CIA Reading Room cia rdp91 00901r000700060099 0 pdf

CIA Reading Room cia rdp91 00901r000700060099 0

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Approved For Release 2 0 %RP~91-00901R000700 ON FAGE___ , 15 February 1979 0 ‘U.S defe C` for 11 1 C is said 16,4’ant to return When he was given the chance to re- -. that the Marine Corps twice had tried to turn with other American captives, he vol- change Private Garwood’s official status untarfly stayed behind, officials said. Now , from that of prisoner of war to defector, the U.S, government has asked the Inter- but the switch had never been made, per- national Red Cross to contact him and Naps because of “the. political atmosphere help him return. _ at that time.” It was Representative G. V. (Sonny) He said intelligence information on Montgomery (D., Miss,), the chairman of Private Garwood came in testimony be- a House select committee on missing per. ore his committee by t: Gen. Vrno sons in Southeast Asia, who disclosed that Waiters, the forme rdeputy director owe intelligence files describe.

Private Gar-. – entry me hence A-geacv. ` wood as an active participant with Viet The Mississippian recall that mem? Cong forces. bers of his committee had gone to Viet- 1 By ERNESr 8. nRGUR50N -r, sninocon tit Washington-A former United States marine who allegedly defected and be- came a Viet Cong lieutenant has ap- proached a. foreigner in. Vietnam and sent a message that after more than 13 years he wants to come home. The State and Defense departments, which withheld details of the case, Identi. fied him as Robert Russell Garwood, of Greensburg, Ind, who was a 19-year-old private first class when captured in Au-. gust, 1965. Viet Cong when offered release in- 1967. The man “was observed by American cap- tives and seen to bear arms with the ene- my and participate in the interrogation of other American prisoners of war,” the congressman said. “Records show he was .

‘promoted to lieutenant in the Viet Cong forces. “Numerous reports from long-range reconnaissance patrols in the period 1968- 69 claim that a. Caucasian of his general description was killed in firefights with. interest compounded at 10 per cent an. 11 nually,”,the congressman said-making it clear he was unhappy at that prospect. Mr. Montgomery added that it had been reported that the man even led ere. my patrols, and guarded some American prisoners. All of this reportedly took place near the big Marine base at Danang, from which Private Garwood was said to have driven out alone in a jeep into enemy ter- ritory. The congressman said he understood nam and concluded that no more prisoners were being kept. But he explained em- phatically, “We never brought up defec- tors. That was not our job.” He continued at a later news confer- ence, “Let’s hope he does come back. He should be put in jail.” The first news of the case came from – the State Department, where Hodding Carter 3d, the department spokesman, said the U.S.

government had “approached the Vietnamese directly at a high level” and asked that Private Garwood be al- lowed to leave. . . said the marine elected to remain with the Viet Cong forces. But a more recent rep Other State Department officials said port indicates that he could have been Private Garwood slipped a note to a non- . alive in Vietnam as late as 1974 American visitor in Hanoi. It.said he was “I have no doubt. he’s the. one,” , Mr.. assigned to a labor camp outside the city Montgomery stated.-,. and had decided he wanted to come back “Although his rank as a PFC has been to America. ; ::…. _ .:: frozen, should he return he would be enti- Mr. Carter would not identify the for sled to all back pay and:allowances With eigner, but he said that person “bad enough information on the person purport- ing to be Garwood to convince us that it was Garwood.” The Pentagon added little to the State i Department report aside from Private Garwood’s home town, his date of birth and date of defection.

Another congressman active in the search for Vietnam survivors, Represen- tative Benjamin A. Gilman (D., N.Y.), ] knew of Private Garwood. He.said that I “apparently he had been working for the enemy,” but he did not offer the details or comment volunteered by Mr. Mont-am- Approved For Release 2005/07/Gt yClA-RDP91-00901R00070b06( 099-0

• Creator/s: CIA Reading Room
• Date: 2/15/1979
• Book Topics/Themes: CIA Reading Room

An excerpt captured from the PDF book