“Your lads […] looked much like the reappearance of Jesus Christ to us”: Canada, the ICCS and the release of US Prisoners of War in Vietnam

Abstract : Between January and July 1973, 240 Canadian military personnel took part in the International Commission for Control and Supervision (ICCS), responsible for monitoring the Paris Peace Agreements ending the American war in Vietnam. Canadian military observers notably supervised the release of 595 Americans prisoners of war (POWs) as well as over 32,000 Vietnamese captives. This article suggests that the ICCS, often viewed in the historiography as ineffective because of the numerous violations of the agreements, was much more successful in terms of monitoring US POW releases. In addition, it argues that helping the ally was a priority for the Canadian peace observers.