War, and exhibit visitors can hear stories told by original Top Gun pilots.
Enter the most notorious prison camp in North Vietnam, Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” and hear stories directly from surviving POWs.
Celebrate a joyful homecoming — in a circus tent! On May 24, 1973 President and Mrs. Nixon hosted the largest dinner in White House history in honor of the Vietnam POWs. For the occasion, a colorful tent borrowed from a circus and larger than the White House itself was built on the South Lawn and the entertainment included some of the biggest Hollywood stars of the day including Sammy Davis, Jr., Bob Hope and John Wayne.
Captured: Shot Down In Vietnam opens on May 24, 2023, for a limited time. Advance tickets are available now.