Bobby Garwood
Encyclopedia
Robert Russell Garwood is a former Vietnam War
prisoner of war. Garwood was a United States Marine Corps
Private First Class
when he was captured on September 28, 1965 at DaNang, in Quang Nam province during the Vietnam War
. Often cited as the last American POW from the Vietnam War, he was taken to North Vietnam in 1969, and reportedly released in 1973 along with all other American POWs, but did not return to the United States
until March 22, 1979. He is listed either as having volunteered or been forced into a work group repairing a generator at Lien Trai I, one of the Yen Bai reeducation camps in Hoang Lien San Province in northern Vietnam. Other reports describe him as working at an unnamed "island fortress" in Thac Ba, North Vietnam, or having been kept behind in mainland labour camps as a driver and vehicle mechanic. Garwood was considered by the Department of Defense
to have acted as a collaborator with the enemy. In 1998, the Department of Defense changed his status from RETURNEE to AWOL/Deserter/Collaborator
.
Garwood denies the charges of collaboration. He accuses the Department of Defense of trying to rewrite history to make him seem like a liar to downplay his 1984 claims that he had seen other POWs "left behind" after 1973 and that he had been held prisoner for 14 years, though there are inconsistencies in his story. Many former POWs claim to have witnessed Garwood apparently collaborating with the enemy, though most say he should not have been court martialed. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps convicted Garwood of collaboration, reducing him in rank to private and dishonorably discharging him. He forfeited all back pay.
In June 1992, a U.S. task force examined the sites where Garwood claimed to have seen live U.S. prisoners, interviewed nearby residents, and met with Vietnamese officials, but reported "no evidence could be found to suggest that there are, or ever were, any live U.S. POWs" there.
The circumstances surrounding Garwood's disappearance is in dispute; Garwood himself claims that he was ambushed when he got lost while driving alone in a jeep to pickup an officer, that his jeep was torched and he was stripped naked. What is known is that on 28 September 1965, he was found absent at the 2300 bed check. No unauthorized absence (UA) was reported because Garwood was thought to have had a "late run." He was reported UA after he failed to report for muster at 0730 on the 29th.
On 29 September, the Division Provost Marshal was notified of Garwood's absence and an all points bulletin was issued for him and his missing vehicle. This bulletin was repeated for three days with no results. Personnel from the motor pool searched areas of Da Nang that Garwood was known to frequent but no leads were uncovered. On 2 October, the division's provost marshal contacted the Republic of Vietnam's Military Security Services. Their search efforts also produced no information regarding Garwood.
As these investigations proceeded, Garwood's commanding officer reported to the Commandant, USMC, that, in view of Garwood's past record of UA, it was his opinion that Garwood was possibly UA and this UA could have resulted in Garwood being taken POW. Because of the lack of any evidence of Garwood's capture, however, the CO recommended that there be no change in Garwood's status and that he remain UA until evidence to the contrary proved otherwise.
Two separate Vietnamese agents reported that the Viet Cong (VC) claimed that a U.S. serviceman and his jeep had been picked up in the Cam Hai region, approximately 11.5 miles from the DaNang base, after the serviceman had become lost. The American had been captured and the jeep burned. A ground and aerial search for the burned vehicle produced no results, as did four platoon search operations on 1 October. Two additional platoons swept the area in the vicinity of Marble Mountain the next morning but found nothing.
On 12 October, the 704th ITC Det (CI) authorized the offer of a 100,000 $VN reward for information leading to the successful recovery of the missing serviceman and additional 2,500 $VN for the recovery of his vehicle.
On 3 December 1965, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment found a document entitled Fellow Soldier's Appeal with Garwood's name on it, on a gate near DaNan. The document recommended, among other things, that US troops stop fighting in Vietnam and return home. The signature (B. Garwood) may well have been made by a rubber stamp and the English usage in the letter suggests that it was not written entirely by a native English speaker. A second version of this document was found on 18 July 1966 in the DaNang area, but it appeared to be on better quality paper and the signature was at a different angle.
In view of this information, Pvt. Garwood's status was changed from "missing" to "presumed captured" on 17 December 1965.
