WHAT I CAN DO - I WILL -

For Americans captured in South Vietnam, daily life could be expected to be brutally difficult. Primarily, these men suffered from disease induced by an unfamiliar and inadequate diet - dysentery, edema, skin fungus and eczema. The inadequate diet coupled with inadequate medical care led to the deaths of many. Besides dietary problems, these POWs had other problems as well. They were moved regularly to avoid being in areas that would be detected by U.S. troops, and occasionally found themselves in the midst of U.S. bombing strikes. Supply lines to the camps were frequently cut off, and when they were, POWs and guards alike suffered. Unless they were able to remain in one location long enough to grow vegetable crops and tend small animals, their diet was limited to rice and what they could gather from the jungle.

From the camps in the South came the group of American POWs ultimately charged with collaboration with the enemy. These charges were later dropped, but are indicative of the strong survival instinct inherent in man, and the need for strong leadership. It is common knowledge that nearly all POWs "violated" the Military Code of Conduct in one way or another; some to greater degrees than others. Those who resisted utterly, the record shows, were executed or killed in more horrible ways. Americans tended to be moved from camp to camp in groups. One of the groups in South Vietnam contained a number of Americans whose fates are varied.

Several American POWs were held at a camp in Quang Nam Province numbered ST18, including William Eisenbraun, Bobby Garwood, Edwin Grissett, Jose Agosto-Santos, Luis Antonio Ortiz-Rivera, Robert C. Sherman, Floyd H. Kushner, Francis G. Anton, Robert Lewis, James F. Pfister, Earl C. Weatherman, Dennis W. Hammond and Joseph S. Zawtocki. A number of other Americans were held with this group including David N. Harker; James A. Daly; Richard R. Rehe; Willie A. Watkins; Francis E. Cannon; Richard F. Williams; and James H. Strickland. One detailed account of the captivity of these men can be found in "The Survivors" by Zalen Grant. Another can be read in "Conversations With The Enemy", written by Winston Groom and Duncan Spencer. Homecoming II Project - 2408 Hull Rd. - Kinston NC 28501 - also maintains synopsis accounts of these men.

Russ Grissett was on a search mission for a missing USMC officer when he became separated from his unit on January 22, 1966. He was with the elite 1st Force Recon, and was captured by the Viet Cong in Quang Ngai Province. Russ was several inches over 6' tall and carried a normal weight of around 190 pounds. After 2 years in captivity, however, his weight had dropped to around 125 pounds. Grissett suffered particularly from dysentery and malaria, and in his weakened condition begged his fellow POWs not to tell him any secrets. He had already been accused of sabotaging an escape plan by Kushner. He found it difficult to resist, and willingly made propaganda tapes about "lenient treatment".

When Ortiz-Rivera and Agosto-Santos were released, he had "behaved" enough that he was tremendously disappointed that he was not released with them. During one period of near-starvation, in late November 1969, Grissett caught and killed the camp's kitchen cat. It was a dangerous move, and fellow POWs watched helplessly and innocently as guards beat Grissett for the crime and he never recovered. Grissett was buried in the camp's cemetery by his fellow POWs. Harold Kushner stated that Grissett died on 02 December 1969. David Harker, another returned POW, stated that he had died at 3:30 a.m. on 23 November 1968. On 23 June 1989, the U.S. announced that the Vietnamese had "discovered" the remains of Russ Grissett and returned them to the U.S.

(Note: the "cat" incident spawned the assault charges against Garwood. Garwood, enraged that others had stood by while Grisset was mortally beaten, back-handed one of the bystanders in the stomach and asked, "How could you let them do this to Russ?" Some witnesses stated that the blow was not a hard one intended to injure, but seemingly for emphasis.)

There is a good bit of information about the first thirteen men listed above, so much so that it made this page a large file. I highly recommend reading the "full story", which you can do by visiting this page.

Biographical and incident of loss information was obtained from either POW/NET and/or Task Force Omega, Inc (unless otherwise noted). Additional information may be found via remembrances at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund or The Virtual Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial.