No Man Left Behind (2016) s01e06 Episode Script
Memories of Hell
1 MAN: COMMUNISM IS NOW ON THE MARCH ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA, FROM VIETNAM TO NEIGHBORING LAOS.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO THROUGH A LIFE AND DEATH EXPERIENCE AND COME OUT THE SAME WAY YOU WENT IN.
LIFE'S FRAGILE.
IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO GET SNUFFED OUT.
THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE OCEAN, JUST THE SOUND OF THE WATER, IT'S VERY PEACEFUL.
I THINK THAT'S WHY I JOINED THE NAVY.
IT'S BEEN A GOOD LIFE.
I'VE SEEN A LO AND ENJOYED 99% OF IT.
I CERTAINLY REMEMBER THAT DAY.
IT WAS JUNE THE 6TH, 1964.
I WAS A PILOT ON BOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK AND I WAS PAR OF A DETACHMEN THAT WAS ON BOARD FOR A PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE.
I FLEW AN RF-8 CRUSADER.
I LOVED IT.
YOU DON'T GET INTO IT, YOU JUST SORT OF STRAP IT ON.
IT JUST STARTS WITH A LOW RUMBLE AND THEN GRADUALLY PICKS UP WITH A WHINE.
WHOOOOO! AND WHEN THE CATAPULT FIRES, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD JOLT.
WHOOOOO! MY MISSION WAS PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE.
THE TARGET WAS PROBABLY 90-100 MILES INSIDE OF ENEMY TERRITORY.
THE AREA WAS CONTROLLED BY THE PATHET- LAOS, THEY WERE GUERRILLAS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WERE UNDER COMMUNIST CONTROL.
THEY WERE ALL ALARMED AND KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
WE WERE HALF WAY THROUGH A TURN TO THE RIGHT.
IT FELT LIKE THA EVERYTHING AROUND ME ERUPTED IN ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE.
AND THEN I FELT A BIG THUD.
I FIGURED THA COULD BE TROUBLE.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, EVERYTHING STARTED TO FAIL.
WHENEVER A SYSTEM FAILS, YOU GET A RED LIGHT.
FIRST ONE, THEN ANOTHER.
EVENTUALLY ALL THE RED LIGHTS STARTED TO COME ON.
PRETTY SOON YOU'VE GOT A CHRISTMAS TREE AND TOO MANY RED LIGHTS.
YOU'RE OUT THE AIRPLANE.
YOU KNOW THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET OUT AND WALK.
IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST.
YOU'RE REACHING UP, YOU STAR DOWN AND YOU PULL THE HANDLE.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOU'RE HANGING IN A PARACHUTE.
YOU'RE JUS GLAD TO BE ALIVE.
I STARTED THINKING ABOUT, "GEE, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ME?" THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE GROUND WAS COMING UP AT A TREMENDOUS RATE AND YOU SAY, "WAIT I'M NOT READY," BUT YOU'RE GOING ANYWAY.
THERE WAS ONE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CLEARING ACROSS THE PLAIN.
BOOM, I WENT RIGH INTO THAT ONE TREE.
FORTUNATELY, I WAS ALIVE AND OKAY.
BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
I KNEW I HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE.
[PAINFUL SCREAMS.]
MY HIP AND KNEE WERE BADLY BANGED UP.
SO I WEDGED IT AND PU MY OTHER FOOT ON THERE AND JERKED BACK, ARRGGH! IT FELT A LITTLE BETTER AFTER THAT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, OVER 100 MILES FROM THE SHIP.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RUN FOR THE BORDERS.
AND THERE WAS A FEELING THAT I KNOW SOMEBODY'S OU THERE WATCHING ME.
RADIO DJ: HEY OU THERE IN RADIO LAND, YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE BEST STATION IN THE CITY.
WE'VE GOT NEWS FROM MORNING, NOON TILL NIGH WITH ALL YOUR GREATEST HITS.
TERRY BURKE: I JOINED THE CIA AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION.
I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE OPERATION IN LAOS.
WE WOULD GATHER ALL THE REPORTS AND TRY TO COMPILE A PICTURE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
TOWARDS THE END OF THE MORNING, ONE OF THE PILOTS CAME IN AND SAID, "I'M HEARING RADIO REPORTS.
" PILOT: SIR, AN AIRCRAFT IS DOWN.
TERRY BURKE: I GRABBED MY MAPS.
IF THAT WAS ME, I WOULD CERTAINLY WAN SOMEBODY TO COME AND GET ME.
I DON'T KNOW HIM, BUT HE NEEDS TO BE HELPED.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I COULDN'T SEE THEM, BUT I KNEW THEY WERE OUT THERE.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME.
ALL I COULD DO WAS SEE IF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE COULD GET THERE BEFORE THE BAD GUYS DID.
TERRY BURKE: WE FLEW AS FAST AS I COULD.
I STARTED ASKING WHO ELSE WAS IN THE AREA.
I FOUND THAT THERE WERE TWO HELICOPTERS.
MAN ON RAIDO: THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN IN THE NORTH OF THE PLAIN [INAUDIBLE.]
.
THERE'S A STRONG PATHET-LAOS PRESENCE.
BE CAREFUL.
TERRY BURKE: WE ALL KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE CROSSING THE MOST DANGEROUS AREA THAT YOU COULD CROSS.
THAT AREA WAS TOTALLY HELD BY THE ENEMY.
THE PATHET-LAOS COMMUNIS FORCE THAT HAD BEEN FORMED SOME YEARS BEFORE WERE MAINLY JUST VILLAGER THUGS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOU.
I WAS THINKING THAT AREA COULD REALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS.
BUT WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: EVENTUALLY I COULD HEAR HELICOPTERS COMING IN AND AN AIRPLANE.
AND THEN I SAW THEM AND I THOUGHT, "WOW, THIS IS GREAT.
" WE HAD A SIGNAL MIRROR.
THEY WERE KIND OF CIRCLING THE AREA AND I FLASHED THEM WITH THE MIRROR.
TERRY BURKE: WE SPOTTED HIM PROBABLY HALF A MILE OUT.
THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE! THERE HE IS.
RIGHT BOYS.
IT WAS RELIEF BECAUSE I COULD SEE THAT HE WAS ALIVE.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
WE HADN'T GONE IN TO TRY TO RESCUE A DEAD MAN.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: THEY JUST ROCKED THEIR WINGS, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YES, THEY SAW ME.
BOY, I'M GONNA BE OUT OF HERE BACK ON THE SHIP BY SUNSET.
TERRY BURKE: AND I STARTED THE FAST RUN PAST KLUSMANN.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: EVERYTHING ERUPTED.
THEY HAD THA AREA SURROUNDED, WAITING FOR WHEN SOMEBODY CAME TO PICK ME UP.
TERRY BURKE: HE'S THERE, BUT IT'S A TRAP.
[INAUDIBLE RADIO CHATTER.]
.
TERRY BURKE: WE CAME RIGHT OVER HIM.
WE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 20 FEET ABOVE HIM.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: GET OUT OF HERE.
TERRY BURKE: IT WAS ALMOST EYEBALL-TO-EYEBALL.
