When I met my husband in 1979. He had just escaped Vietnam the year before. He was one of the boat people. He told me way back in 1979 that he had seen American POW's as late as 1978 with his own eyes on more then one occasion. He was riding his scooter far out in the country side and saw a group of tall, long haired and bearded Caucasion men working the rice paddy fields under Vietnamese armed guard. When he looked a little too long and too hard the guards aimed thier rifles at him so he looked away and kept driving.He said the Caucasian mens faces were very sad.My husband wouldn't lie to me. He still insists it true and we have told many people about itSince then I made it a point to question every Vietnemese refugee I met. Several had told me they saw them with their own eyes as late as 1982.I was also told that it was common knowledge in Vietnam that American POW's were still there.They were surprised that most Americans didn't know about it. They just figured maybe we didn't want them back or didn't care.I don't know how much of Bobby Garwoods story is true. But, I know what my husband and others told me about seeing POW's as late as 1978- 1982. The only ones who seem to believe this story when we tell it, are Vietnam vets. Others are too horrifed to beleive it, but since my friends know my husband wouldn't make this up, they rationalize that yes, maybe he did see them, but they were most likely traitors, collaborating with the enemy and staying there by their own choice. If that is so why were they bedraggled, long haired and beared, emanciated and working at gun point with sad haunted faces? I don't know if there are any left alive now. It's been so long. But, I pray for them every night.