(DIA), which called Garwood a "stay-behind
," reported it could not locate any masonry structures where Garwood claims he saw live American POWs after 1973 at a motel-shaped masonry building in North Vietnam. Senator Bob Smith
requested the DIA search again. When a second search produced no results, Smith, ABC News
, Garwood, and Hendon traveled to Vietnam. Following Garwood's directions, they reported that they found a building just as Garwood had described. The Vietnamese government and a former head of the DIA POW/MIA office angrily disputed the finding, insisting the structure had not existed when Garwood was a POW.
and Martin Sheen
was released in 1992. The real Garwood, whose role Macchio portrayed in the production, was a consultant to the film's producers, according to which Garwood had been ordered to survive by one of his superiors, who was also a captive of the North Vietnamese.
.
Kiss the Boys Goodbye, 1990 by Monika Jensen-Stevenson, a producer for CBS's "60 Minutes" in 1985. The book begins with a segment she produced on Garwood.
Spite House, 1997 by Monika Jensen-Stevenson, gives a detailed account of one of Lt. Colonel McKenny's commando team's attempt to kill Garwood in a North Vietnamese jungle camp for collaborating with the enemy, and of McKenney's conversion from a would-be assassin into a believer in Garwood's innocence.
Why Didn't You Get Me Out, 1997 by Frank Anton with Tommy Denton, gives a detailed account of Frank's 5 years as a POW. He offers extensive eye-witness accounts of Bobby Garwood and his collaborating with the NVA including actually guarding American POWs with a rifle.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
prisoner of war. Garwood was a United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
when he was captured on September 28, 1965 at DaNang, in Quang Nam province during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Often cited as the last American POW from the Vietnam War, he was taken to North Vietnam in 1969, and reportedly released in 1973 along with all other American POWs, but did not return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until March 22, 1979. He is listed either as having volunteered or been forced into a work group repairing a generator at Lien Trai I, one of the Yen Bai reeducation camps in Hoang Lien San Province in northern Vietnam. Other reports describe him as working at an unnamed "island fortress" in Thac Ba, North Vietnam, or having been kept behind in mainland labour camps as a driver and vehicle mechanic. Garwood was considered by the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
to have acted as a collaborator with the enemy. In 1998, the Department of Defense changed his status from RETURNEE to AWOL/Deserter/Collaborator
Collaborator
Collaborator or collaborators may refer to:* Collaboration, working with others for a common goal* Collaboration: Japanese Agents and Local Elites in Wartime China, a 2005 history book by Timothy Brook...
.
Garwood denies the charges of collaboration. He accuses the Department of Defense of trying to rewrite history to make him seem like a liar to downplay his 1984 claims that he had seen other POWs "left behind" after 1973 and that he had been held prisoner for 14 years, though there are inconsistencies in his story. Many former POWs claim to have witnessed Garwood apparently collaborating with the enemy, though most say he should not have been court martialed. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps convicted Garwood of collaboration, reducing him in rank to private and dishonorably discharging him. He forfeited all back pay.
In June 1992, a U.S. task force examined the sites where Garwood claimed to have seen live U.S. prisoners, interviewed nearby residents, and met with Vietnamese officials, but reported "no evidence could be found to suggest that there are, or ever were, any live U.S. POWs" there.
Military service and capture
Garwood was assigned to the Marine base at DaNang in South Vietnam as a motor-pool driver.The circumstances surrounding Garwood's disappearance is in dispute; Garwood himself claims that he was ambushed when he got lost while driving alone in a jeep to pickup an officer, that his jeep was torched and he was stripped naked. What is known is that on 28 September 1965, he was found absent at the 2300 bed check. No unauthorized absence (UA) was reported because Garwood was thought to have had a "late run." He was reported UA after he failed to report for muster at 0730 on the 29th.
On 29 September, the Division Provost Marshal was notified of Garwood's absence and an all points bulletin was issued for him and his missing vehicle. This bulletin was repeated for three days with no results. Personnel from the motor pool searched areas of Da Nang that Garwood was known to frequent but no leads were uncovered. On 2 October, the division's provost marshal contacted the Republic of Vietnam's Military Security Services. Their search efforts also produced no information regarding Garwood.