ALL THIS GUNFIRE OPENED UP.
HEAVY GUNFIRE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: THERE WAS NO WAY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COME AND GET ME.
MY FEELING WAS THEY MAY TRY AND COME IN HERE BUT THEY'LL JUST GET SHOT TO PIECES.
SO I JUST WAVED THEM OFF.
TERRY BURKE: AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHAT A BRAVE SON OF A BITCH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I COULD SEE THAT I WAS SURROUNDED.
ONE THING I DIDN'T WANT TO DO, I DIDN'T WANT TO STARTLE THEM AND HAVE THEM START SHOOTING.
THEY ALL HAD 15 OR 20 GUNS POINTING AT ME AND I THOUGHT, THAT WAS NOT VERY GOOD ODDS.
THEY PUT A ROPE AROUND MY NECK.
AND THEY TIED UP MY HANDS.
AND STARTED TO LEAD ME OFF TOWARD THEIR CAMP.
I COULDN'T RUN.
IT WAS LIKE A DOG BEING ON A LEASH REALLY.
I WAS STUMBLING.
AND FALLING.
YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.
WHO'S GONNA DO WHAT? WHAT'S THE RESULT GONNA BE? SPENT A COUPLE OF DAYS ON A TRAIL.
MAN: HAI, HAI.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: WE ARRIVED INTO A SMALL CAMP THAT WAS SEVEN OR EIGHT HUTS.
AND THEN THIS ONE HU WAS WHERE THEY KEPT ME.
[SOLDIER SHOUTING.]
.
IT WAS A LITTLE DARK IN THERE.
ACROSS ONE END OF THE ROOM WAS THIS WOODEN PLATFORM, THAT'S WHERE YOU SLEPT.
THAT'S IT.
GOT TWO MEALS A DAY.
WOULD ALWAYS BE RICE AND STEWED VEGETABLES.
ONCE ABOUT 10 IN THE MORNING, AND THEN ABOUT 4:30, 5 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.
IT GETS KINDA DIFFICUL AT TIMES 'CAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER EVERY DAY.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD BE.
GOD, WHAT A GOOD LOOKING FELLA! THAT WAS IN MY SKINNY DAYS.
WHEN I WAS IN THE PRISON, I SAT AND I JUST TRIED TO THINK ABOU PLEASANT THINGS.
WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WAS FREE.
THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT I WOULD BE LIKE TO BE HOME AGAIN.
I HAD A FEVER, SO I WAS PRETTY SICK.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, I JUST KNEW I FELT HORRIBLE.
A GUY CAME AROUND, SAID HE WAS A MEDIC AND GAVE ME SOME TABLETS.
I GOT VERY HIGH FEVERS, WAS DELIRIOUS AT TIMES.
[LAUGHING AND SCREAMING.]
[DIZZY ARRAY OF SOUNDS AND MUSIC.]
SOMEBODY CAME IN.
HE SAID.
LAOTIAN OFFICER: WE ARE GOING TO RELEASE YOU.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO GO HOME.
LAOTIAN OFFICER: BUT FIRS YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE A LETTER.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: WRITE A STATEMENT, OR SIGN A STATEMENT, AND MAKE A BROADCAST.
AND THEN THEY DICTATED A LETTER.
LAOTIAN OFFICER: WRITE: "I AM GUILTY.
" CHARLES KLUSMANN: I AM GUILTY.
THE FOREIGNERS WHO COME TO LAOS LAOTIAN OFFICER: TO WAGE WAR ARE CRAZY.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: TO WAGE WAR ARE CRAZY.
I HAVE BEEN CAPTURED MAN: LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN WAS SHOT DOWN INVADING LAOTIAN AIRSPACE.
THIS IS HIS STATEMENT.
"I AM GUILTY, I HAVE BEEN CAPTURED" CHARLES KLUSMANN: BY THE PATHET-LAOS.
LATER ON, I THOUGHT, WOW, THAT WAS A MISTAKE.
TERRY BURKE: I LEARNED THAT HE HAD SIGNED SOME SOR OF A LETTER THA THEY HAD FORCED ON HIM.
I WOULD NEVER FAULT ANYBODY FOR SIGNING SOME DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT LIKE HE WAS GIVING UP TOP SECRET INFORMATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: SO WHEN SOMEBODY CAME IN TO PICK ME UP, WHERE AM I GOING NOW? THEY SAID, "YOU'RE GOING TO BE RELEASED.
" MAYBE THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE ME TO SOME PLACE AND SET ME FREE.
I THOUGHT, "WELL, THEY'RE GONNA TURN ME OVER TO THE GOOD GUYS.
" BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A MUCH BIGGER PRISON CAMP.
RADIO DJ: NEWS IS JUST BREAKING, A SECOND UNITED STATES PLANE HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN OVER LAOS.
THE U.
S.
IS LAUNCHING AIR STRIKES AGAINST THE BRUTAL COMMUNIST REBELS, KNOW AS THE PATHET-LAOS.
THE AMERICAN AIR WAR OVER LAOS HAS BEGUN.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: IT WAS A LARGE CLEARING WITH HUTS ALL AROUND THE EDGE.
ONE BUILDING THAT HAD DOUBLE BARBED WIRED FENCE AROUND IT AND A GATE.
IT'S DIFFICULT AND DISAPPOINTING THAT YOU'RE JUST GOING FROM ONE PRISON TO ANOTHER.
THE FIRST PRISON, YOU WERE LOCKED IN A ROOM.
BUT THIS ONE, WE HAD ACCESS AROUND THE BUILDING, BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE BARBED WIRE FENCE, WHICH WAS A BIG IMPROVEMENT REALLY.
WALK AROUND AND GET SOME FRESH AIR AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
A LOT OF TIMES I'LL COME OUT HERE AND WATCH THE BIRDS GO BY.
THIS IS FREEDOM.
WHEN THEY CAUGHT ME, THEY TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY, BUT YOU'VE GO SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN'T GET, WHAT'S IN YOUR MIND.
WHOOOOO-HOOOOO! ANY TIME YOU GE TO FLY IS GREAT.
I LOVED IT.
HERE WE GO, JUST YOU AND ME.
YOU JUST THINK ABOU MAKING A TURN AND IT TURNED.
WHOOOOO-HOOOOO! YOU FEEL UNTOUCHABLE.
YOU HAVE TO NOT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING REALLY.
IT'S JUS RELAXATION AND FREEDOM.
TERRY BURKE: I IMAGINED IF I WERE KLUSMANN I WOULD BE THINKING I WAS TOTALLY ON MY OWN.
KLUSMANN WAS THE FIRST US MILITARY PILOT TO BE SHOT DOWN.
WE REALIZED THEY WOULD NO HAVE LEFT HIM FOR VERY LONG.
THEY WOULD HAVE MOVED HIM.
I HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS AS TO WHETHER ANY TYPE OF RESCUE MISSION WOULD BE FEASIBLE.
WE REALIZED THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO TO EFFECT A RESCUE.
