Kiss the Boys Goodbye: How the United States Betrayed Its Own POWs in Vietnam

by Monika Jensen-Stevenson, William Stevenson

The classic account of the abandonment of American POWs in Vietnam by the US government.

For many Americans, the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan bring back painful memories of one issue in particular: American policy on the rescue and negotiation for American prisoners. One current American POW of the Taliban, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl stands as their symbol. Thousands of Vietnam veteran POW activists worry that Bergdahl will suffer the fate of so many of their POW/MIA comrades–-abandonment once the US leaves that theatre of war.

Kiss the Boys Goodbye convincingly shows that a legacy of shame remains from America’s ill-fated involvement in Vietnam. Until US government policy on POW/MIAs changes, it remains one of the most crucial issues for any American soldier who fights for home and country, particularly when we are engaged with an enemy who doesn't adhere to the international standards for the treatment of prisoners—or any American hostage—as the graphic video of Daniel Pearl’s decapitation on various Jihad websites bears out.

In this explosive book, Monika Jensen-Stevenson and William Stevenson provide startling evidence that American troops were left in captivity in Indochina, victims of their government's abuse of secrecy and power. The book not only delves into the world of official obstruction, missing files, censored testimony and the pressures brought to bear on witnesses ready to tell the truth, it reveals the trauma on patriotic families torn apart by a policy that, at first, seemed unbelievable to them.

First published in 1990, Kiss the Boys Goodbye has become a classic on the subject. This new edition features an afterword, which fills in the news on the latest verifiable scandal produced by the Senate Select Committee on POWs.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Military Fiction, Military History, War, American History, 20th Century

528 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I alternated between feeling angry and feeling a terrible sense of injustice and sadness.
Written by a previous 60 minutes producer, Kiss the Boys Goodbye is a suberb and in depth look at a story no one wanted told, a story that people would do almost anything to supress, and others would sacrifice everything to have told. The research is excellent and very detailed. At times I had to stop reading, just to take a step back. What if, I kept asking myself, what if my father, uncle, brother, husband, cousin, nephew had been one of these men. The author mentions in her book having been in Viet Nam a few years ago, probably somewhere in the 2010 or 2011 and seeing a man she thought to be caucasion, living on the streets, treated like a unwanted beggar. Although the true accounting of living POW's in Vietnam has never been released it was deemed by the government that due to the conditions and the ages it was improbable that were any still alive. Close to 40 years have passed since we evacuated VietNam, if I do the math, if a young soldier was 18 in 1973, in chronological years he would only be 57 years old.....wouldn't you wonder too?

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was first non-fiction historical book I read on the cover-up and the mere fact that our government did indeed leave our POW's and MIA's behind for the sacrifice of American Foreign Policy and operations that were highly questionable and were concealed from the American public for decades.

When evidence did surface that their were prisoners of war were still left in the jungles of Vietnam the government denied it and when a soldier came forward to say he was a prisoner of war and that there were countless others being held against their will the government disagreed and convicted him of basically what they called treason because they thought ex-marine Bobby Garwood was collaborating with the enemy and they convicted him on the grounds of treason.

The government buried his story of the fact there were prisoners left behind. As the author examines Garwood's case she comes across a world of secret information, missing files, censored testimony, and official obstruction and even threats from government officials.

I was shocked and enthralled by this unbelievable story of deception and outrage that our US government, the land of the free and democracy would abandon the men and women who fought for their country. They essentially ridiculed their validity of human value and were persecuted by their own government by using the cry of National Security to conceal their actions to whom they should be questioned as to why are intelligence bureaucrats running our country?

Reading this book forever changed how I viewed our country and how they put our soldiers at stake for their own means and keeping the perception we leave no one behind when in fact we do.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book, worth the time to get through this = = UNBELIEVABLE AND SHOCKING!! Second time I've read this which took me as long to read this time too. Takes a lot of concentration to stay with it. Difficult to read and take in all that goes on "under cover" in our government. Politicians covering up there "red faces" as one lie leads to another, etc. It's hard take!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I know why Ross Perot spoke to George H W Bush with such disdain during the 1980 Presidential debates. GJWB, as CIA chief, left our MIAs there and BOTH knew it!!! Read it and you will understand why the 2,500 MIAs were never rescued. Shame on us!!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It’s seriously sad to know all the behind the scenes things taking place to hide the fact we had people still over there. It’s a eye opener for sure.

[Roxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I found Col. David Hrdlicka's MIA cenotaph at Littleton Cemetery. Then I researched his story, and read his wife, Carol's, 2021 book FNDING DAVID, which left me fuming. That led me to KISS THE BOYS GOODBYE. MY GOD! How our government, peopled by many of the same above-it-all players, left hundreds behind in Viet Nam and Laos...and who knows where else... This book reads like a tense novel; the author and her co-writer/husband receive threats, veiled and otherwise, to back off their research. Stories about how POWs and MIAs were declared dead by decree, with no evidence, and no plan to find them. Nixon, Bush, Clinton, Johnson - Kissinger, McCain, Kerry...no doubt our very own current president... lying for personal power and gain.

What can y'do... the government deflects, hides, lies until it has been long enough to be certain our captured soldiers/sailors/airmen have died. The suggestion herein that there were people hired by our government who worked to ensure POWs/MIAs were never found.

It is a beautifully written, deeply researched, sickening read... They LIE! They DO leave people behind...with impunity and pure, cold blooded intent.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again this book is another indictment of the US government knowingly abandoning it men at the conclusion of their wars in Southeast Asia. One of numerous books on the POW/MIA issue that everyone should read. When this book was being written and subsequently published these men were still leaving E&E (Escape and Evasion codes) for US satellites to find. The government was still getting credible reports of Americans imprisoned in Vietnam and Laos.

[Tom Burden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and Infuriating Look into Vietnam POWs

Compiling years of research and clandestine meetings that would fit a Bond film, the authors present a compelling and dark look into a highly contentious issue.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard information to swallow. Very eye opening!

[Hans Brienesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is breathtaking both in it's scope and subject. I have yet to come across a book on the CIA that portrays it in a good light. And the lengths this organisation goes to in order to protect its self serving interests is despicabl,e and the most bizarre must be the sacrifice of hundreds of soldiers taken prisoner by the Vietcong and others. Those men marched willingly, and in some cases unwillingly, to a war in a far off land in the belief of the American Way that looks after its own. The postscript states that the issue has died a natural death as must also surely apply to all those POWs never returned. You simply must read this book to gain perspective on the most unsavoury part of American Foreign Policy and the ability of an organisation to control all the narrative by fair means or foul.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A timely reminder with the war in Afghanistan coming to an end?always interested in American history but this one was a bit too dry and if your a fan of acronyms then this is for you.the fight is not always communism or terrorism but a way for the rich few to get richer either through drugs oil or backhanders.the old saying rich mans war poor mans fight is as true now as when first said.and yes I do believe people were left behind and I think this will happen again but governments do not like to be shamed.

[Malcolm Schaffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been a great book about a shocking scandal that hurts government credibility ,encourages conspiracy theorists and above all must have damaged countless families with the trauma of not knowing what happened to their loved one.Instead we get a turgid account mainly focussed on the efforts - commendable - of author and husband to open up what happened .It gets swallowed in transactional minutiae and the real human cost gets lost.Was so interested to read this and was so disappointed by the end

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative look at the Vietnam War and secret operations afterward. The main issue I had with it is that the authors jumped from person to person or idea to idea leaving me spending more time trying to figure out who or where that specific person or agency fit into the story. Became very confusing at times, but the overall message was very eye opening.

[David M. Carroll]

A must read for every "Patriot"

Required reading for anyone who's ever uttered the phrase "my country, right or wrong". Eyes opening account of what people of a certain age group were close to experiencing.

[Gene Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frightening

Amazing to learn you can trust very few people in our government. I am very disillusioned with Reagan and Bush for ignoring the plight of those brave soldiers.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

So terrible for these “forgotten” POWs — not an easy read.

[Beth in SF · Rating 3 out of 5]

War is ugly, politics is uglier, and individual pain is both hidden and screamed. Commentaries on frustration and despair.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to swallow but well-researched and well-done.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.........excellent and sickening and enlightening and sad......I have a grandson in the Marine Corps and one going into the Air Force..........I will keep praying

[Stephen Tubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the smoothest of reads but at least the large amount of material and references has been well documented by the author.