Once enemies,
now friends

Bob Connor, Spencer Matteson, Bob March, Richard W Magner, Steve Edmunds are American war veterans whose names are popularly known by many Vietnam war veterans. Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper talks with them, who have returned to Vietnam to accompany Vietnam veterans in searching for the remains of fallen soldiers.

Question: Can you please tell me about the time you participated in the war in Vietnam?

Bob March

Bob March

We spent almost every day looking for Vietnamese soldiers’ units in remote areas.  Sometimes of course we found what we were looking for and sometimes the enemy found us as well, in which case there would be a firefight with lots of shooting.  Many in my platoon were killed and wounded in the year that I was there. I saw dead Americans and dead Vietnamese.   I did not get wounded except a pungi stake in my leg and I had malaria twice and was hospitalised.

I left Vietnam in November of 1966 but then was sent back by President Johnson at the end of January 1968 because of the Tet offensive.  My job then was a radio team leader for the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.  Our base camp location was Phu Bai, not far from Hue.  I spent four months in Vietnam and then my time in the army was finished. So, even though they tried to convince me to stay, I went home and became a civilian.

Bob March:

My first trip to Vietnam when I was in the US army was in November 1965 and I stayed one year until November of 1966.  During that period, I was in the Recon Platoon of the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. 

I spent almost all my time in the jungle (forest) in what we called the Central Highlands.  My job for most of the year was the RTO (radio telephone operator) for the platoon leader, a Lieutenant.

Steve Edmunds

Steve Edmunds

Steve Edmunds: I served with C Company, 3rd Battalion 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division from May 1967 to May 1968.

Bob Connor

Bob Connor

Bob Connor:

I arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base on 5 April 1967. My job assignment was Base Security. I always worked the midnight shift between 11pm and 7AM, 6 - 7 days/week.

About the beginning of November 1967, I volunteered to work on top of the concrete water tower near the center of the base. The main responsibility was to spot the incoming mortar and rocket incoming rounds as they were fired toward the base.  As soon as I called in, the control center would activate the base alarm allowing time for those on the base to wake up and get to a bunker before the first found hit the base.

This is where I was the night of the Tet 1968 battle.

Spencer Matteson

Spencer Matteson

Spencer Matteson:

I joined the army right after high school. It was the fall of 1965 and I was 18 years old. I served in the army for three years and spent one year of that time in Vietnam, from May 1966 to May 1967. I was in the 1st Cavalry Division and our base camp was in An Khe. I was very young and politically naive. I really didn’t know anything about the history of Vietnam and Indo-China at the time and Vietnam’s struggle for independence from the French. We were told that we were going over to fight communism, because communism was bad and democracy was good. We really had no motivation for fighting beyond trying to stay alive.

Richard W. Manger

Richard W. Manger

Richard W Magner:

I arrived at Dau Tieng on December 2,  1968 (assigned to D-Company, Smiling Tigers, 229th Assault. Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry) after receiving one week of in-country training at An Khe. Previous to this, I had received nearly a year of training as a helicopter pilot.

Protecting Saigon was the purpose - with the responsibility of interdicting People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) infiltration routes leading from Cambodia to NLF base areas around Saigon to support a forthcoming PAVN offensive.

Bob Connor, Colonel Martin and Colonel Mai Xuan Chien establish the location of mass graves on satellite map of Bien Hoa airport.

Bob Connor, Colonel Martin and Colonel Mai Xuan Chien establish the location of mass graves on satellite map of Bien Hoa airport.

Q: What haunts you the most about the war, although it has passed 50 years?

Bob Connor:

On May 12 1967, I was positioned at a post on our east perimeter. This post was only about 28 meters from the outer edge of a village. That night was clear but no moon. At approx 2AM, I could hear Vietnameses voices in the distance but could not pinpoint their location on the edge of the village. Suddenly they started firing mortars at the base. As I dove into a ditch on the side of the road I could see three Vietnamese soldiers highlighted by the mortar's flash. I crawled down the road in the ditch. As I was starting to come up from below the tall grass, I was trying to hear if anymore was in the grass coming toward the base. I did not hear anything in the dry grass but I could still hear voices. Thay had stopped firing the mortars and were moving into the village. I could hear them but not see them. I did not shoot at them because I would have hit the village homes/huts.

