Gunny G’s Old Salt Marines Tavern Weblog: Garwood Debunks the Debunkers

With July 11, 1993 return of former Marine private Robert Garwood, former N.C. congressman Billy Hendon, and Sen. Bob Smith (R-New Hampshire) from Vietnam, more evidence has been revealed that Vietnam continues to lie about American POWs still in their possession.

Garwood has been the center of controversy since his return to the United States from Vietnam in 1979, six years after the United States government told the American public there were no prisoners left in Vietnam and 14 years after his capture in 1965.

When Garwood secured his release through the efforts of the Red Cross, he came home and was court-martialed for collaborating with the enemy, desertion, assault on a fellow prisoner and other charges. He was found guilty of assault and collaborating with the enemy, was dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps and forfeited 14 years of back pay.

The Vietnamese have claimed Garwood was no longer a prisoner after two years in captivity and was offered in 1967 the chance to return to the United States, but Garwood refused. The same offer was extended to nearly all U.S. prisoners with a stipulation that the prisoners must first become good “progressive” prisoners.

Garwood refutes the testimony of those who are now accusing him and in his recent visit, made angry comments to the Vietnamese envoy saying he was never their friend and they have always lied about American POWs.

Sen. Smith told reporters in Bangkok that all of Garwood’s testimony concerning prison camps had turned out to be absolutely accurate despite the fact the U.S. investigators have for years, denied the prison camps existed. Smith says Garwood was able to locate each one.

U.S. officials have tried to discredit Garwood’s stories of having seen live POWs as late as 1979 before he returned to the United States, saying Garwood’s military history as a convicted collaborator allows him no credibility in regard to the live sightings.….

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via Gunny G’s Old Salt Marines Tavern Weblog: Garwood Debunks the Debunkers.