I join with this community, as we come together, today, to honor brave warriors who served and sacrificed for the promise of America. Yet at the same time, as a Viet Nam veteran I endure rage and betrayal. In my last blog I referred to the “absolute corruption” of our government. Here is yet another example.
On Memorial Day, 1998, Robert Garwood stood before 200,000 veterans at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. As the crowd cheered “We Love You, Bobby” he was unable to speak. Three men came forward, embraced Bobby, and with their support he regained his voice. Each of the three wore the Medal of Honor and in the silence that preceded Bobby’s words a clear voice rang from the crowd, “such men do not embrace traitors.”
Robert Garwood’s odyssey is one of the darkest in American history. In 1979, after fourteen years of brutal imprisonment in Vietnam, he rescued himself and insisted more POWs had been left behind. This created a major dilemma for our government as it had vowed years before that “there are no American POWs left behind and concealed in Vietnam” overruling families, veterans, former POWs and intelligence officials…all who steadfastly claimed evidence to the contrary.
In fact, American soldiers had been left behind. Held as hostages to ensure that the U.S. fulfill a covert pledge to pay $4.5 billion in reparations to North Vietnam. A letter dated 1 Feb.1973, released in 1977, from Nixon to the Prime Minister of North Viet Nam verifies the deal. However, Nixon, unable to obtain the funding he had secretly promised, defaulted on his commitment and abandoned the POWs. By the time Bobby surfaced they had become ghosts and neither side could admit the truth. Therefore, our government crucified Robert Garwood in order to ensure his story would not be credible.
Instead of honored by a grateful nation, Garwood was accused of desertion, indicted for leading troops into combat against American soldiers. During the longest court martial in U.S. history our government produced negligible evidence to substantiate their accusation. Then, forced to admit that Garwood had been a prisoner, not a traitor, they accused him of collaborating with the enemy in ways much more abhorrent than his peers.
Garwood was found guilty of one count of assault on another POW, one count of aiding the enemy by acting as translator, one count of wearing black pajamas and one count of carrying an AK-47 (unloaded) during a patrol. According to the Chief of the Pentagon’s POW unit in 1973, every man who testified against Garwood felt guilty for behaving exactly as he did and in some cases worse. The jury was never informed.
Guilty of assault? Returning from a work detail Garwood discovered his best friend, Russ Grisset, had been beaten to death for stealing and eating the camp commander’s cat. Several other prisoners had joined in the feast. Yet they had allowed Grisset to stand alone, instead of taking punishment as a group. Upon learning the fate of his best friend… Bobby lashed out and struck a single blow.
Taking no chances, our elected officials also conspired to persuade America that Bobby was a pedophile. During his trial tabloids, east to west, proclaimed “Robert Garwood Accused of Child Molestation.” After his court martial and after being dishonorably discharged, Bobby Garwood again stood trail. Uncontested evidence placed him hundreds of miles from the scene of the alleged crime. All charges were dropped, however, the damage done, no headlines proclaimed his innocence.
For over three decades Robert Garwood has struggled to regain his honor, to force our government to admit the truth, to resurrect lost heroes. He is supported by men with impeccable credentials. General Eugene Tighe, former head of the DIA, Red McDaniel, Captain of the aircraft carrier Lexington and former POW, thousands of Vietnam veterans and three heroes wearing the Medal of Honor all supported Bobby.
Three culprits bear the blame for this malicious betrayal. First, our government who deserted those who served, then attempted to concealed their heinous action by crucifying an innocent soldier. Secondly, our supposedly free press who failed to report the truth and, finally, ultimately, each of us who apathetically believe the propaganda our government wants us to believe…. as we slide down the slippery slope.
Thanks Will,
This story hurts deeply, especially because it shows how little our leaders and our government have changed in so many years. My father was a Vietam vet (surgeon), and for all my life he had a deep, well concealed, frustration and anger at the hypocracies that continued from our government. In the weeks before he died, at the hospital, the number and depth of the flashbacks that he shared with us was astounding. I bring this up because my father was a staunch conservative who loved this country, with all its faults. He wasn’t the kind of man that gave up on the good things about this country. But, what I read in your story is something that it seems only a Vietnam vet that still loves this country can have; a certain anger that most of us can’t begin to understand. Even today, the same kind of B.S. is going on with respect to our veterans. No expense should be spared for our fighting men and women when they are serving and when they return home, but it is. Even one story about a poorly equiped soldier, or a veteran struggling to get care, is too many. Not to mention that our government invented the smear campaign. I can still hear my father’s advice on government that he gave me as a young man: “We get a government directly proportional to the effort we put into it.”
