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Prisoner of War Tin Cup with Writing

National Museum of American History
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Object Details

Rollins, David
Description
Physical Description
White metal cup with "Trieu Viet" in red and blue letters on the side. Wire wrapped around cup handle.
Specific History
This cup, given to the North Vietnamese Army by the North Koreans as a "friendship" cup, was given to Commander David "Jack" Rollins, U.S. Navy, a prisoner of war from May 14, 1967, to March 4, 1973. The wire wrapped around the cup's handle was used to make needles. The North Vietnamese Army never figured out where the needles they confiscated from Rollins came from.
General History
A prisoner of war (POW) is someone who is captured and imprisoned by an enemy power during a time of conflict or war. In 1949 the Geneva Convention in 1949 defined who was to be considered a POW and determined how they were to be treated. The policies established by the Geneva Convention were based on the international humanitarian law, or laws of war.
ID Number
2004.0083.19
accession number
2004.0083
catalog number
2004.0083.19
Object Name
cup
Physical Description
tin (overall material)
copper (overall material)
enamel (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 3 1/2 in x 4 3/4 in x 3 3/4 in; 8.89 cm x 12.065 cm x 9.525 cm
Associated Place
Vietnam
See more items in
Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Military
Military
ThinkFinity
Exhibition
Price of Freedom
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
subject
POWs
related event
Vietnam War
Postwar United States
Record ID
nmah_1273033
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-6c0c-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • 1967: A Year in the Collections

Prisoner of War tin cup with writing
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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