As these investigations proceeded, Garwood's commanding officer reported to the Commandant, USMC, that, in view of Garwood's past record of UA, it was his opinion that Garwood was possibly UA and this UA could have resulted in Garwood being taken POW. Because of the lack of any evidence of Garwood's capture, however, the CO recommended that there be no change in Garwood's status and that he remain UA until evidence to the contrary proved otherwise.
Two separate Vietnamese agents reported that the Viet Cong (VC) claimed that a U.S. serviceman and his jeep had been picked up in the Cam Hai region, approximately 11.5 miles from the DaNang base, after the serviceman had become lost. The American had been captured and the jeep burned. A ground and aerial search for the burned vehicle produced no results, as did four platoon search operations on 1 October. Two additional platoons swept the area in the vicinity of Marble Mountain the next morning but found nothing.
On 12 October, the 704th ITC Det (CI) authorized the offer of a 100,000 $VN reward for information leading to the successful recovery of the missing serviceman and additional 2,500 $VN for the recovery of his vehicle.
On 3 December 1965, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment found a document entitled Fellow Soldier's Appeal with Garwood's name on it, on a gate near DaNan. The document recommended, among other things, that US troops stop fighting in Vietnam and return home. The signature (B. Garwood) may well have been made by a rubber stamp and the English usage in the letter suggests that it was not written entirely by a native English speaker. A second version of this document was found on 18 July 1966 in the DaNang area, but it appeared to be on better quality paper and the signature was at a different angle.
In view of this information, Pvt. Garwood's status was changed from "missing" to "presumed captured" on 17 December 1965.
The D.I.A
The Defense Intelligence AgencyDefense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
(DIA), which called Garwood a "stay-behind
Stay-behind
In a stay-behind operation, a country places secret operatives or organisations in its own territory, for use in the event that the territory is overrun by an enemy. If this occurs, the operatives would then form the basis of a resistance movement, or would act as spies from behind enemy lines...
," reported it could not locate any masonry structures where Garwood claims he saw live American POWs after 1973 at a motel-shaped masonry building in North Vietnam. Senator Bob Smith
Robert C. Smith
Robert C. "Bob" Smith is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
requested the DIA search again. When a second search produced no results, Smith, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Garwood, and Hendon traveled to Vietnam. Following Garwood's directions, they reported that they found a building just as Garwood had described. The Vietnamese government and a former head of the DIA POW/MIA office angrily disputed the finding, insisting the structure had not existed when Garwood was a POW.
The Last P.O.W.? The Bobby Garwood Story (1992) (TV)
A made-for-TV film starring Ralph MacchioRalph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
and Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
was released in 1992. The real Garwood, whose role Macchio portrayed in the production, was a consultant to the film's producers, according to which Garwood had been ordered to survive by one of his superiors, who was also a captive of the North Vietnamese.
Books about Bobby Garwood
Conversations With The Enemy - The Story of PFC Robert Garwood, 1983 by Winston Groom with Duncan Spencer. Groom, a Vietnam veteran, also authored the novel Forrest GumpForrest Gump (novel)
Forrest Gump is a 1986 novel by Winston Groom. The title character experiences adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships to thinking about his childhood love. The Vietnam War and college football are all part of the story. Throughout his life, Gump views the world simply...
.
Kiss the Boys Goodbye, 1990 by Monika Jensen-Stevenson, a producer for CBS's "60 Minutes" in 1985. The book begins with a segment she produced on Garwood.
Spite House, 1997 by Monika Jensen-Stevenson, gives a detailed account of one of Lt. Colonel McKenny's commando team's attempt to kill Garwood in a North Vietnamese jungle camp for collaborating with the enemy, and of McKenney's conversion from a would-be assassin into a believer in Garwood's innocence.
Why Didn't You Get Me Out, 1997 by Frank Anton with Tommy Denton, gives a detailed account of Frank's 5 years as a POW. He offers extensive eye-witness accounts of Bobby Garwood and his collaborating with the NVA including actually guarding American POWs with a rifle.