Chapter III - - NORTH VIETNAM
1970-1973The USMC and the USG were not sure of PFC Garwood's activities nor of his precise
location during the 1970-1973 period. First-hand eye-witness reports grew sparse
after Watkins, Strickland, and Tinsley were debriefed in 1969 and additional
reporting from U.S. POWs did not become available until Operation Homecoming in
1973. The few reports received were those of communist ralliers and POWs who related
either having had chance encounters with an American matching PFC
Garwood's description or having heard about him.
A former South Vietnamese guerrilla who rallied to U.S. control on 23 July 1970,
reported having met an American "rallier" in late January 1969. He saw the
American with a group of personnel of the Enemy Proselytizing Section (Cuc dich
van) of Military Region (MR) 5 in Quang Ngai province, and engaged him in casual
conversation. The American was dressed just like the VC: black pajamas, NLF [82]
medal, tire sandal shoes and a khaki jungle hat. He was in excellent health and
was called Nguyen Chien Dau. He admitted to being an American who had crossed
over to the VC cause in 1965. [83]
A second rallier, an NVA lieutenant colonel (LTC), debriefed on 21 November
1970, reported that while assigned to the Cuc Dich Van of MR 5 in mid-December [84]
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82. NLF = National Liberation Front
83. DOD Intelligence Information Report of 4 November 1970 (SICR D-7CX-49018),
CMIC, Saigon, South Vietnam.
84. DOD Intelligence Information Report (SICR D-7CX-49018) of 21 November 1970,
CMIC, Saigon, South Vietnam.
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