I was frustrated, but as time went on I accepted it was not meant to be. To this day I still vividly can see their silolets.

Bob March

What haunts me the most is seeing my fellow soldiers killed or wounded.  Combat infantry soldiers become very close to one another.  When one is killed, it is as if a family member has been killed.  Some were wounded and not killed, maybe losing part of their body.  They were sent back to the US and we did not see them again. So these things were felt as a deep sense of loss.  Another thing that haunts me is that I have often felt that those who were killed died for nothing, especially later in the war.  I also realized, later in my life, how much the families of the fallen soldiers must have suffered and I wish now that when I was young I would have had the wisdom to go and talk to the parents of those friends of mine that were killed.  However, at that age, I did not want to talk about the war with anyone.  For me, it was an experience that I had to put behind me and look to the future, not the past.   Most soldiers feel the same.

Spencer Matteson:

What haunts me the most is my memories of the dead. Both our dead and the dead enemy soldiers. Every time I saw death during the war I always thought – that could have been me lying there on the ground. Also, the extreme violence that our weapons could cause to a human body – it was very hard for me to get those images out of my mind. When I think back on it now, it just makes me very sad that so many fine young men had to die so young.

Steve Edmunds:

It was the battle of Dak To in Kon Tum, which took place fiercely from November 3 to 22, 1967.

All families of those who did not come home suffer the same exact pain. Be Vietnamese or American, neither get the solace and closure they deserve. For them, the war has never ended. They supported their Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Brothers and Daughters. When they think of them during the day.

(US war veteran Bob Connor)

American and Vietnamese war veterans return to the former battlefield of Chu Tan Kra in Kon Tum province to search for the remains of their comrades. (Photo: DUC BINH)

American and Vietnamese war veterans return to the former battlefield of Chu Tan Kra in Kon Tum province to search for the remains of their comrades. (Photo: DUC BINH)

Q: What made you return to Vietnam to help those who were your former opponents, those who were on the “other side of the front line”?

Steve Edmunds:

First of all, when I left Vietnam in 1968, the last place on earth I ever wanted to see again was Vietnam. I carried a lot of anger and bitterness towards my enemy. Then, in 1996, I got involved with Point Man International Ministries which had a program to take veterans back to Vietnam and to deal with their personal demons. In planning their trip in 1996, they asked me if I wanted to go and I quickly declined. Then they told me that I had 9 months to think about it. And, I did. I thought about it, prayed about it and discussed with my wife. And decided to go. It was the best decision I could have made. Overall, it was a healing experience in my mind and in my heart. Much of the peace came about from helping the poor people. It was so good that I became the project manager and coordinate our humanitarian efforts in Vietnam.

Spencer Matteson:

After my time in the war and in the army, I had a very hard time adjusting to civilian life. I was drinking heavily and taking drugs to help me forget. I talked very little about the war for about 25 years. Finally, in 1991, I quit drinking and using drugs and I started to open up more about the war with family and friends. I also started to reconnect with some of my fellow veterans that were in my unit in Vietnam. As time went on, I developed a desire to go back to Vietnam and to see if there was anything I could do to help the Vietnamese people. In 2014, I finally went back and spent two and a half months traveling the country. I met other American veterans who were living there and was introduced to a place near Dong Ha, called Project Renew and donated money to them to help them neutralize unexploded ordnance.

Bob Connor:

At one time my oldest granddaughter wanted to do a school project about Vietnam. I went back onto Google Earth and […] left a note about a mass grave that was on the Bien Hoa Air Base. I want to at least let Vietnamese know of a grave even though they may have already found it. My post read, “When you look up the road where it makes a hard right. At that intersection is where the third Security Police managed Bunker Hill 10. Significant ballet took place hereat the start of the Tet Offensive 1968. At this location is a mass grave of approx 150 Vietnamese soldiers buried on or about February 2, 1968 as a result of the Tet 1968 battle”.