Respectfully,
mgman
Thanks Will,
This story hurts deeply, especially because it shows how little our leaders and our government have changed in so many years. My father was a Vietam vet (surgeon), and for all my life he had a deep, well concealed, frustration and anger at the hypocracies that continued from our government. In the weeks before he died, at the hospital, the number and depth of the flashbacks that he shared with us was astounding. I bring this up because my father was a staunch conservative who loved this country, with all its faults. He wasn’t the kind of man that gave up on the good things about this country. But, what I read in your story is something that it seems only a Vietnam vet that still loves this country can have; a certain anger that most of us can’t begin to understand. Even today, the same kind of B.S. is going on with respect to our veterans. No expense should be spared for our fighting men and women when they are serving and when they return home, but it is. Even one story about a poorly equiped soldier, or a veteran struggling to get care, is too many. Not to mention that our government invented the smear campaign. I can still hear my father’s advice on government that he gave me as a young man: “We get a government directly proportional to the effort we put into it.”
Respectfully,
mgman
I’m sorry to tell you this, but Bobby Garwood is no hero, and certainly does not deserve accolades due to a real hero.
Robert Garwood became my neighbor in Gautier, Mississippi in April 2000. When he moved in I knew nothing about him other than he was a neighbor, new widower, and had once served in the Marines. I welcomed him and treated him as a friend. Within two years, Robert would destroy my marriage, spead the most vile lies about me beyond anything I could have once imagined possible, and turned my life upside down. He continued to torment me via proxy for four more years, until I finally moved away in Sept 2006.
My full story about this creature is posted at:
http://www.charest.net/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=12&GallerySession=392ad6f91463e4e84ed3bfeee19e3d4d
I hope anyone who still thinks Garwood is a hero will take the time to read my version of truth.
Thank You,
Ron
I’m sorry to tell you this, but Bobby Garwood is no hero, and certainly does not deserve accolades due to a real hero.
Robert Garwood became my neighbor in Gautier, Mississippi in April 2000. When he moved in I knew nothing about him other than he was a neighbor, new widower, and had once served in the Marines. I welcomed him and treated him as a friend. Within two years, Robert would destroy my marriage, spead the most vile lies about me beyond anything I could have once imagined possible, and turned my life upside down. He continued to torment me via proxy for four more years, until I finally moved away in Sept 2006.
My full story about this creature is posted at:
http://www.charest.net/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=12&GallerySession=392ad6f91463e4e84ed3bfeee19e3d4d
I hope anyone who still thinks Garwood is a hero will take the time to read my version of truth.
Thank You,
Ron
Ron,
Apart from your personnal issues with Garwood I wonder if you can refute any of the facts presented in my blog.
Reqards, Will
Ron,
Apart from your personnal issues with Garwood I wonder if you can refute any of the facts presented in my blog.
Reqards, Will
Interesting post on PFC Garwood. I see from the net he has is supporters so I remain open minded about his story. However your post seems to imply that the government only
charged him with crimes due to the embarassment of him turning up in ’79. I am quite certain that between ’73 and ’78 I read books and articles about the actions of PFC Garwood in captivity along with the assertion that he had refused repatriation. The knowledge of PFC Garwood’s conduct in captivity came from returning POWs – whether the government was justified in charging him is another story – however I don’t think the government made up the charges out of whole cloth to CYA – they were under the belief from the intel they had gathered that he was a turncoat who stayed behind.
Interesting post on PFC Garwood. I see from the net he has is supporters so I remain open minded about his story. However your post seems to imply that the government only
charged him with crimes due to the embarassment of him turning up in ’79. I am quite certain that between ’73 and ’78 I read books and articles about the actions of PFC Garwood in captivity along with the assertion that he had refused repatriation. The knowledge of PFC Garwood’s conduct in captivity came from returning POWs – whether the government was justified in charging him is another story – however I don’t think the government made up the charges out of whole cloth to CYA – they were under the belief from the intel they had gathered that he was a turncoat who stayed behind.
I have been reading as much as I possibly can about Mr Garwood.
At first I must admit I felt he was getting the shaft! Although today, I am starting to wonder if he didn’t “cross-over”, even if it was only to survive.
Every POW that spent time with him, that is alive, is saying the same thing? Right down to the Ho Chi Min pin. It doesn’t make sense, if some of them said it, and others claimed not to remember, but all of them?
