1990 through 1993 --- I was assigned as a Search and Recovery Team Leader with the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii with the mission to search for and recover the remains of the killed in action-body not recovered (KIA-BNR) mostly from the Vietnam War and WW2. Otherwise known as the "POW/MIA Mission". In the spring of 1992, while leading a team on a search and recovery operation in Cambodia, one of the NCOs lost my Case Sodbuster Junior he had borrowed.
The mission was to recover 5 journalists from NBC and CBS who were captured and killed by the Viet Cong on 21 May 1970. NBC: Yoshiniko Waku (Japanese), Welles Hangen (American), and Roger Colne (French). CBS: Tomoharu Ishii (Japanese) and Kojiro Sakai (Japanese). Their loss in 1970 and our recovery operation 22 years later are detailed in the book A Cambodian Odyssey: And the Deaths of 25 Journalists by Kurt Volkert and T. Jeff Williams.
http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Cambodian_Odyssey.html?id=M24aRZpaT_8C
Mr. Volkert had been a U.S. Army Combat Cameraman then a CBS photojournalist in Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1970 he had had a falling out with George Syvertsen, his boss, about pushing too hard and taking too many risks so at the last minute was replaced by another (Ishii) for an out trip. It was on that day the five journalists were captured. Volkert should have been one of them but by happenstance, due to the falling out with Syvertsen, he wasn't. Mr. Volkert returned to Cambodia in 1971 and, to hell with his assignments, spent a considerable amount of time and effort (and risk) trying to determine what happened to those five journalists the year before. He interviewed witness, made sketches, and took detailed notes. The five journalist were assassinated with their hands tied behind their backs and buried in shallow graves along a river bank in the vicinity of Wat Po.
1992 --- The Search and Recovery. Mr. Vokert, an "old man" in his 50s, was the CBS Rome Bureau Chief in 1992. He brought his notes, sketches, and photos. I was always wary of journalists, but they were only rarely present during any of our operations. We mostly worked unmolested and unharassed and undisturbed. Most of America, including the media, had no idea we even existed much less the work we were doing. Wasn't the case with this operation. We were attempting to recover journalists so the news media, CBS and NBC anyway, displayed interest. Others outlets did too. The fact that Errol Flynn's son, Sean Flynn, was one of the 25 journalists lost in Cambodia didn't help matters. Anyway, Mr. Volkert was more there because we were recovering friend his friends vs as a CBS representative. Peter Chhun, NBC's West Coast News Editor (and a native Cambodian), was there too. It was he and NBC that got the ball rolling (Welles Hangen was an American from NBC). Neither Kurt Volkert nor Peter Chhun were there for a story. They were there out of genuine interest to recover the dead for the families to have closure. Once I learned that I warmed up to both of them , and they truly became part of the team vs a potential adversary looking for a sensational story. The recovery was arduous work, literally removing tons and tons of riverbed by hand in buckets and sifting/wet screening it through 1/4 inch mess. Kurt Volkert and Peter Chhun were there everyday.
The knife --- As mentioned earlier, early in the operation one of the NCOs lost my Case Sodbuster Junior in the muck and mess of the riverbed emplacing a floating grid over an excavation site. When Volkert learned of this and my inability to find an adequate replacement, and after we had developed sa rtelationship, he gave me his Victorinox Swiss Champion. It has blue scales with the ARRI (professional cameras) logo. I've since carried that thing all over. It has travelled to about half the states in the USA as well as much of the Pacific, Asia, and Europe. It even crossed the line (equator) with me aboard the USS Blue Ridge in January 1998. The knife has travelled with me to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Fiji, Guam, Saipan, Germany, France, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Fast forward to 2013 --- In the summer of 2013 I decided I'd try to reach Kurt Volkert and return his knife. In searching the web, I could not find a direct way of reaching him; however, I discovered the book he wrote of the 1992 recovery operation (linked above). It was first published in 2001. I had no idea it even existed. In overviewing it, I discovered he has me all through part 2 (the 1992 recovery operation, part 1 being the 1970 loss). That operation had many difficulties and was quite politically charged. High pressure. Needless to say I was a bit shocked to discover this book 22 years after the operation and 12 years after it was first published. I downloaded the book and read it with a bit of trepidation. No worries though as Mr. Volkert was very kind to me (I'm Bill Hudson). Reading that book churned up all kinds of emotions. Crap I'd long ago pushed to the far recesses of my mind. I was then even more determined to find Volkert.
I finally did reach him through an old CBS Vietnam War photojournalist who put me in touch with an old CBS hand who he thought might still be in contact with Volkert who long ago left CBS. Just so happened that Kurt's friend raises beef not far from here, and Kurt and his wife visit that ranch every year. Also just so happens Mr. Volkert spent time in my town last summer not five miles from my house. I immediately tried to reach the ranch, but the owners were out of town. I later discovered they were visiting the Volkerts in Bonn. Kurt Volkert reached me while his friends were visiting, sent me a book through the rancher, and let me know he'd be at the ranch this winter. Once I learned this, I sent that old Swiss Army Knife to the Victorinox Service Center in Monroe Connecticut for repair and spa treatment. I asked they not replace the ARRI logo scale.
Today --- At 12:30 my wife and I will meet Mr. Volkert and his wife and the rancher and his wife at a French restaurant in Gordonsville, VA. I'm excited. Two things I'll bring --- the knife and the book. The knife, I'll offer back to Kurt. I'm fairly certain he won't take it. If that's the case, I'll give it to the rancher.
Chhun, Hudson, Volkert - 1992 vicinity of Wat Po, Cambodia:
SFC Williams (background) and me (foreground) saying good-bye and expressing thanks at Wat Po. SFC Williams retired shortly after this operation. I served another 12.5 years.