About 10 days later, I received an email from my future friend I never knew - Mr Che Trung Hieu. He spotted my post and responded telling me Vietnam did not know of a grave on the base and they had searched outside the fence line numerous times with no luck. He pleaded in his email to help with this grave and others.

It only took several days for Colonel Mai Xuan Chien to write to me. He was very grateful for this new information. He told me at this point that Vietnam had lost 300,000 martyrs as a result of the war and that there is no information on where they are buried.

He was extremely sincere and reflected tremendous empathy for the affected Families. He requested of me to find a second witness to confirm the site, and that he would make arrangements for our return to Vietnam and be there when they found the grave.

I was shocked! But I believed in him. I could feel his honesty and sincerity in his email. I did make contact with my Commanding Office, Retired Col. Marty Strones. He was the one who had to count the bodies as they were placed in the grave.

 Why did we return? Because we know ALL families of those who did not come home suffer the same exact pain. Be Vietnamese or American, neither get the solace and closure they deserve. For them, the war has never ended. They supported their Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Brothers and Daughters. When they think of them during the day.  […] All missing soldiers need to be found and returned as soon as feasible. Both Countries need to heal by continuing the Reconciliation effort.

Bob March:

I have not yet returned to Vietnam, although I am planning to do so in July.  Why did I try and help my former enemy?  That's pretty easy. They are no longer my enemy.  And in many ways they are my friend. Because they went trough the same immense difficulties and trials being soldiers as I did.  They suffered and lost their friends. They faced death in the jungle constantly.  Only combat veterans fully understand this.  Also, when I was a soldier, I had respect for the Vietnamese soldiers.  They were good fighters and very brave. They were worthy opponents.  I and the other veterans that I know feel this way.  So, now that we are no longer enemies we would enjoy talking with them, and helping if we can.

Another aspect of this question is that in our mind, the war creates many negative feelings.  Working with our former enemies is something that is refreshingly positive. 

I became involved with helping when Major Dang Ha Thuy, a former Vietnamese army official during the war, sent me an email asking for help. His request was a big surprise to me. But it immediately seemed to be a wonderful thing to do. Now I am spending more time on this.

An aerial photograph of Bien Hoa airport in 1968 with a comment by Bob Connor.

An aerial photograph of Bien Hoa airport in 1968 with a comment by Bob Connor.

The wallet of Vietnamese martyr Hoang Quang Loi, which was kept by John Cimino for nearly 50 years.

The wallet of Vietnamese martyr Hoang Quang Loi, which was kept by John Cimino for nearly 50 years.

Colonel Martin locates the grave in aerial photos and in the field.

Colonel Martin locates the grave in aerial photos and in the field.

The Vietnam Office for Searching for Missing Persons (VNOSMP) handed over a set of remains of a US serviceman missing during the war in Vietnam to the US side. (Photo: DUY LINH)

The Vietnam Office for Searching for Missing Persons (VNOSMP) handed over a set of remains of a US serviceman missing during the war in Vietnam to the US side. (Photo: DUY LINH)

US veteran Bob Connor and Colonel Martin offer incense at the Dong Nai provincial martyrs’ cemetery.

US veteran Bob Connor and Colonel Martin offer incense at the Dong Nai provincial martyrs’ cemetery.

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The wallet of Vietnamese martyr Hoang Quang Loi, which was kept by John Cimino for nearly 50 years.

The wallet of Vietnamese martyr Hoang Quang Loi, which was kept by John Cimino for nearly 50 years.

Colonel Martin locates the grave in aerial photos and in the field.

Colonel Martin locates the grave in aerial photos and in the field.