Ok, maybe they have some guilt, or something to hide, or the government “made” them say it. What about the Germans that were prisoners with them? I read an exert from their book, called “we came to help” (I have the book on order) and they claim Bobby was clearly not a POW, his pockets were stuffed with explosives, tobacco and drugs among other things. What would they have to gain by lying? they were civilians they have no guilt to bear.
Also, the spite house, was a good read, but the author was sued and lost for slander or something along those lines for what she wrote about Dr Kusner, from what I understand Bobby wouldn’t even back up what he told her. Why lie about other POW’S?
I read Ron’s story awhile back, and while yes it is sad, and Bobby looks like a low life, it doesn’t prove he wasn’t a POW, although lying about what happened and who you are could set a precedent for a pattern.
I believe the government left men behind, I believe that there are some possibly still there, did Bobby see them? I don’t know, it is written no where in his book, “conversations with the enemy” he actually makes a point to say he didn’t see any other Americans.
Should he have been charged? Probably not, no one else was so why him, did he cross-over, I think he did, but not because he was sympathetic, more because he was alienated from the other POW’s, he was desperate to survive. In saying that I could be wrong, and if I am, then I apologize to Bobby. But things just don’t add up.
Michael
I have been reading as much as I possibly can about Mr Garwood.
At first I must admit I felt he was getting the shaft! Although today, I am starting to wonder if he didn’t “cross-over”, even if it was only to survive.
Every POW that spent time with him, that is alive, is saying the same thing? Right down to the Ho Chi Min pin. It doesn’t make sense, if some of them said it, and others claimed not to remember, but all of them?
Ok, maybe they have some guilt, or something to hide, or the government “made” them say it. What about the Germans that were prisoners with them? I read an exert from their book, called “we came to help” (I have the book on order) and they claim Bobby was clearly not a POW, his pockets were stuffed with explosives, tobacco and drugs among other things. What would they have to gain by lying? they were civilians they have no guilt to bear.
Also, the spite house, was a good read, but the author was sued and lost for slander or something along those lines for what she wrote about Dr Kusner, from what I understand Bobby wouldn’t even back up what he told her. Why lie about other POW’S?
I read Ron’s story awhile back, and while yes it is sad, and Bobby looks like a low life, it doesn’t prove he wasn’t a POW, although lying about what happened and who you are could set a precedent for a pattern.
I believe the government left men behind, I believe that there are some possibly still there, did Bobby see them? I don’t know, it is written no where in his book, “conversations with the enemy” he actually makes a point to say he didn’t see any other Americans.
Should he have been charged? Probably not, no one else was so why him, did he cross-over, I think he did, but not because he was sympathetic, more because he was alienated from the other POW’s, he was desperate to survive. In saying that I could be wrong, and if I am, then I apologize to Bobby. But things just don’t add up.
Michael
Perhaps someone reading this can help me out… I would be interested in contacting anyone (including Garwood himself) that could answer a few questions I have. The man referred to in the above article as “Russ Grisset” was my uncle Edwin Russell Grissett Jr. I have been trying (in vain) for the past several years to contact someone who knew him and could tell me about him. He died before I was born and my mother is still unable to talk about him or the circumstances surrounding his death. If anyone out there can help please email me at wpso46@gmail.com
Perhaps someone reading this can help me out… I would be interested in contacting anyone (including Garwood himself) that could answer a few questions I have. The man referred to in the above article as “Russ Grisset” was my uncle Edwin Russell Grissett Jr. I have been trying (in vain) for the past several years to contact someone who knew him and could tell me about him. He died before I was born and my mother is still unable to talk about him or the circumstances surrounding his death. If anyone out there can help please email me at wpso46@gmail.com
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A lot of people are going to a lot of trouble defending Robert Garwood. And while I will not condemn the man, I do feel that he is guilty of collaboration. Too many eye witnesses. Too many fellow prisoners that have stated time again that Garwood was not a prisoner in the sense that they were prisoners. He carried weapons on three different eye witness occasions. He claimed to be a officer of the NVA to two different witnesses. He was not held within the fenced prisoner yard after 1967. He was free to roam the camp without a guard with him. He would bring the prisoners tobacco and food from time to time. Clearly he was a like a ‘trustee’ if nothing else. I am sure in such a situation some men would have collaborated like Garwood, but most did not. And they were treated as such. I do not condemn Garwood, but I also would NOT call him a hero. Too many witnesses, to many statements made by Garwood, too many actions made by Garwood. DO NOT MAKE HIM A HERO!
