POW Swap
(conversation Mar 2020)
Mike Jacobi
Richard,
Check this photo out. It’s aged but this was all I found from
POW swap.
It’s looking north of course, and it looks like (guessing) the
ARVN POW’s were safe on the south side and the NVA were headed north in boats.
Maybe there were two crossings, and this was the first. Maybe that large group
on the south bank were NVA waiting to go.
It says on back of photo to look to the right of the hooch to
see NVA on the riverbank. That would be right where boats are headed.
No APC’s or Red Cross flags visible. Ground looks to soft for
their weight. Unless those are Red Cross flags on boats and that actually makes
total sense.
We were supposed to be at the mouth of the river on the beach,
but the ARVN wouldn’t go there because it gave the NVA time to set up a trap.
They wanted to go west of there a couple of miles. I said isn’t their knowing
we’d be on the beach the whole idea of not being shot. They said the NVA would
see where we went. Gotta hand it to them. As soon as the NVA got their guys
they let loose with mortars on us only because that’s all we gave them time to
set up.
Mike
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Richard J Metzger
Mike, I have a picture of the same view I believe! I know that I
have a picture of you and me flying C&C. I
can't remember if we had any High-ranking Pac’s, do you? Do you remember
the tail rotor strike we had? I'm pretty sure I have a picture of it too!
I know what you mean about trying to
remember as we age. I'm 76!
Richard
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Mike
Richard, we had an ARVN General on board in charge of the pow
swap ........ and yes, I remember the Redskin gunship covers radio call, “26
you lost your tail rotor.”
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Dennis Souza
This is a picture of Dave Haglund holding the flag. I don’
recognize the guy in the picture . Dave and I were hooch mates and his aircraft
was the next revetments up the hill from mine.
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Bill Walker
That picture was taken after Dave Strassman and
his crew and me and mine, put about 122 rounds through this flag right by the
Z.
We were trying to either set off a booby trap
or to kill or intimidate anyone hiding in a spider hole.
It hung in our club until we left in Feb. 18 of
71.
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Richard
J Metzger
What a great loss! I remember him well. Bill, I
think I was flying with you when we took the flag! Where did the flag go, do
you know?
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Bill Walker
Hey Richard.
I always thought Dave Strassman might have
taken it with him when he left.
He opted to have his DG or CE untie it from the
sapling after we filled it full of holes.
I almost ran out of fuel and barely made it
back to QT and had to leave after he got it.
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Richard J Metzger
I too heard that he had it! Do you know if he
still has it?
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Mike
Jacobi
Somewhere I have a photo of the flag flying on
the DMZ but I’m still looking for it. Surely there are others.
We went up there on a POW swap arranged by
Kissinger in Paris and maybe that was when it was taken.
We flew C & C for an ARVN General who was
in charge of the POW swap. Boats full of ARVN & NVA POW’s departed
simultaneously from north and south.
As soon as the NVA boats landed on their side
the ARVN General shouted go - go and sure as shit mortars started landing
behind us as we took off.
I’ve got a Red Cross flag flown by all the
vehicles that drove up there that the
General gave me.
Anybody else still around that flew that
one? NVA were lined up on north bank and
we hovered on the south.
Crew chief begging to please let him shoot one.
Just one. Please.
I’ve got to find those photos, but it wouldn’t
have been me taking them because I never took a single photo in Vietnam, so
they’re copies.
Mike Jacobi
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Dana Lane
Is this the right date or exchange you were
involved in?
31 May 1971 National Security Advisor Henry
Kissinger in secret peace negotiations with North Vietnam in Paris, France
introduced a new proposal. He proposed a U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam, a
cease fire in place, and an exchange of prisoners. The cease fire in place was
a key concession because it would allow North Vietnamese soldiers to remain in
South Vietnam at least temporarily.
I was at Quang Tri for a month, but I had to
move down to Evans for a couple of days during the prisoner exchange around
June 5, 1971. I was not involved in the
exchange. I was back up to Quang Tri
June 7, 1971.
Dana
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Richard J Metzger
Mike, I have some of the pictures and a Red
Cross flag too! I'm sure that we flew together on the release. I'm not where
they are but I will try to get some.
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Mike
Jacobi
Thanks Richard.
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Mike Jacobi
Dana
(That) peace proposal was kinda global and The
POW swap was orchestrated by Kissinger as a specific example of a few POW’s and
demonstrated how all things were possible (my recollection only). I couldn’t
find any news of the actual exchange. Figured that was because it was ARVN
only.
You’ve got some specific dates there Dana. What did you draw those from? My memory is not nearly that good.
Richard’s photos will be interesting. There was
a convoy of APC’s up to the river and we were just C & C and not
transportation. It was all under a temp cease fire to allow pow swap to happen.
What I was looking for was the photo of the
flag Dave’s holding when it was up on the DMZ. I’m pretty sure I have one.
There must be other photos somewhere.
Mike J
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Dana Lane
Mike,
In Wikipedia "1971 in the Vietnam
War" is where I found the March
31st Kissinger date.
The letters I wrote to my wife are like a
journal. I didn't disclose everything I
did in Vietnam in my letters. However,
my June 2 letter did not mention the exchange at all, but my June 9 letter says
I had to move down to Evans for a couple of days during the prisoner exchange,
but I was back up a Quang Tri again.
I am not sure of the exact date, but it had to
be between June 3 and June 8. Maybe
someone can nail down the exact date?
Dana Lane
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Robert Roach
As I remember it was during this truce that
Firebase Hickory was over run. Jon Cavaiani won the Medal of Honor there. The
date was June 4, 1971. I met Jon in Berlin in the mid-70s.
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Gary Bowman
When I got there, early June, '71, Firebase
Fuller was overrun and bombed to crap.
My very first flight was as a DG with the CO and the Battalion CO. Just circled it all day, only stopping to
refuel. 16 hours. Welcome to the Lancers.
Gary B
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Reggie Kenner
in '69 there was a HUGE NVA
flag flying at the DMZ on highway 1. If you flew anywhere near it, no matter
the altitude, someone down there shot at you.