The Vietnam Office for Searching for Missing Persons (VNOSMP) handed over a set of remains of a US serviceman missing during the war in Vietnam to the US side. (Photo: DUY LINH)

The Vietnam Office for Searching for Missing Persons (VNOSMP) handed over a set of remains of a US serviceman missing during the war in Vietnam to the US side. (Photo: DUY LINH)

US veteran Bob Connor and Colonel Martin offer incense at the Dong Nai provincial martyrs’ cemetery.

US veteran Bob Connor and Colonel Martin offer incense at the Dong Nai provincial martyrs’ cemetery.

Q: When you returned to Vietnam, back to the old battlefield, how did you feel? Can you tell me the story of your return to Vietnam to assist in the search for martyrs?

Spencer Matteson: 

On my visit in 2014, I hired a guide named Song, who lives in Da Nang. He took me back to several of the places where I fought along the central coast and the central highlands and I met and talked to some of the local people about the war and compared experiences. When I visited the place we Americans called LZ Bird (real name Xuan An Hill, near Bong Son), my mind was flooded with memories of the war and the men I knew who died there. I met an older farmer along the road and when we asked him if he remembered the battle, he said: Yes, I was there that night. He was a local NLF fighter who had been helping the NVA fighters. We were able to talk a little and shook hands.

The hilltop at LZ Bird, where we fought that night and buried the dead the next day has changed a lot since the war. It was almost unrecognizable, but once I inspected it, I was able to reconstruct where I was and how the battle unfolded. I had a thousand memories come back to me about that horrible night.

Steve Edmunds:

In 2009, I received an email from a friend of Pham Van Chuc who could communicate in English. He asked me for help in locating the graves of his comrades who were killed at FSB 14 aka Chu Tan Kra on 26 Mar 1968. I responded that I would help but I missed that battle. I was medivaced to the hospital a few days before with malaria. I would be seeing guys that were there and gather what information I could get and when I come to Vietnam in the fall, it time permits I will come up to Hanoi and meet with Chuc. Well, that all happened and we went over the info I had. We agreed that once we were enemies, now we are friends and had lunch together. I returned home and understand that Chuc took a team up to the battle site a couple of weeks later and located mass grave where they recovered about 85 sets of remains which they reburied.

When we were invited to join the veterans from the 209th Regiment, I put out the word to others in my battalion to see if there was any interest in joining me and I got two favorable responses from John Cimino and Terry Faulkner. After the arrangements were made, John told me that he had a wallet that he had taken from a dead enemy soldier and asked what I thought he should do with it. I told him that maybe it was time to give it back and he agreed. When we, finally, got to the hotel in Kontum, we were greeted by the men of the 209th.

The next days, we were transported by trucks up to the battle site. We gathered together for the formal presentation of the wallet and its contents to Pham Van Chuc by John Cimino. Unknowingly to John, the Vietnamese writing inside the wallet was the soldier's name so he was immediately identified and the men from 209 made contact with the surviving members of his family and made a formal presentation of the wallet and its contents to them.

One of the things we learned from this experience was that our enemy was no different than us. They just happened to be on the other side doing what their government wanted them to do, just like us. All they want is to be happy, raise their families and enjoy good health. I must say that I admire them and the effort they pursue in locating the remains of their comrades. We have one that remains missing, Walter Chicon, who was wounded and according to Chuc, he was taken prisoner and being treated at a field hospital. He was in a great deal of pain and died a few days later and buried in the jungle nearby. Hopefully, one day his remains will be found.

When I learned of the planned festivities in Sa Thay for the 50th anniversary of the battle, it was important to me to have us represented there. So, John Cimino joined us again, but this time brought his family. And Lloyd Bedik joined us with his wife, Esther. The program at the Memory House was most memorable. The military presented wreaths for the deceased veterans of E209. And they paced a wreath for our veterans of the 3/8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, along with a list of names of our Brothers who were killed. Then we burned incense for all who sacrificed. We spent 3 or 4 days together and they have been most gracious hosts. We had plans to go in 2020 but the COVID-19 ruined it, hopefully, in 2022.