The excavation. Not even 1/4 complete.
I'm quite nervous, excited, and giddy about today. Kurt is now in his 70s. I feel blessed to be reconnecting before that could no longer be possible either because he could no longer travel or death.
The mission was to recover 5 journalists from NBC and CBS who were captured and killed by the Viet Cong on 21 May 1970. NBC: Yoshiniko Waku (Japanese), Welles Hangen (American), and Roger Colne (French). CBS: Tomoharu Ishii (Japanese) and Kojiro Sakai (Japanese). Their loss in 1970 and our recovery operation 22 years later are detailed in the book A Cambodian Odyssey: And the Deaths of 25 Journalists by Kurt Volkert and T. Jeff Williams.
http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Cambodian_Odyssey.html?id=M24aRZpaT_8C
Mr. Volkert had been a U.S. Army Combat Cameraman then a CBS photojournalist in Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1970 he had had a falling out with George Syvertsen, his boss, about pushing too hard and taking too many risks so at the last minute was replaced by another (Ishii) for an out trip. It was on that day the five journalists were captured. Volkert should have been one of them but by happenstance, due to the falling out with Syvertsen, he wasn't. Mr. Volkert returned to Cambodia in 1971 and, to hell with his assignments, spent a considerable amount of time and effort (and risk) trying to determine what happened to those five journalists the year before. He interviewed witness, made sketches, and took detailed notes. The five journalist were assassinated with their hands tied behind their backs and buried in shallow graves along a river bank in the vicinity of Wat Po.
1992 --- The Search and Recovery. Mr. Vokert, an "old man" in his 50s, was the CBS Rome Bureau Chief in 1992. He brought his notes, sketches, and photos. I was always wary of journalists, but they were only rarely present during any of our operations. We mostly worked unmolested and unharassed and undisturbed. Most of America, including the media, had no idea we even existed much less the work we were doing. Wasn't the case with this operation. We were attempting to recover journalists so the news media, CBS and NBC anyway, displayed interest. Others outlets did too. The fact that Errol Flynn's son, Sean Flynn, was one of the 25 journalists lost in Cambodia didn't help matters. Anyway, Mr. Volkert was more there because we were recovering friend his friends vs as a CBS representative. Peter Chhun, NBC's West Coast News Editor (and a native Cambodian), was there too. It was he and NBC that got the ball rolling (Welles Hangen was an American from NBC). Neither Kurt Volkert nor Peter Chhun were there for a story. They were there out of genuine interest to recover the dead for the families to have closure. Once I learned that I warmed up to both of them , and they truly became part of the team vs a potential adversary looking for a sensational story. The recovery was arduous work, literally removing tons and tons of riverbed by hand in buckets and sifting/wet screening it through 1/4 inch mess. Kurt Volkert and Peter Chhun were there everyday.
The knife --- As mentioned earlier, early in the operation one of the NCOs lost my Case Sodbuster Junior in the muck and mess of the riverbed emplacing a floating grid over an excavation site. When Volkert learned of this and my inability to find an adequate replacement, and after we had developed sa rtelationship, he gave me his Victorinox Swiss Champion. It has blue scales with the ARRI (professional cameras) logo. I've since carried that thing all over. It has travelled to about half the states in the USA as well as much of the Pacific, Asia, and Europe. It even crossed the line (equator) with me aboard the USS Blue Ridge in January 1998. The knife has travelled with me to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Fiji, Guam, Saipan, Germany, France, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Fast forward to 2013 --- In the summer of 2013 I decided I'd try to reach Kurt Volkert and return his knife. In searching the web, I could not find a direct way of reaching him; however, I discovered the book he wrote of the 1992 recovery operation (linked above). It was first published in 2001. I had no idea it even existed. In overviewing it, I discovered he has me all through part 2 (the 1992 recovery operation, part 1 being the 1970 loss). That operation had many difficulties and was quite politically charged. High pressure. Needless to say I was a bit shocked to discover this book 22 years after the operation and 12 years after it was first published. I downloaded the book and read it with a bit of trepidation. No worries though as Mr. Volkert was very kind to me (I'm Bill Hudson). Reading that book churned up all kinds of emotions. Crap I'd long ago pushed to the far recesses of my mind. I was then even more determined to find Volkert.
I finally did reach him through an old CBS Vietnam War photojournalist who put me in touch with an old CBS hand who he thought might still be in contact with Volkert who long ago left CBS. Just so happened that Kurt's friend raises beef not far from here, and Kurt and his wife visit that ranch every year. Also just so happens Mr. Volkert spent time in my town last summer not five miles from my house. I immediately tried to reach the ranch, but the owners were out of town. I later discovered they were visiting the Volkerts in Bonn. Kurt Volkert reached me while his friends were visiting, sent me a book through the rancher, and let me know he'd be at the ranch this winter. Once I learned this, I sent that old Swiss Army Knife to the Victorinox Service Center in Monroe Connecticut for repair and spa treatment. I asked they not replace the ARRI logo scale.
Today --- At 12:30 my wife and I will meet Mr. Volkert and his wife and the rancher and his wife at a French restaurant in Gordonsville, VA. I'm excited. Two things I'll bring --- the knife and the book. The knife, I'll offer back to Kurt. I'm fairly certain he won't take it. If that's the case, I'll give it to the rancher.
Chhun, Hudson, Volkert - 1992 vicinity of Wat Po, Cambodia:
SFC Williams (background) and me (foreground) saying good-bye and expressing thanks at Wat Po. SFC Williams retired shortly after this operation. I served another 12.5 years.
The excavation. Not even 1/4 complete.
I'm quite nervous, excited, and giddy about today. Kurt is now in his 70s. I feel blessed to be reconnecting before that could no longer be possible either because he could no longer travel or death.
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