I IMAGINED THAT HIS CHANCE AT THAT POINT, UNLESS HE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ESCAPE, WAS SLIM TO NONE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: AT FIRST I SAID, "WELL MAYBE SOMEBODY WILL COME IN AND GET ME OUT OF HERE.
" YOU FINALLY COME TO THE POINT WHERE NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN UNLESS I MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO I BETTER START LOOKING FOR SOME OTHER WAY OUT OF HERE.
MY LEG WAS STILL BOTHERING ME.
I REALIZED THAT IF I WAS GONNA GET OUT THERE I WAS GOING TO BE A LONG WALK.
SO I WOULD WALK FROM ONE CORNER OF THE ROOM OVER TO THE OTHER.
THEN TO THE FAR CORNER AND THEN BACK AGAIN.
THAT WAS ABOUT 20 FEE AND WHEN YOU GET 5,280 FEET, YOU'VE GONE A MILE.
SO I PUT A LITTLE MARK ON THE WALL WITH A PIECE OF MUD.
IT HURT LIKE THE DICKENS, BUT I WAS TRYING TO GET IT BACK INTO SHAPE.
I'M GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS.
I'M GOING TO GET AWAY FROM HERE SOMEHOW, SOME DAY, SOME WAY, BUT I DIDN' KNOW WHAT IT WAS YET.
THEY WOULD BRING PEOPLE IN AND I WOULD GUESS THERE WERE MAYBE AROUND 30 PEOPLE.
IT WAS PRETTY MUCH WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN AND IT GOT DARK, I WENT TO BED.
THERE WASN' MUCH DOING AT NIGHT.
THEY'D SIT AROUND THE FIRE, SING SONGS.
NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
PRISONERS: NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: IT WAS JUS DRONING ON AND ON AND ON AND ON, SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
PRISONERS: NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I WAS REALLY IRRITATING.
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN YOU'D DO ALMOST ANYTHING TO GET RID OF IT.
PRISONERS: NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I WAS SITTING EATING IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING, A GUY CAME OVER AND SAT DOWN BESIDE ME.
[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
BOUN MI: NA, NAN, A, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA! [MAKES GUNSHOT SOUND.]
CHARLES KLUSMANN: AND FINALLY, THROUGH SIGN LANGUAGE, HE SAID, LIKE THAT, WALKING SYMBOL, POINTING AND SAYING, "GO"! [BOUN MI SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THIS GUY WAS AT ALL, SO I WAS PRETTY NON-COMMITTAL.
YOU KNOW, I KINDA DREW A MAP IN THE DIR AND POINTED TO I AND WENT LIKE THAT.
AND HE KINDA NODDED HIS HEAD AND HE WAS OFF.
EVENTUALLY WE GOT TO THE POIN WHERE WE COULD COMMUNICATE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GE SOME BASIC IDEAS ACROSS.
HE CAME BACK AND HE HAD DRAWN A ROUGH MAP, SHOWED WHERE WE WERE, WHERE THE MEKONG RIVER WAS.
HE WAS POINTING AND SAYING, "GO VIENTIANE.
" BOUN MI: VIENTIANE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: VIENTIANE WAS THE CAPITAL OF LAOS.
THAT WAS SAFE TERRITORY.
BOUN MI: VIENTIANE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: HE PROBABLY KNOWS THE TERRITORY A LOT BETTER THAN I DO.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS GUY BU I FIGURED YOU HAD TO HAVE SOME TRUST IN SOMEBODY.
TURNED OUT THA HIS NAME WAS BOUN MI.
FROM THEN ON, WE WERE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR AN ESCAPE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: ONCE A WEEK, YOU WERE ALLOWED TO GO DOWN TO THE STREAM, WASH YOUR CLOTHES AND THEN LATER HANG IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE TO DRY.
AND IT WAS JUST A BARBED WIRE AND A NAIL DRIVEN THROUGH THE TWO STRANDS INTO A POST.
AND I FIGURED IF YOU COULD GRAB A HOLD OF THE WIRE ON EITHER SIDE AND JUST START WIGGLING IT, RIGHT AND LEF AND UP AND DOWN.
SIT THERE AND DO THAT, PRETTY SOON THA NAIL WOULD JUST SLIP OUT.
USUALLY THERE WAS ONLY ONE GUARD, THERE WERE NEVER MORE THAN TWO.
WE JUST WAITED TILL THEY WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND YOU HAD A FEW MINUTES TO WORK ON IT.
THAT WAS JUST ONLY ON THE INNER FENCE.
WELL WE HAD FIGURED WE'D HAVE TO CRAWL UNDER THE OUTER FENCE.
MAKING THE REST OF THE, MY ESCAPE PLAN, THAT WAS THE CONSTANT.
YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING OUT.
WHAT DO THE GUARDS DO? WHAT'S THE ROUTINE AND WHEN DO THEY DO IT? SOME OF THE GUARDS WERE VERY DILIGENT.
OTHERS WERE KINDA LAZY.
SO YOU FIND OUT WHO THE GOOD ONES ARE AND WHO THE BAD ONES ARE.
EVERY ONE OF THEM HAD AN IDENTITY THAT I ASSOCIATED WITH: DUMPY, GRUMPY AND LAZY.
YOU GOT EVERYBODY CATEGORIZED AFTER A FEW DAYS.
WE SAW SOMETHING KINDA INTERESTING.
WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN, THEY'D GET OVER UNDER THE LEAN-TO.
WHEN THEY'RE UNDER THERE, THEY'RE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CHECKED OFF AND SAID OKAY, THAT'S GOOD, WE'LL WAIT FOR A RAINY NIGHT.
HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY I WAS GOING TO GET OUT OF THERE.
IT PROBABLY TOOK A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET ENOUGH OF THE FENCE LOOSE.
I HAD A LITTLE TIN I USED TO STASH SOME RICE IN AND THEN I'D PUT IT UP OVER THE RAFTER CAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT ON THE ROAD.
SO I WAS PACKING MY LUNCH.
BOUN MI HAD A LENGTH OF BAMBOO AND HE HANDED ME ONE AND THEN I SAID, "WELL I CAN USE THOSE.
" AND EVENTUALLY IT WAS JUST WHEN THE RIGHT TIME COMES THAT'S WHEN WE'LL GO.
[THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.]
IT WAS WELL AFTER SUNSET, AROUND 9:00 AND I SAID, "TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT.
" I GOT THE LENGTH OF BAMBOO, BENT THEM INTO A HALF HOOP, PROPPED THOSE UP UNDER THE BLANKET, SO IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEBODY WAS ASLEEP THERE.
THE CONDITIONS WERE RIGHT AND I LOOKED AT BOUN MI, GAVE HIM THE SIGNAL AND HE NODDED.
HE WENT ONE WAY AROUND THE BUILDING AND I WENT AROUND THE OTHER.
WE GOT TOGETHER OPPOSITE FROM WHERE THE GATE WAS.
HE WAS DOWN AT THE OTHER END OF THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER.
I WOULD GO LIKE THA AND HE SAID, "NO, WAIT.
" IT'S THE GUARD.
WE HAD A GUARD AT THE CORNER.
AND THEN FINALLY, LIKE THAT, HE GAVE ME A THUMBS UP.