Bob Connor:

The hardest part was the 26-hour flight time before arriving in Vietnam. That's a long time to wonder how all this was going to play out. But the three young men who were there to pick me up at Tan Son Nhat Airport quickly eased my mind. They must have pumped up the crowd who were also there waiting for their Families and or friends to arrive. Being one of the first ones to get through Customs and looking like an American. One of them raised a sign with my name on it and I gave a thumbs up sign. They turned to the crowd waving the sign and all of those waiting also cheered.

The next morning, I first met Col. Chien. As he walked toward me and saluted me. I in turn, saluted him as well. He first asked about my flight then immediately asked about my wife. I knew immediately this would be a good trip.

But being back on the base, on the same road I walked on 49 years ago brought back a lot of memories quickly. All of them were flashing by in my brain. I made my way to a very famous bunker. What we called Bunker Hill 10. I walked up to it and stepped down to the lower entrance. I could not even if I wanted to, bend down to go inside. This is where we lost our Commanding Officer Capt Maisey, during the early hours of the Tet'68 Offensive. To me, this was a sacred place. I paid my respects, turned and stepped out. While the Vietnamese team was searching they took good care of us. We had several white tents along the inner perimeter road, stools and fresh warm tea to drink. I never thought I would be drinking warm tea on a 95-degree humid day with no breeze. But it was refreshing.

I did have a brief period to sit alone and take in both the past and present events on this road. But I noticed what I consider both unusual and unique observations. I tried to read a lot about some of Vietnam's culture on that 26-hour flight. The Martyrs and Spirits got my attention. In that, those who died in battle are Martyrs. But if they are buried and or not found. Their Spirits search and remain not connected spiritually with the body, until found and properly buried.

Here I am sitting alone on a small stool for no more than ten minutes under a tent. I'm looking west toward the two runways, absolutely still no breeze and now about 96 or 97 degrees. I'm looking at the tall stiff grass bending and twisting in different directions. These small clusters would move in different directions. I even got up and walked over to the other side of the road and I'm within 9 meters of these clusters and they continue but still I feel no breeze.

As I turned away and walked back to the tent. I stopped and looked back, it was like it never happened. Yes, I'm convinced, these were the Spirits waiting for the Martyrs to be found nearby.

That evening I suggested to Marty to move the team down closer to the turn in the road. He agreed. Did we find the grave on our last day in Vietnam? No. But they did find it 3 weeks later just off the turn in the road directly under the front end loader.

Once we found this out I knew I wanted to continue searching for more. Jumping out five years to the present, we have now provided Vietnam with the locations of approx 8,000 Vietnamese soldiers. Approx 1/3 are marked to their NE Coordinates. Still most need to be excavated where the grave is in open areas. But some are under homes, near intersections.

US and Vietnamese war veterans together return to the old battlefield Chu Tan Kra (Kon Tum) to find the remains of fallen soldiers.

US and Vietnamese war veterans together return to the old battlefield Chu Tan Kra (Kon Tum) to find the remains of fallen soldiers. (Photo: Duc Binh)

US war veterans burn incense at Sa Thay Martyrs' Cemetery, Kon Tum. (Photo: Duc Binh)

At a handover ceremony of a momento of martyr Hoang Quang Loi. (Photo: Duc Binh)

US and Vietnamese war veterans together return to the old battlefield Chu Tan Kra (Kon Tum) to find the remains of fallen soldiers.

US and Vietnamese war veterans together return to the old battlefield Chu Tan Kra (Kon Tum) to find the remains of fallen soldiers. (Photo: Duc Binh)

US war veterans burn incense at Sa Thay Martyrs' Cemetery, Kon Tum. (Photo: Duc Binh)

At a handover ceremony of a momento of martyr Hoang Quang Loi. (Photo: Duc Binh)

Q: How would you describe your feeling when you witnessed the efforts of veterans and relatives to find the remains?

Bob Connor:

Your Veterans were then and still today, very proud of what they are doing. They know and can appreciate the impact on the Families. The US Veterans who are helping to find these graves are very sincere in their willingness to help the Vietnamese Families obtain the closure and solace they deserve. They know the war will never end until the family member is found and properly buried.

