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: New York NY

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)

Cl: Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing, but held with Walter W. Eckes, escaped POW)

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

sources. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998.

              

REMARKS: 660618 ESCAPED

SYNOPSIS:

In May 1966, Lance Corporal 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  Company C, 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 line companies rotated to the rear for resupply and rest. Every two weeks, one of the team would return to Headquarters 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines to pick up team members' pay and any supplies that were needed. On 9 May 1966, Eckes returned to the rear for resupply; he spent the night. The following morning he headed back to his team, who were waiting with Charlie 1/9.

The team was located approximately 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 Headquarters; 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. As Eckes greeted the men, they leveled their weapons at him; believing they were joking, Eckes pushed one weapon aside. The three immediately wrestled him to the ground, disarmed him, and tied him up, putting one rope around his neck, and tying his arms elbow-to-elbow behind his back.Then, the three Vietnamese dragged Eckes by the neck across the road and held him overnight. As he lay shivering on the ground, the unknown swept over him. How had this happened? He and others had been down the road several times, no attempt had ever been made to take an American hostage by the VC before. he tried not to think about his immediate future, as exhaustion swept over him...

The following day, Eckes was given over to another group who led him to a POW camp. Along the way, he was paraded before the villagers as the Viet Cong passed through. Eckes estimated the camp was 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 Sergeant 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 three days until 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 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 they were attended to medically; Following their medical treatment 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.

P.O.W.

The Walter Eckes Story...