Former jailer in Vietnam tells of his ‘respect’ for late US senator

Senator John McCain’s former Vietnamese jailer has said he respected his former inmate and felt sad about his death.

He spoke as others in Vietnam paid their respects to the former US Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war, and was later instrumental in bringing the wartime foes together.

Mr McCain’s Skyhawk dive bomber was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and he was taken prisoner and held in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison for more than five years.

Former Colonel Tran Trong Duyet, who ran the prison at the time, said he met Mr McCain many times while he was confined there.

“At that time I liked him personally for his toughness and strong stance,” he told the newspaper Vietnam News.

“Later on when he became a US senator, he and Senator John Kerry greatly contributed to promote Vietnam-US relations so I was very fond of him.

“When I learnt about his death early this morning, I feel very sad. I would like to send condolences to his family.

“I think it’s the same feeling for all Vietnamese people as he has greatly contributed to the development of Vietnam-US relations.”

Mr McCain died of brain cancer on Saturday aged 81 in his home state of Arizona.

Meanwhile, scores of people in Hanoi paid their respects to Mr McCain at the US embassy and at a monument by Truc Bach Lake, where he landed after parachuting from his damaged plane.

US ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink said Mr McCain helped normalise relations between the former enemies.