6 Feb 70
NORTH VIETNAM
GRANMA PUBLISHES INTERVIEW WITH U.S. POW McCAIN
Havana GRANMA 24 Jan 70 p 7
Dr. Fernando Barral, a Spanish psychiatrist residing in Cuba, returned last week
from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam where he was invited; and in his notebook he
brought back some journalistic news: an interview with a North American pilot captured
in the DRV after bombing Hanoi on 26 October 1967. The meeting between him and the
pilot took place in an office of the Committee for Foreign Cultural Relations in Hanoi.
snip
We had closed one subject, between sips of coffee enjoyed equally by the pilot
and me, but the cakes and oranges have not been touched. I motioned to the pilot, and
I began to peel an orange. Soon afterward, we reopened the conversation.
snip
What led you to join the U.S. Navy?
"Mainly for a family reason, since I have many relatives in that branch of service. In
particular, my grandfather was outstanding in World War II; he was one of those who
made the Japanese sign the act of surrender, and a Naval destroyer bears his name.
And my father is also an admiral; he is chief of the Pacific Command of the U.S. Armed
Forces.
Wouldn't that get him special treatment?From the moral and ideological point of view he showed us he is an insensitive individual
without human depth, who does not show the slightest concern, who does not appear to
have thought about the criminal acts he committed against a population from the almost
absolute impunity of his airplane, and that nevertheless those people saved his life,
fed him, and looked after his health, and he is now healthy and strong. I believe
that he bombed densely populated places for sport. I noted he was hardened, that
he spoke of banal things as if he were at a cocktail party.
During the interview he quietly drank three cups of coffee and smoked one of the
cigarettes the Vietnamese had placed on the central table.