Featured POW/MIA of the Month
Along with the Military Personnel left behind in Vietnam, Civilians were also left there. This month the POW/MIA of the Month is a Civilian Surgeon who was kidnapped from a Leprosarium together with Rev. Archie E. Mitchell, and Daniel A. Gerber - all Civilians.
The family members of these Civilians want their return. Their loved ones went to South Vietnam to help, to make life a little better for the people. They did not go to fight; they went to help but that made no difference in the way they were treated almost 30 years ago. The Moonduster Chronicles is proud to introduce you to Eleanor A. Vietti:
Dr. Eleanor Ardel Vietti
Name: Dr. Eleanor Ardel Vietti
Rank/Branch: Civilian - Surgeon
Unit: Christian & Missionary Alliance
Date of Birth: 05 November 1927 (Ft. Worth TX)
Home City: Houston TX
Date of Loss: 30 May 1962
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 123250N 1075927E (ZU250888)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 1
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 0011
Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: Raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.
Additional info and photo's provided by THE NORTHWEST VETERAN'S NEWSLETTER investigation into Dr. Vietti's kidnapping.
Other Personnel in Incident: Rev. Archie E. Mitchell; Daniel A. Gerber (both captured)
REMARKS:
Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium Hospital,
where Dr. Vietti was kidnapped from.
SYNOPSIS: Ardel Vietti was a twin and was born on November 5, 1927 in Ft. Worth, Texas. Her father was a geologist and provided Ardel, her sister and brother with a comfortable youth, as well as the experience of living in South America for several years. Ardel attended Rice Institute, Nyack Missionary College (one summer), and attended medical school at the University of Texas. Following her residency, she applied for Foreign Service with C&MA and was certified for appointment to the Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium in Vietnam.
The Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium was located in dense jungle terrain in Darlac Province, South Vietnam, near the provincial capitol of Ban Me Thuot. The Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Mennonite Central Committee and American Leprosy Missions, Inc jointly financed the Leprosarium. There were 56 Alliance church groups in the areas outlying Ban Me Thuot in 1962.
The Leprosarium had a staff of nine, including Rev. Archie Mitchell, the administrative officer; Dr. Ardel Vietti, a surgeon, Daniel A. Gerber, and nurses, Misses Craig, Deets, Kingsbury and Wilting. There were two others on staff; also, the Mitchell's four children lived at the Leprosarium.
Dr. Ardel Vietti performs surgery on
leper at Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium Hospital
Late afternoon on Wednesday, May 30, 1962, a group of about 12 armed Viet Cong entered the Leprosarium compound and abducted Dan Gerber, Dr. Vietti and Rev. Mitchell. The nurses were sternly lectured on their betrayal of the Vietnamese people and assured that they deserved immediate death, but were not molested or abducted. Mrs. Mitchell and her four children were not harmed. The VC ransacked all the buildings for anything they could use - linens, medicines, clothing and surgical instruments. About 10:00 p.m., the Viet Cong finally left, taking their three prisoners with them.
When the three were captured, the U.S. pledged all of its resources in order to see that everything possible was done to get them back safely in 1962.
At the time, U.S. and South Vietnamese intelligence discovered their probable location, but were never able to rescue the three. Reports have continued to surface on them through the years since 1962. Some of the members of their families believe them to be still alive.
Now, 39 years later, Vietti, Gerber and Mitchell are still missing. They were not military personnel, nor were they engaged in highly paid jobs relating to the war. They were just there to help sick Vietnamese people.
Although the U.S. has given the Vietnamese information on Gerber, Vietti and Mitchell, the Vietnamese deny any knowledge of them.
Photo's above courtesy of Roger and Pam Young of the Northwest Veteran's Newsletter where this link will take you to an in-depth article on Dr. Vietti. Photo's copyrighted © The Northwest Veterans Newsletter, All Rights Reserved. Reproduced with permission.
Editor's Note: The case of Dr. Vietti has been championed by Pam Young for years. We encourage you to visit the Northwest Veteran's Newsletter to learn more about the POW/MIA issue.
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