ECKES, WALTER WILLIAM

Name: Walter William Eckes
Rank/Branch: E3/US Marine Corps
Unit: F Battery, 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record:
Date of Loss: 10 May 1966
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 155735N 1081100E (AT987667)
Status (in 1973): Escaped POW
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground

Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing, but held with James S. Dodson,
escaped POW)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project with the assistance of Patty Skelly of
Task Force Omega, Inc. 01 October 1990 from raw data from U.S. Government agency
sources, correspondence with Walt Eckes, published sources.

REMARKS: 660618 ESCAPED

SYNOPSIS: In May 1966, Lcpl. Walter W. Eckes was assigned to F Battery, 2nd
Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. As radio operator, Eckes
volunteered for a F.O. (forward observer) team. He was attached to C Company, 1st
Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division (later known as the "Walking Dead").

Because of a shortage of forward observers, Eckes' four-man team had no officers
and were not replaced in the field as the line companies rotated to the rear to
resupply or rest. Every couple of weeks, one of the team would return to HQ 2nd
Battalion, 12th Marines to pick up the team members' pay and any supplies that
were needed for the team. On May 9, 1966, Eckes returned to the rear to
resupply, spent the night, and the following morning headed back to his team and
Charlie Company 1/9. The team was located about 25 miles south-southwest of Da
Nang at a hamlet called Lei Son (phonetic spelling).

Eckes made the trip back to camp by hopping a ride on a truck from HQ. The truck
was going further south, so Eckes got off at a junction that entered into Lei
Son. The road, only about a quarter to a half-mile long, was booby trapped every
night, so Eckes decided to wait for another vehicle that was going to enter all
the way into the compound.

As he was sitting on the side of the road propped against a tree, three men in
South Vietnamese uniforms came walking down the road. One had an M-14; one had a
45 automatic pistol; the third was unarmed. Eckes greeted the men who then
leveled weapons at him. Believing they were joking, Eckes pushed the weapon
aside. The three disarmed him, wrestled him to the ground, and tied him up,
putting one rope around his neck, and tying his arms elbow to elbow behind his
back.

The three Vietnamese dragged Eckes across the road by the neck rope and held him
overnight. The following day, Eckes was given over to another group who led him
to a POW camp. Along the way, he was paraded in villages the group passed
through. Eckes estimates the camp to be located about 10-15 miles west-southwest
of the hamlet of Lei Son.

When he arrived at camp, Eckes met a tall black man standing in the door of one
of the huts who smiled at him. At first Eckes thought the man was a Cambodian he
had heard about who had been infiltrating Marine camps sabotaging equipment.
Later he learned that the man was smiling because he thought he would never
again see another American. His name was Sgt. James Dodson, and he had been
captured three days before Eckes. Dodson had been working with an engineer group
clearing roads when he went behind a hut and was knocked unconscious and
captured.

While in the camp near Lei Son, Eckes and Dodson were not tortured, but
occasionally roughed up during questioning. Twice, interrogators came in from
outside the camp. After the second interrogation, Eckes was told that he and
Dodson would soon be moved to another camp where another American was being held
- Bobby Garwood. Several days passed, and the two were brought black pajamas to
wear on the trip to the next camp.

Dodson and Eckes were taken away from the camp near Lei Son and traveled about
three days when they were forced to return because of American military activity
along their route. About two weeks later, they were taken in a different
direction for the same destination. They were on the trail for 3-4 days, and the
prisoners were in bad shape. Eckes lost his toenails due to a combination the
effects of poor health and exposure, having been required to wear "Ho Chi Minh"
sandals. The left side of his face was badly infected from insect bites, and his
weight had dropped to 98 pounds.

At dinner that night, Eckes made a decision. He had endured all he felt he
could, and planned to make a break, but didn't know what to do. He and Dodson
discussed it, and both agreed they had to escape if they were to survive.

Eckes and Dodson were traveling with about 18 Viet Cong and three of them stayed
with the prisoners during their rice meal that evening. The guards also started
to eat, and for the first time during the trip, all three guards propped their
weapons on a tree about 20 feet away. Eckes and Dodson seemed compliant, and the
guards felt confident. The other fifteen guards were some distance away eating.

After the meal, Eckes and Dodson had to wash out their canteen cups in a stream
directly behind the Viet Cong. When they stood up, the guards believed they were
going to wash their cups, but instead, the POWs took the rifles, grabbed a few
supplies and took off through the jungle.

For the next four days, Eckes and Dodson were chased through the jungle, and
eventually made their way to a PF post just outside An Hoa (about 25 miles
southwest of Da Nang), where a Marine base was located. The two were brought in
by ambulance to An Hoa, then flown to Da Nang where medical needs were seen to
and they were debriefed. The only other American they had heard about was Bobby
Garwood.

Walt Eckes will never forget his captivity. He is aware of the great volume of
intelligence which has convinced many that POWs are still being held captive
today. He and Dodson were among a very few who were able to escape captivity in
Southeast Asia. Many tried and were tortured for their efforts, or killed. To
Eckes and others who were fortunate enough to come home, the idea that Americans
are still being held captive holds a special horror.

It's time we brought our men home.