I FELT LIKE THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THE MINUTE WE GO UNDER THAT FENCE THEY WERE GONNA START SHOOTING AT YOU.
SO YOU'RE A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE, BUT THIS IS IT, AND YOU'RE GOING.
NO MATTER WHA HAPPENS, YOU'RE GOING.
RADIO DJ: ON AUGUST 2ND, THE DESTROYER THE USS MADDOX WAS ATTACKED.
THE DECISION THAT PRESIDEN JOHNSON NOW FACES IS WHETHER TO COMMIT GROUND TROOPS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON: ASIA IS CERTAINLY IMPERIL OF THE SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES ITSELF.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I WENT OUT, STARTED PUSHING UP THE FENCE.
HE WENT OUT FIRST.
HE CAME DOWN AND I LIFTED UP THE WIRE HE WAS GONE.
I WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM.
WE DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT PUTTING IT BACK.
IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF GETTING OUT OF THERE FAST.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE WERE RUNNING AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THERE WERE OTHER GUYS THAT GOT OUT AS WELL.
PEOPLE SPLIT UP AND WEN IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
WE ENDED UP, MYSELF AND BOUN MI, AND ONE OTHER GUY.
I WAS TOO BUSY TO STOP AND TAKE MY HEART-RATE, BUT IT WAS GOING LIKE CRAZY.
MY LEG WAS HOLDING UP OKAY.
WE RAN UNTIL WE WERE JUST ABOUT READY TO DROP.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD THIS HORRENDOUS NOISE.
MAN: ARAAGH! CHARLES KLUSMANN: UH-OH, THIS MAY NOT BE SO GOOD.
THE THIRD GUY DIDN' SEE THE STREAM COMING UP AND HE JUST WEN SPLASHING INTO THAT.
[BOTH LAUGHING.]
.
THAT WAS THE PROBABLY THE FUNNIEST THING WE'D EVER SEEN.
WE STARTED LAUGHING.
AND KINDA HAD THE GIGGLES THERE.
IT WAS JUS STARTING TO BREAK DAY.
BOUN MI: QUICK, QUICK.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: CAME TO A SMALL VALLEY.
HOUSE.
THERE WAS A FARMHOUSE AND NOTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING ON.
GO IN THERE.
THE ONE FELLOW INDICATED FOOD DOWN THERE.
HE WAS WILLING TO GO DOWN THERE AND TRY AND GET SOME FOOD.
ESCAPEE: I GO.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: OKAY.
I WASN'T GOING TO GO DOWN THERE.
HE'D GONE 50, 100 YARDS.
I GOT A KIND OF A CRAWLY FEELING.
SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
WE WAITED.
THE NEXT THING WE SAW, HE CAME OUT OF THE BUILDING AND THERE WERE SEVERAL SOLDIERS BEHIND HIM WITH A RIFLE AT HIS BACK.
HE WALKED INTO A PATHET-LAO OUTPOST.
[GUNSHOT.]
[ESCAPEE SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: GO, GO, GO.
WE STARTED MOVING.
[GUNSHOT.]
THE GUARDS WERE RUNNING OVER TO WHERE THIS GUY HAD COME FROM.
WE CAN HEAR SOME RIFLE FIRE FOR ABOUT THE NEXT 10 MINUTES OR SO.
MY LEG WAS BEGINNING TO HURT.
BUT NOT ENOUGH TO STOP ME.
WE TRAVELLED ALMOST FOUR DAYS.
[BOUN MI SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I DIDN' KNOW FOR SURE WHERE BOUN MI WAS HEADED, BUT I FEL LIKE WE WERE GOING AWAY FROM THE BAD GUYS.
WE CAME TO AN OPEN AREA.
SAW THIS GROUP DOWN BELOW.
SOME OF THEM HAD WEAPONS.
SOME HAD A KHAKI UNIFORM ON.
BUT THE PATHET-LAO HAD THAT AND THE ROYALIST FORCES.
THEY WERE BOTH QUITE SIMILAR, SO YOU COULDN'T BE TOO SURE.
BOUN MI, HE'S INDICATED WE NEEDED TO WALK THERE.
I SHOOK MY HEAD AND SAID, INDICATED I WASN'T SURE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE.
AND FINALLY BOUN MI SAYS, POINTED TO HIMSELF AND DOWN THERE AND HE SAYS, "I'M GONNA WALK DOWN THERE.
" BOUN MI, BOUN MI.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD TRUST THEM OR NOT.
I WASN'T SURE.
I WAS PRETTY APPREHENSIVE.
YOU COULDN'T TRUST ANYTHING.
THEY SAW HIM AND THEY WERE ON ALER AND POINTED THEIR GUNS AT HIM.
HE HELD HIS HANDS UP.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE SOLDIERS TURNED AROUND AND POINTED THEIR GUNS TOWARDS WHERE I WAS.
TERRY BURKE: IT WAS SEPTEMBER.
I WAS WORKING AT OUR BASE.
ONE OF THE RADIO OPERATORS CAME RUSHING UP TO ME AND HE HAD A MESSAGE ABOUT AN AMERICAN PILOT WHO WAS CAPTURED.
I JUST ABSOLUTELY KNEW THAT IT HAD TO BE KLUSMANN.
I IMMEDIATELY JUMPED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND TOOK OFF.
THIS TIME WE WERE GOING TO GET HIM OUT.
AS WE FLEW INTO THE STRIP, I GRABBED MY WEAPON AND TOLD THE PILOT, LET ME GO DOWN AND CHECK THIS OUT, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO I STARTED DOWN THE HILL.
AT THAT POINT, I SAW A GROUP OF SOLDIERS AND LOCALS AND I REALIZED THA THE WESTERN LOOKING FIGURE IN THEIR MIDST, HIS HEAD WAS DOWN AND ALL I SAW WAS A RIPPED DIRTY SHIR AND A SHAGGY HEAD OF HAIR.
I THINK THAT I HAD A LO OF NERVOUS ENERGY GOING SO I THOUGH I GOTTA BE SURE.
SO I CALLED OUT, "LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN?" LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN? LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN? CHARLES KLUSMANN: TO ME THAT WAS THE SOUND OF FREEDOM.
TERRY BURKE: THE MARINE CORP IS HERE TO SAVE YOU.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: WE'RE FINALLY GONNA GET OUT OF HERE.
TERRY BURKE: HIS FACE EXPLODED IN A GRIN AND HE YELLED, "YES, YES, YES.
" CHARLES KLUSMANN: HEY TERRY.
TERRY BURKE: HOW ARE YA? CHARLES KLUSMANN: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
TERRY BURKE: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? CHARLES KLUSMANN: GREAT.
TERRY BURKE: OUTSTANDING.
AS USUAL, I BROUGH SOMETHING FOR YOU.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: CAN YOU DRINK IT? TERRY BURKE: YOU CAN DRINK IT.
EVERY TIME I SEE YOU I'VE GO TO OFFER YOU A BEER IT SEEMS.
WELL AS WE DID BEFORE, I THINK IT'S 50-SOMETHING YEARS AGO, GLAD YOU'RE SAFE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: CHEERS.