Watching and waiting for the grave that is so close to being found. But the entire time we worry and wonder if we were wrong. We were very upset when we had to leave Vietnam without the grave being found. But we were extremely happy and joyous when it was found 3 weeks later.

Steve Edmunds: 

I am proud to know Ho Dai Dong and his team and their dedication in locating the remains of their comrades and the fact that we are assisting with this effort, It brings some closure to their surviving family members. We have one of ours, Walter Cichon, who was wounded on 30 March 68 and taken prisoner. He had a severe head wound and was in a great deal of pain and being treated in their field hospital. He passed away a couple of days later and was buried in the jungle nearby. This information was provided to me from Pham Van Chuc.

Bob March:

After I heard from Major Thuy, I contacted the veterans who were at LZ Bird (Xuan Son hill). Everyone I talked with was very positive about helping as much as they could.  As I have told others, some even said that they would be happy to bring a shovel and dig themselves. (They are a little old for that kind of work now. But you might see this happen.) So I was gratified that my fellow veterans felt the same as I did about this effort.

I have also been impressed that the Vietnamese hold the finding of martyrs as a sacred obligation. I have seen some of the video of the interment of the remains that were found, as well as the reaction of family members.  It is a very moving experience.  And it makes me feel good that I could play even a small part in that noble effort.

Q: What do you plan to do next in terms of finding the martyrs’ graves?

Bob Connor:

We will continue to search as we've done before. We've added another US Soldier to our team and another Vietnamese Engineer. We will encourage Vietnam and the United States Government to seek out the scientific means to locate the graves. Soldiers from both sides are getting too old to remember the details we need in locating the area of the graves. We may only have approx. 5 years to find all the missing soldiers from both Countries. If we know the area of the grave, with the help of a reliable scientific tool, the grave could be found within 1-2 days. Without this tool, the graves can remain untouched.

Bob March:

I am continuing to work directly with Vietnamese to analyze the location of another grave in the same area.  I have also started working with Bob Conner and Richard Magner, who have been helping look for mass graves in Vietnam for several years.

It is important that the American witnesses be found quickly, because they are getting very near the end of their lives. Unfortunately, the location of mass graves was not recorded during the war, so searching through old paper records does not substitute for the recollections of those who were there. Thus, I am concentrating on finding those who may remember. Part of that effort is to inform US Vietnam veterans that this work is a high priority in Vietnam and their help is needed. Publication in US Veteran's magazines, such as "Vietnam", will help. I am working on an article for that now.

Q: If you can have a message to the Vietnamese veterans, the relatives of the martyrs, and the Government of Vietnam, what would you send?

Bob Connor: These soldiers who never returned, deserve to be found. They gave their lives so Vietnam can be what Vietnam is today.

Spencer Matteson: 

Speaking only for myself and not my fellow veterans, I would like to tell the Vietnamese veterans I fought against that they were a feared and respected enemy for us. You had to face hardships that we didn’t. As hard as it was for us, by comparison, we had it easier in many ways, we only had to fight for one year and then we could return home. We had better equipment to fight with and helicopters to use to get in and out of trouble quickly. We had better artillery and more firepower in general and yet you, our former foes in Vietnam never gave up the fight and eventually broke the will of the United States to fight. I would probably never have said this back in the 1960s, but today I can say without shame that I salute you. You were a worthy opponent.

To the families of the martyrs, all I can say is I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the families that lost loved ones (Vietnamese and American), in a war that could have been avoided.

To the Government of Vietnam, I would just like to say in going forward, I hope our two nations can normalize relations so that we become allies and never become enemies again.

These soldiers who never returned, deserve to be found. They gave their lives so Vietnam can be what Vietnam is today.

(Bob Connor, US war veteran)

Content: Anh Tho - Le Thuy
Design: Phuong Nam, Phung Trang, Bien Dieu, Phan Anh
Translation: NDO