The
nickname that
American POWs had for the Hoa Lo
prison in
Hanoi during the
Vietnam War. Americans were kept in the camp from 8/11/64 to 3/28/73. The camp was built around the turn of the century by the
French. In Vietnamese the word "hoa lo" means "portable earthen stove", so named for the families of
hibachi makers that lived on the site before the prison was built. American
GIs also had names for certain sections of the camp, such as:
Heartbreak Hotel (which was "
the hole")
Little
Vegas
New Guy Village
West Court