TERRY BURKE: CHEERS.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO THROUGH A LIFE AND DEATH EXPERIENCE AND COME OUT THE SAME WAY YOU WENT IN.
LIFE'S FRAGILE.
IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO GET SNUFFED OUT.
THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE OCEAN, JUST THE SOUND OF THE WATER, IT'S VERY PEACEFUL.
I THINK THAT'S WHY I JOINED THE NAVY.
IT'S BEEN A GOOD LIFE.
I'VE SEEN A LO AND ENJOYED 99% OF IT.
I CERTAINLY REMEMBER THAT DAY.
IT WAS JUNE THE 6TH, 1964.
I WAS A PILOT ON BOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK AND I WAS PAR OF A DETACHMEN THAT WAS ON BOARD FOR A PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE.
I FLEW AN RF-8 CRUSADER.
I LOVED IT.
YOU DON'T GET INTO IT, YOU JUST SORT OF STRAP IT ON.
IT JUST STARTS WITH A LOW RUMBLE AND THEN GRADUALLY PICKS UP WITH A WHINE.
WHOOOOO! AND WHEN THE CATAPULT FIRES, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD JOLT.
WHOOOOO! MY MISSION WAS PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE.
THE TARGET WAS PROBABLY 90-100 MILES INSIDE OF ENEMY TERRITORY.
THE AREA WAS CONTROLLED BY THE PATHET- LAOS, THEY WERE GUERRILLAS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WERE UNDER COMMUNIST CONTROL.
THEY WERE ALL ALARMED AND KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
WE WERE HALF WAY THROUGH A TURN TO THE RIGHT.
IT FELT LIKE THA EVERYTHING AROUND ME ERUPTED IN ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE.
AND THEN I FELT A BIG THUD.
I FIGURED THA COULD BE TROUBLE.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, EVERYTHING STARTED TO FAIL.
WHENEVER A SYSTEM FAILS, YOU GET A RED LIGHT.
FIRST ONE, THEN ANOTHER.
EVENTUALLY ALL THE RED LIGHTS STARTED TO COME ON.
PRETTY SOON YOU'VE GOT A CHRISTMAS TREE AND TOO MANY RED LIGHTS.
YOU'RE OUT THE AIRPLANE.
YOU KNOW THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET OUT AND WALK.
IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST.
YOU'RE REACHING UP, YOU STAR DOWN AND YOU PULL THE HANDLE.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOU'RE HANGING IN A PARACHUTE.
YOU'RE JUS GLAD TO BE ALIVE.
I STARTED THINKING ABOUT, "GEE, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ME?" THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE GROUND WAS COMING UP AT A TREMENDOUS RATE AND YOU SAY, "WAIT I'M NOT READY," BUT YOU'RE GOING ANYWAY.
THERE WAS ONE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CLEARING ACROSS THE PLAIN.
BOOM, I WENT RIGH INTO THAT ONE TREE.
FORTUNATELY, I WAS ALIVE AND OKAY.
BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
I KNEW I HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE.
[PAINFUL SCREAMS.]
MY HIP AND KNEE WERE BADLY BANGED UP.
SO I WEDGED IT AND PU MY OTHER FOOT ON THERE AND JERKED BACK, ARRGGH! IT FELT A LITTLE BETTER AFTER THAT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, OVER 100 MILES FROM THE SHIP.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RUN FOR THE BORDERS.
AND THERE WAS A FEELING THAT I KNOW SOMEBODY'S OU THERE WATCHING ME.
RADIO DJ: HEY OU THERE IN RADIO LAND, YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE BEST STATION IN THE CITY.
WE'VE GOT NEWS FROM MORNING, NOON TILL NIGH WITH ALL YOUR GREATEST HITS.
TERRY BURKE: I JOINED THE CIA AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION.
I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE OPERATION IN LAOS.
WE WOULD GATHER ALL THE REPORTS AND TRY TO COMPILE A PICTURE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
TOWARDS THE END OF THE MORNING, ONE OF THE PILOTS CAME IN AND SAID, "I'M HEARING RADIO REPORTS.
" PILOT: SIR, AN AIRCRAFT IS DOWN.
TERRY BURKE: I GRABBED MY MAPS.
IF THAT WAS ME, I WOULD CERTAINLY WAN SOMEBODY TO COME AND GET ME.
I DON'T KNOW HIM, BUT HE NEEDS TO BE HELPED.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I COULDN'T SEE THEM, BUT I KNEW THEY WERE OUT THERE.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME.
ALL I COULD DO WAS SEE IF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE COULD GET THERE BEFORE THE BAD GUYS DID.
TERRY BURKE: WE FLEW AS FAST AS I COULD.
I STARTED ASKING WHO ELSE WAS IN THE AREA.
I FOUND THAT THERE WERE TWO HELICOPTERS.
MAN ON RAIDO: THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN IN THE NORTH OF THE PLAIN [INAUDIBLE.]
.
THERE'S A STRONG PATHET-LAOS PRESENCE.
BE CAREFUL.
TERRY BURKE: WE ALL KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE CROSSING THE MOST DANGEROUS AREA THAT YOU COULD CROSS.
THAT AREA WAS TOTALLY HELD BY THE ENEMY.
THE PATHET-LAOS COMMUNIS FORCE THAT HAD BEEN FORMED SOME YEARS BEFORE WERE MAINLY JUST VILLAGER THUGS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOU.
I WAS THINKING THAT AREA COULD REALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS.
BUT WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: EVENTUALLY I COULD HEAR HELICOPTERS COMING IN AND AN AIRPLANE.
AND THEN I SAW THEM AND I THOUGHT, "WOW, THIS IS GREAT.
" WE HAD A SIGNAL MIRROR.
THEY WERE KIND OF CIRCLING THE AREA AND I FLASHED THEM WITH THE MIRROR.
TERRY BURKE: WE SPOTTED HIM PROBABLY HALF A MILE OUT.
THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE! THERE HE IS.
RIGHT BOYS.
IT WAS RELIEF BECAUSE I COULD SEE THAT HE WAS ALIVE.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
WE HADN'T GONE IN TO TRY TO RESCUE A DEAD MAN.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: THEY JUST ROCKED THEIR WINGS, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YES, THEY SAW ME.
BOY, I'M GONNA BE OUT OF HERE BACK ON THE SHIP BY SUNSET.
TERRY BURKE: AND I STARTED THE FAST RUN PAST KLUSMANN.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: EVERYTHING ERUPTED.
THEY HAD THA AREA SURROUNDED, WAITING FOR WHEN SOMEBODY CAME TO PICK ME UP.
TERRY BURKE: HE'S THERE, BUT IT'S A TRAP.
[INAUDIBLE RADIO CHATTER.]
.
TERRY BURKE: WE CAME RIGHT OVER HIM.
WE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 20 FEET ABOVE HIM.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: GET OUT OF HERE.
TERRY BURKE: IT WAS ALMOST EYEBALL-TO-EYEBALL.
ALL THIS GUNFIRE OPENED UP.
HEAVY GUNFIRE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: THERE WAS NO WAY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COME AND GET ME.