I like your respopnse and agree with your observations…Also, you showed some moderation by not condemning him as much as I did…..I felt, however, moved to condemn him after I read the story from retired Navy Petty Officer Ron Chareast “My Encounter with Robert Garwood”. It was apparent that Bobby Garwood had the perfect psychological profile to manipulate those around him. There is no way he has an IQ of 82 as stated by others in defense of Garwood, suggesting that he does not have the ability to deceive or manipulate. Although Garwood may not have been educated and is likely a sociopath, he is a highly intelligent individual and has demonstrated that in his behavior, and his verbal skills.
I just finished reading the book “Why didn’t you get me out” by Frank Anton. After reading the book trust me he’s no hero!!!! He’s a traitor to his country and as a U.S. Marine 92-96 I believe he should be executed!!!!
It is strange that he dressed and looked so normal,and had access to a hotel full of foreigners…even if it were to black market…I guess the question is why did he return to the USA…
You need to read “Spite House” by Monika Jensen-Stevenson. It will explain everything, including a lot of underhanded government corruption!
Your question why Garwood returned to the US is a good one. In my research I read that Garwood was outstaying his welcome in Vietnam because of Blackmarketing activities and unrestrained womanizing. Vietmanese officials saw him as a nuisance and thought it was better that he nreturn to America. Although Garwood risked imprisoment and possible retribution from former soldiers because of his “Trustee” or collaborater status (assuming that is true) I believe that Garwood did a risk assessment and believed that returning to America would serve his long term personal interests. Before ever landing on US soil from his return, he had lawyered-up and there was clear communication between the various govermental agencies (Including the USMC who were to take posession of Garwood) in regards to the treatment of Garwood. Garwood had many years to figure out how to write his own personal version of history and how to enrich himself with a book and movie deal. This was pretty clear, because Garwood had suggested to US authorities through the IRC while “negotiating” his return from Vietnam that he had information regarding the existance of POW’s. Garwood clearly knew that such information would work in his favor in terms of negotiating his return and future dealings with the military, POW/MIA groups and Hollywood. Interestingly, when Garwood returned he denied having such knowledge and then resurrected this knowledge in the 1990′s in an atempt to gain publicity and money.
He returned home, because this is home. Just like any one of us would have done. None of us know anything about what was going thru that kids mind. He was 19 years old for Christ’s sake, thousands of miles away from home, family, everything he knew. How dare anyone think they have the right to sit in judgement of anything he did while in captivity. Evidently, what he did, worked. He’s alive. He went to Viwt Nam to fight a very unpopular war,one that we now know was based on a lie. I will stand with Bobby. I wouldn’t trust not one thing that came from the other side on this.
Fact is, we all know they left soldiers behind. In fact I belong to an organization that has a member who’s father had to find his own way home too. Took him 15 years, but by god, he made it. That’s someone I know personally…I’m sure there are many others out there who can tell the same story. I feel in my gut Bobby got a bum deal, and I also feel in my gut, they will try to pull the same thing on POW Bowe Bergdahl when he comes home. They’ve already shamed him in the press. Even had a RET L. Col get on national news and say “go ahead and kill him, save us the trouble”. Think about it……we can’t allow them to repeat this crap. He is one of ours. Instead of standing on a street corner selling crack, he put on a uniform and went to war to defend us here at home. That makes him a hero in my book.
We do know what people would do………There are thousands of examples of soldiers in captivity who did not do what Garwood did..that’s the Standard. Your unwillingness to look at that fact alone shows that you are agenda driven on this issue.
also….for the man who wrote the book about Bobby stealing his wife……I won’t form an opinion on that ’til I hear “her” side!
There is always two sides to every story. I agree with Marilou that her ex(Ron Charest)needs to get a life & write in to Dear Abby instead of using the POW-MIA forum to air his grievance of which has nothing to do with POW-MIA. I have read many articles over the years about the returned Pow’s from Vietnam & there is overwhelming stories & evidence that many collaborated with their captors openly & were later charged with collaborating by returning Pow Colonel Ted Guy. There are many out there that are doing anything and everything they can to undermine the POW-MIA movement and it looks like the Ron Charest’s out there are alive & well. Fact; Garwood was & is the last live POW to exit Vietnam and knew of more than 200 others that were still there but more effort was made to discredit him and his live sightings than were to find out what he knew. Very sad. The 3 medal of honor receipiants that have embraced Garwood far exceed & over-rule any personal grievance. Unless you’ve walked a mile in his shoes you cannot sit in judgment. I hope more focus is on POW_MIA & the suffering that many families are still undergoing.
donald eugene
I posted my story on my personal website, for which I pay hosting fees out of my personally-earned money. The fact that operators/moderators of POW-MIA have linked, and in some cases posted excerpts of my story, is entirely their doing. I wrote my story as I did not to “harass” my ex (I’ve had no communication with her since leaving Mississippi), but to provide personal testimony that Robert Garwood cannot be trusted to correctly tell you the color of the sky, let alone that he “saw” 200 other American POWs still in Vietnam when he left. I tried to make that clear in my opening and closing.
