There is a common trope surrounding the Vietnam War in media (e.g. the X-files episode 'Unrequited') where French and mainly American POW's were left to die by the government. It's been decades since the War, Vietnam seems to be a representative republic now - Is there any truth to this trope?

by ArbeiterVonVien

'Unrequited' shows a group of former special forces who rescued a tortured American Prisoner of War who then goes on a killing spree of officers who certified that all POW's were exchanged.

Are there actual discrepancies between POW's taken and those returned?

ojarinn

See my earlier answer here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/l88o0f/were_there_any_verified_american_pows_who_were/

There is no evidence any US prisoners were held in Vietnam after 1973, it is a false conspiracy theory.