MY FEELING WAS THEY MAY TRY AND COME IN HERE BUT THEY'LL JUST GET SHOT TO PIECES.
SO I JUST WAVED THEM OFF.
TERRY BURKE: AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHAT A BRAVE SON OF A BITCH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I COULD SEE THAT I WAS SURROUNDED.
ONE THING I DIDN'T WANT TO DO, I DIDN'T WANT TO STARTLE THEM AND HAVE THEM START SHOOTING.
THEY ALL HAD 15 OR 20 GUNS POINTING AT ME AND I THOUGHT, THAT WAS NOT VERY GOOD ODDS.
THEY PUT A ROPE AROUND MY NECK.
AND THEY TIED UP MY HANDS.
AND STARTED TO LEAD ME OFF TOWARD THEIR CAMP.
I COULDN'T RUN.
IT WAS LIKE A DOG BEING ON A LEASH REALLY.
I WAS STUMBLING.
AND FALLING.
YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.
WHO'S GONNA DO WHAT? WHAT'S THE RESULT GONNA BE? SPENT A COUPLE OF DAYS ON A TRAIL.
MAN: HAI, HAI.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: WE ARRIVED INTO A SMALL CAMP THAT WAS SEVEN OR EIGHT HUTS.
AND THEN THIS ONE HU WAS WHERE THEY KEPT ME.
[SOLDIER SHOUTING.]
.
IT WAS A LITTLE DARK IN THERE.
ACROSS ONE END OF THE ROOM WAS THIS WOODEN PLATFORM, THAT'S WHERE YOU SLEPT.
THAT'S IT.
GOT TWO MEALS A DAY.
WOULD ALWAYS BE RICE AND STEWED VEGETABLES.
ONCE ABOUT 10 IN THE MORNING, AND THEN ABOUT 4:30, 5 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.
IT GETS KINDA DIFFICUL AT TIMES 'CAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER EVERY DAY.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD BE.
GOD, WHAT A GOOD LOOKING FELLA! THAT WAS IN MY SKINNY DAYS.
WHEN I WAS IN THE PRISON, I SAT AND I JUST TRIED TO THINK ABOU PLEASANT THINGS.
WHAT I WOULD DO IF I WAS FREE.
THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT I WOULD BE LIKE TO BE HOME AGAIN.
I HAD A FEVER, SO I WAS PRETTY SICK.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, I JUST KNEW I FELT HORRIBLE.
A GUY CAME AROUND, SAID HE WAS A MEDIC AND GAVE ME SOME TABLETS.
I GOT VERY HIGH FEVERS, WAS DELIRIOUS AT TIMES.
[LAUGHING AND SCREAMING.]
[DIZZY ARRAY OF SOUNDS AND MUSIC.]
SOMEBODY CAME IN.
HE SAID.
LAOTIAN OFFICER: WE ARE GOING TO RELEASE YOU.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO GO HOME.
LAOTIAN OFFICER: BUT FIRS YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE A LETTER.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: WRITE A STATEMENT, OR SIGN A STATEMENT, AND MAKE A BROADCAST.
AND THEN THEY DICTATED A LETTER.
LAOTIAN OFFICER: WRITE: "I AM GUILTY.
" CHARLES KLUSMANN: I AM GUILTY.
THE FOREIGNERS WHO COME TO LAOS LAOTIAN OFFICER: TO WAGE WAR ARE CRAZY.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: TO WAGE WAR ARE CRAZY.
I HAVE BEEN CAPTURED MAN: LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN WAS SHOT DOWN INVADING LAOTIAN AIRSPACE.
THIS IS HIS STATEMENT.
"I AM GUILTY, I HAVE BEEN CAPTURED" CHARLES KLUSMANN: BY THE PATHET-LAOS.
LATER ON, I THOUGHT, WOW, THAT WAS A MISTAKE.
TERRY BURKE: I LEARNED THAT HE HAD SIGNED SOME SOR OF A LETTER THA THEY HAD FORCED ON HIM.
I WOULD NEVER FAULT ANYBODY FOR SIGNING SOME DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT LIKE HE WAS GIVING UP TOP SECRET INFORMATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: SO WHEN SOMEBODY CAME IN TO PICK ME UP, WHERE AM I GOING NOW? THEY SAID, "YOU'RE GOING TO BE RELEASED.
" MAYBE THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE ME TO SOME PLACE AND SET ME FREE.
I THOUGHT, "WELL, THEY'RE GONNA TURN ME OVER TO THE GOOD GUYS.
" BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A MUCH BIGGER PRISON CAMP.
RADIO DJ: NEWS IS JUST BREAKING, A SECOND UNITED STATES PLANE HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN OVER LAOS.
THE U.
S.
IS LAUNCHING AIR STRIKES AGAINST THE BRUTAL COMMUNIST REBELS, KNOW AS THE PATHET-LAOS.
THE AMERICAN AIR WAR OVER LAOS HAS BEGUN.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: IT WAS A LARGE CLEARING WITH HUTS ALL AROUND THE EDGE.
ONE BUILDING THAT HAD DOUBLE BARBED WIRED FENCE AROUND IT AND A GATE.
IT'S DIFFICULT AND DISAPPOINTING THAT YOU'RE JUST GOING FROM ONE PRISON TO ANOTHER.
THE FIRST PRISON, YOU WERE LOCKED IN A ROOM.
BUT THIS ONE, WE HAD ACCESS AROUND THE BUILDING, BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE BARBED WIRE FENCE, WHICH WAS A BIG IMPROVEMENT REALLY.
WALK AROUND AND GET SOME FRESH AIR AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
A LOT OF TIMES I'LL COME OUT HERE AND WATCH THE BIRDS GO BY.
THIS IS FREEDOM.
WHEN THEY CAUGHT ME, THEY TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY, BUT YOU'VE GO SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN'T GET, WHAT'S IN YOUR MIND.
WHOOOOO-HOOOOO! ANY TIME YOU GE TO FLY IS GREAT.
I LOVED IT.
HERE WE GO, JUST YOU AND ME.
YOU JUST THINK ABOU MAKING A TURN AND IT TURNED.
WHOOOOO-HOOOOO! YOU FEEL UNTOUCHABLE.
YOU HAVE TO NOT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING REALLY.
IT'S JUS RELAXATION AND FREEDOM.
TERRY BURKE: I IMAGINED IF I WERE KLUSMANN I WOULD BE THINKING I WAS TOTALLY ON MY OWN.
KLUSMANN WAS THE FIRST US MILITARY PILOT TO BE SHOT DOWN.
WE REALIZED THEY WOULD NO HAVE LEFT HIM FOR VERY LONG.
THEY WOULD HAVE MOVED HIM.
I HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS AS TO WHETHER ANY TYPE OF RESCUE MISSION WOULD BE FEASIBLE.
WE REALIZED THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO TO EFFECT A RESCUE.
I IMAGINED THAT HIS CHANCE AT THAT POINT, UNLESS HE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ESCAPE, WAS SLIM TO NONE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: AT FIRST I SAID, "WELL MAYBE SOMEBODY WILL COME IN AND GET ME OUT OF HERE.