You are free to believe what ever you wish.
You know what Ron you really are turning into a big wanker you know that I mean honestly if you could just listen to yourself then you would be able to see how much of a hypocrite you are and you want to know why its because up until you met bobby you had no interests at all in the POW issue but as soon as your wife starts looking at the nextdoor neighbour and jumps the fence then all of a sudden you have an interest in the POW issue and all you want to do is start a campaign of discreditation against bobby.
Now listen here ya wanker i am really getting sick of your pathetic comments ok and you are carrying on as if your the only person in the world that has had there wife walk away and the fact is that you are still posting comments even after your wife has been apart from you for over 5 years is a sign that you still think of trying to get bobby back by discrediting him and humiliating him by saying that he makes up fairy tales about his sightings of POW’s goes beyond being a wanker ok.
If you want to discredit him or humilate him then do it in a way that keeps the POW issue out of it ok because you wern’t there and therefore can not comment on it and to bring an issue like POW sightings into your failed marriage and hate for the person of whom your X wife had moved on with earns you with the title of MAJOR WANKER OF THE USA.
Listen ron there is a whole world out there and tonnes of ways that you can have fun while you are alive and sitting in front of your computer thinking of ways to post stuff about bobby on the net is a sign that you have no life and you are still full of hate ok so my advice get online with your new wife and pick a nice place to go to in the world and go and have a nice holiday and learn to have fun and while your at it try your best to forget about bobby ok and you will see that you will be a much happier and better person for it ok.
But if I see you posting another lame ass comment about bobby then you will be dealing with me and ive heard your good with computers and so am i and i just so happen to like taking out scumbags on the net as this has become alot of fun in the past and especially in the last few months but thats another story but I am telling you right now GET OVER IT AND GET A LIFE and dont let me hear another peep out of you ok.
GET OVER IT
Ron:
What you did was brave and exposed a person who had been conning America since 1965. It is unbelievable to me that anybody would have read your heart felt story and not see Garwood as the Sociopath that he is. It was absolutely appropriate for you to expose this guy who has been manipulating goverment officials, journalist and civilians for his own enrichment.
Obviously, certain people have been conned by Garwood and have made him their POW/MIA poster boy and feel a need to defend him. What I say to them is GET OVER YOUR STUPID LOVE AFFAIR WITH GARWOOD! The MIA POW movement has many legitimate concerns and should not be using Garwood as the face of missing Soldier in Vietnam or elsewhere.
Once again, thank you for sharing your heart felt story. It wasn’t until I read the story that I truly began to put the pieces together
Gees ron you actually have the capabilty to be able to write a comment and pass it off as someone elses comment wow you must be very proud of yourself. Tell me ron wouldnt that make you a hypocrite and a liar if you are trying to pose as someone else wouldnt that make you a 2 faced moron.
I tell you what ron why don’t we take a closer look at you and see what we can come up with to see what you have got going for you.
Well for starters you hold the guniess book of records for the longest ears in the world and your the only person who was able to invent a way to have sexual intercourse with there computer and the only way you can score a girl is by going to china and finding someone who is desperate for a green card and you are enemic and you dress like a creep and you have a yellow streak down your back a mile wide and the minute you have a new neighbour your x wife runs to them for rescuing now thats says alot about you ron but hey thank god you live in america as the US government felt they saw some potential in your close relationships that you have with your computer’s and decided to hire you so there you go ron now you have yourself a nice day.
servi a los cascos blancos para la onu en saragevo,dispare y mate enemigos, no fui prisionero pero si lo hubiera sido seguramente abria hecho todo lo que estuviera a mi alcance para sostener la vida propia pensando siempre en el momento de poder volver a casa, mas alla de esto le creo a boby en su historia y a los que dicen que es inconsistente les digo que nunca estuvieron en bombate, no saben que el estres queda acompañandonos para toda la vida y nunca convenceremos a todos de lo que nos paso, simplemenmte por el hecho que esos nunca estuvieron ni estaran en nuestros zapatos. capitan de brigada