" YOU FINALLY COME TO THE POINT WHERE NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN UNLESS I MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO I BETTER START LOOKING FOR SOME OTHER WAY OUT OF HERE.
MY LEG WAS STILL BOTHERING ME.
I REALIZED THAT IF I WAS GONNA GET OUT THERE I WAS GOING TO BE A LONG WALK.
SO I WOULD WALK FROM ONE CORNER OF THE ROOM OVER TO THE OTHER.
THEN TO THE FAR CORNER AND THEN BACK AGAIN.
THAT WAS ABOUT 20 FEE AND WHEN YOU GET 5,280 FEET, YOU'VE GONE A MILE.
SO I PUT A LITTLE MARK ON THE WALL WITH A PIECE OF MUD.
IT HURT LIKE THE DICKENS, BUT I WAS TRYING TO GET IT BACK INTO SHAPE.
I'M GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS.
I'M GOING TO GET AWAY FROM HERE SOMEHOW, SOME DAY, SOME WAY, BUT I DIDN' KNOW WHAT IT WAS YET.
THEY WOULD BRING PEOPLE IN AND I WOULD GUESS THERE WERE MAYBE AROUND 30 PEOPLE.
IT WAS PRETTY MUCH WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN AND IT GOT DARK, I WENT TO BED.
THERE WASN' MUCH DOING AT NIGHT.
THEY'D SIT AROUND THE FIRE, SING SONGS.
NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
PRISONERS: NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: IT WAS JUS DRONING ON AND ON AND ON AND ON, SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
PRISONERS: NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I WAS REALLY IRRITATING.
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN YOU'D DO ALMOST ANYTHING TO GET RID OF IT.
PRISONERS: NAH-NAH-NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAH NAH.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I WAS SITTING EATING IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING, A GUY CAME OVER AND SAT DOWN BESIDE ME.
[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
BOUN MI: NA, NAN, A, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA! [MAKES GUNSHOT SOUND.]
CHARLES KLUSMANN: AND FINALLY, THROUGH SIGN LANGUAGE, HE SAID, LIKE THAT, WALKING SYMBOL, POINTING AND SAYING, "GO"! [BOUN MI SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THIS GUY WAS AT ALL, SO I WAS PRETTY NON-COMMITTAL.
YOU KNOW, I KINDA DREW A MAP IN THE DIR AND POINTED TO I AND WENT LIKE THAT.
AND HE KINDA NODDED HIS HEAD AND HE WAS OFF.
EVENTUALLY WE GOT TO THE POIN WHERE WE COULD COMMUNICATE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GE SOME BASIC IDEAS ACROSS.
HE CAME BACK AND HE HAD DRAWN A ROUGH MAP, SHOWED WHERE WE WERE, WHERE THE MEKONG RIVER WAS.
HE WAS POINTING AND SAYING, "GO VIENTIANE.
" BOUN MI: VIENTIANE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: VIENTIANE WAS THE CAPITAL OF LAOS.
THAT WAS SAFE TERRITORY.
BOUN MI: VIENTIANE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: HE PROBABLY KNOWS THE TERRITORY A LOT BETTER THAN I DO.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS GUY BU I FIGURED YOU HAD TO HAVE SOME TRUST IN SOMEBODY.
TURNED OUT THA HIS NAME WAS BOUN MI.
FROM THEN ON, WE WERE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR AN ESCAPE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: ONCE A WEEK, YOU WERE ALLOWED TO GO DOWN TO THE STREAM, WASH YOUR CLOTHES AND THEN LATER HANG IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE TO DRY.
AND IT WAS JUST A BARBED WIRE AND A NAIL DRIVEN THROUGH THE TWO STRANDS INTO A POST.
AND I FIGURED IF YOU COULD GRAB A HOLD OF THE WIRE ON EITHER SIDE AND JUST START WIGGLING IT, RIGHT AND LEF AND UP AND DOWN.
SIT THERE AND DO THAT, PRETTY SOON THA NAIL WOULD JUST SLIP OUT.
USUALLY THERE WAS ONLY ONE GUARD, THERE WERE NEVER MORE THAN TWO.
WE JUST WAITED TILL THEY WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND YOU HAD A FEW MINUTES TO WORK ON IT.
THAT WAS JUST ONLY ON THE INNER FENCE.
WELL WE HAD FIGURED WE'D HAVE TO CRAWL UNDER THE OUTER FENCE.
MAKING THE REST OF THE, MY ESCAPE PLAN, THAT WAS THE CONSTANT.
YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING OUT.
WHAT DO THE GUARDS DO? WHAT'S THE ROUTINE AND WHEN DO THEY DO IT? SOME OF THE GUARDS WERE VERY DILIGENT.
OTHERS WERE KINDA LAZY.
SO YOU FIND OUT WHO THE GOOD ONES ARE AND WHO THE BAD ONES ARE.
EVERY ONE OF THEM HAD AN IDENTITY THAT I ASSOCIATED WITH: DUMPY, GRUMPY AND LAZY.
YOU GOT EVERYBODY CATEGORIZED AFTER A FEW DAYS.
WE SAW SOMETHING KINDA INTERESTING.
WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN, THEY'D GET OVER UNDER THE LEAN-TO.
WHEN THEY'RE UNDER THERE, THEY'RE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CHECKED OFF AND SAID OKAY, THAT'S GOOD, WE'LL WAIT FOR A RAINY NIGHT.
HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY I WAS GOING TO GET OUT OF THERE.
IT PROBABLY TOOK A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET ENOUGH OF THE FENCE LOOSE.
I HAD A LITTLE TIN I USED TO STASH SOME RICE IN AND THEN I'D PUT IT UP OVER THE RAFTER CAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT ON THE ROAD.
SO I WAS PACKING MY LUNCH.
BOUN MI HAD A LENGTH OF BAMBOO AND HE HANDED ME ONE AND THEN I SAID, "WELL I CAN USE THOSE.
" AND EVENTUALLY IT WAS JUST WHEN THE RIGHT TIME COMES THAT'S WHEN WE'LL GO.
[THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.]
IT WAS WELL AFTER SUNSET, AROUND 9:00 AND I SAID, "TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT.
" I GOT THE LENGTH OF BAMBOO, BENT THEM INTO A HALF HOOP, PROPPED THOSE UP UNDER THE BLANKET, SO IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEBODY WAS ASLEEP THERE.
THE CONDITIONS WERE RIGHT AND I LOOKED AT BOUN MI, GAVE HIM THE SIGNAL AND HE NODDED.
HE WENT ONE WAY AROUND THE BUILDING AND I WENT AROUND THE OTHER.
WE GOT TOGETHER OPPOSITE FROM WHERE THE GATE WAS.
HE WAS DOWN AT THE OTHER END OF THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER.
I WOULD GO LIKE THA AND HE SAID, "NO, WAIT.
" IT'S THE GUARD.
WE HAD A GUARD AT THE CORNER.
AND THEN FINALLY, LIKE THAT, HE GAVE ME A THUMBS UP.
I FELT LIKE THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THE MINUTE WE GO UNDER THAT FENCE THEY WERE GONNA START SHOOTING AT YOU.
SO YOU'RE A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE, BUT THIS IS IT, AND YOU'RE GOING.
NO MATTER WHA HAPPENS, YOU'RE GOING.
RADIO DJ: ON AUGUST 2ND, THE DESTROYER THE USS MADDOX WAS ATTACKED.
THE DECISION THAT PRESIDEN JOHNSON NOW FACES IS WHETHER TO COMMIT GROUND TROOPS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON: ASIA IS CERTAINLY IMPERIL OF THE SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES ITSELF.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I WENT OUT, STARTED PUSHING UP THE FENCE.
HE WENT OUT FIRST.
HE CAME DOWN AND I LIFTED UP THE WIRE HE WAS GONE.
I WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM.
WE DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT PUTTING IT BACK.
IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF GETTING OUT OF THERE FAST.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE WERE RUNNING AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THERE WERE OTHER GUYS THAT GOT OUT AS WELL.
PEOPLE SPLIT UP AND WEN IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
WE ENDED UP, MYSELF AND BOUN MI, AND ONE OTHER GUY.
I WAS TOO BUSY TO STOP AND TAKE MY HEART-RATE, BUT IT WAS GOING LIKE CRAZY.
MY LEG WAS HOLDING UP OKAY.
WE RAN UNTIL WE WERE JUST ABOUT READY TO DROP.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD THIS HORRENDOUS NOISE.
MAN: ARAAGH! CHARLES KLUSMANN: UH-OH, THIS MAY NOT BE SO GOOD.
THE THIRD GUY DIDN' SEE THE STREAM COMING UP AND HE JUST WEN SPLASHING INTO THAT.
[BOTH LAUGHING.]
.
THAT WAS THE PROBABLY THE FUNNIEST THING WE'D EVER SEEN.
WE STARTED LAUGHING.
AND KINDA HAD THE GIGGLES THERE.
IT WAS JUS STARTING TO BREAK DAY.
BOUN MI: QUICK, QUICK.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: CAME TO A SMALL VALLEY.
HOUSE.
THERE WAS A FARMHOUSE AND NOTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING ON.
GO IN THERE.
THE ONE FELLOW INDICATED FOOD DOWN THERE.
HE WAS WILLING TO GO DOWN THERE AND TRY AND GET SOME FOOD.
ESCAPEE: I GO.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: OKAY.
I WASN'T GOING TO GO DOWN THERE.
HE'D GONE 50, 100 YARDS.
I GOT A KIND OF A CRAWLY FEELING.
SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
WE WAITED.
THE NEXT THING WE SAW, HE CAME OUT OF THE BUILDING AND THERE WERE SEVERAL SOLDIERS BEHIND HIM WITH A RIFLE AT HIS BACK.
HE WALKED INTO A PATHET-LAO OUTPOST.
[GUNSHOT.]
[ESCAPEE SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: GO, GO, GO.
WE STARTED MOVING.
[GUNSHOT.]
THE GUARDS WERE RUNNING OVER TO WHERE THIS GUY HAD COME FROM.
WE CAN HEAR SOME RIFLE FIRE FOR ABOUT THE NEXT 10 MINUTES OR SO.
MY LEG WAS BEGINNING TO HURT.
BUT NOT ENOUGH TO STOP ME.
WE TRAVELLED ALMOST FOUR DAYS.
[BOUN MI SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: I DIDN' KNOW FOR SURE WHERE BOUN MI WAS HEADED, BUT I FEL LIKE WE WERE GOING AWAY FROM THE BAD GUYS.
WE CAME TO AN OPEN AREA.
SAW THIS GROUP DOWN BELOW.
SOME OF THEM HAD WEAPONS.
SOME HAD A KHAKI UNIFORM ON.
BUT THE PATHET-LAO HAD THAT AND THE ROYALIST FORCES.
THEY WERE BOTH QUITE SIMILAR, SO YOU COULDN'T BE TOO SURE.
BOUN MI, HE'S INDICATED WE NEEDED TO WALK THERE.
I SHOOK MY HEAD AND SAID, INDICATED I WASN'T SURE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE.
AND FINALLY BOUN MI SAYS, POINTED TO HIMSELF AND DOWN THERE AND HE SAYS, "I'M GONNA WALK DOWN THERE.
" BOUN MI, BOUN MI.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD TRUST THEM OR NOT.
I WASN'T SURE.
I WAS PRETTY APPREHENSIVE.
YOU COULDN'T TRUST ANYTHING.
THEY SAW HIM AND THEY WERE ON ALER AND POINTED THEIR GUNS AT HIM.
HE HELD HIS HANDS UP.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE SOLDIERS TURNED AROUND AND POINTED THEIR GUNS TOWARDS WHERE I WAS.
TERRY BURKE: IT WAS SEPTEMBER.
I WAS WORKING AT OUR BASE.
ONE OF THE RADIO OPERATORS CAME RUSHING UP TO ME AND HE HAD A MESSAGE ABOUT AN AMERICAN PILOT WHO WAS CAPTURED.
I JUST ABSOLUTELY KNEW THAT IT HAD TO BE KLUSMANN.
I IMMEDIATELY JUMPED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND TOOK OFF.
THIS TIME WE WERE GOING TO GET HIM OUT.
AS WE FLEW INTO THE STRIP, I GRABBED MY WEAPON AND TOLD THE PILOT, LET ME GO DOWN AND CHECK THIS OUT, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO I STARTED DOWN THE HILL.
AT THAT POINT, I SAW A GROUP OF SOLDIERS AND LOCALS AND I REALIZED THA THE WESTERN LOOKING FIGURE IN THEIR MIDST, HIS HEAD WAS DOWN AND ALL I SAW WAS A RIPPED DIRTY SHIR AND A SHAGGY HEAD OF HAIR.
I THINK THAT I HAD A LO OF NERVOUS ENERGY GOING SO I THOUGH I GOTTA BE SURE.
SO I CALLED OUT, "LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN?" LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN? LIEUTENANT CHARLES KLUSMANN? CHARLES KLUSMANN: TO ME THAT WAS THE SOUND OF FREEDOM.
TERRY BURKE: THE MARINE CORP IS HERE TO SAVE YOU.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: WE'RE FINALLY GONNA GET OUT OF HERE.
TERRY BURKE: HIS FACE EXPLODED IN A GRIN AND HE YELLED, "YES, YES, YES.
" CHARLES KLUSMANN: HEY TERRY.
TERRY BURKE: HOW ARE YA? CHARLES KLUSMANN: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
TERRY BURKE: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? CHARLES KLUSMANN: GREAT.
TERRY BURKE: OUTSTANDING.
AS USUAL, I BROUGH SOMETHING FOR YOU.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: CAN YOU DRINK IT? TERRY BURKE: YOU CAN DRINK IT.
EVERY TIME I SEE YOU I'VE GO TO OFFER YOU A BEER IT SEEMS.
WELL AS WE DID BEFORE, I THINK IT'S 50-SOMETHING YEARS AGO, GLAD YOU'RE SAFE.
CHARLES KLUSMANN: CHEERS.
TERRY BURKE: CHEERS.