Ex- Seattle Nurse Is Captured by Viet Cong

February 1968 Christian and Missionary Alliance  Betty Jean Olsen   Rev. Archie E.Mitchell

Guerrillas Destroy Leorsarium. Ex- Seattle Nurse Is Captured by Viet Cong.     Betty Jean Olsen, 32, former Seattle registered nurse, has been taken prisoner by Viet Cong guerrillas who murdered six Americans missionaries at a Vietnamese leper colony this week the United Press International reported today.     The fate of Miss Olsen is unknown, said a spokesman for the Christian and Missionary Alliance which operated the leporsarium. She at first was believed to have fled safely into the jungle when the Viet Cong attacked the village of Ban Me Thout in the Central Highlands.     Military reports said the leporsarium which had 200 beds and facilities to treat 2,000 outpatients was destroyed.     Miss Olsen was a nurse at Swedish Hospital from February to July, 1962, when she took a post in Chicago. Her father and stepmother are the Rev. and Mrs. Walter Olsen, C.M.A. missionaries, who consider Seattle their home.     The Olsens are assigned to Bouake, Ivory Coast, Mrs. Olsen, the former Jean Swain was reared here.     Miss Olsen, was born in West Africa. She graduated from the Nyack NY Missionary College and lived there when in this country the Rev. Gerald Smith, of the denomination's New York headquarters said. Mr. Smith said Mr. Olsen is chairman of the Alliance's work on the Ivory Coast.     In May, 1963, a dispatch from Vietnam said of Miss Olsen, " To airmen and marines she's 'the Belle of Da Nang.' " At that time she was the only single woman at an Alliance mission in Da Nang and had the distinction of being the only American woman amid 10,000 men. She also served as a United Services Organization voluteer.     The leporsarium is eight miles from Ban Me Thout. During the attack on the leporsarium in May,1962 three missionaries including a former Seattlelite were kidnapped. The ex-Seattlelite, the Rev. Archie E. Mitchell and the two others have not been heard from since.     Mr. Mitchell was the only survivor was the only survivor of a Japanese firebomb explosion that killed six picnickers in Southern Oregon in the Second World War. The six were the only victims of direct enemy attack on the contintal United States during the war. (Seattle Times, Seattle WA, 3 Feb 68) update Betty Jean Olsen died on a forced march somewhere near the Cambodian border. Nothing is known about the fate of Rev. Archie E. Mitchell.

Merchant Marine Dies in Saigon

Feb.16 1968 Saigon Vietnam Columbia Banker's Steamship Co.  Michael C. Miller

Miller was killed as he was caught in a cross-fire during fighting between United States troops and enemy Vietnamese in front of the American Embassy in Saigon. (Seattle Times, Seattle WA, 16 Feb 1968)

Tug Michael Crewmen Die

April 7, 1968 Near Vung Tau Vietnam Tug Michael  James Almony   Wallace Prous

En route to Vung Tau

One survived in Saigon
REDS SHOWED NO MERCY IN SLAYING 4 NEWSMEN

May 1968 Saigon, Vietnam  John Cantwell   Michael Birch   Ron Laramy   Bruce Pigott   Frank Palmos   *Survivor

One survived in Saigon REDS SHOWED NO MERCY IN SLAYING 4 NEWSMEN The writer of this dispatch, an Australian free-lance journalist, was one of five news correspondents attacked by the Viet-Cong yesterday. Four were killed. by Frank Palmos Saigon - (AP)     We were headed toward the Mekong Delta but there was nothing doing down there, so we decided to head back toward Saigon.     John Cantwell, an Australian and a Time Magazine staffer, was driving. Michael Birch of the Australian Associated Press was in the right front seat of the small, open jeep-type vehicle. On the right in back was Ron Laramy, a British national who worked for Reuters; in the center was another Reuters man, Bruce Pigott, an Australian. I was the last to get in and had to take the half seat in the back with my left leg hanging out over the side.     We Saw two gunship helicopters attacking about 1,000 yards to the north. We headed into a very crowded and poor district on a muddy street about 12-feet wide.     We drove into an open intersection. it was empty.     I shouted, "Stop! Stop!" because I was scared and I felt that there were Viet-Cong there.     Cantwell served to the left and while he was trying to get into reverse, two Viet-Cong opened fire. One on our left had a burp gun, the one on the right an AK-47     The burp gun and the AK-47 pushed bullets for a full 10 seconds through the jeep. I jumped to the left, staggered about 10 yards, pretending I was hit, then fell.     The Automatic fire stopped and the commander came forward with his left arm outstretched, holding a .45 caliber pistol. He began to walk toward the jeep. Everything was quiet for a few seconds. Then I heard Birch call out pleadingly. "Bao Chi! Bao Chi!" (Vietnamese for newsmen).     The commander just looked at him and said derisively, "Bao Chi." Then he fired twice into the jeep.     I don't know whether he fired at Birch.     I was lying there pretending I was dead. This fellow walked around the back of the jeep and a person lying on his back parallel with me about four feet away was moving.     The man took deliberate aim from about five feet away and he shot three times.     The first one hit below the body. (I think it was Cantwell) skipped over the head and missed my head by a fraction of an inch. One of the next two bullets entered the body.     I waited until he had finished and was putting the weapon back in his belt.     I Had My left foot under my body sort of in a starting position for running. I had about 100 feet to run and I ran a football dash, zigging and zagging.     The AK-47 and a burp gun opened up on me, but the Viet-Cong were lousy shots.     I turned a slight corner and the automatics stopped. Then I heard the commander coming after me. I caught up with the tail end of a refugee column, ripped my shirt off and splashed mud on myself.     I crouched over because I was a good foot taller than most of those people. The Viet-Cong commander fired shots over the refugees' heads to get them to stop me.     But not only did they not give me up, but they didn't turn their heads. (Times, Seattle WA, 6 May 1968)

Merchant Marine Dies

May 2, 1968 Unknown    Larry Kelly

Journalist Killed In Saigon

May 6, 1968 Saigon, Vietnam UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL  Charles Eggleston

Killed May 6 while covering street fighting in the western edge of Saigon. He was the first U.S. Navy journalist to be decorated for action in Vietnam, receiving 12 medals and awards. His obituary called him a “newsman who ran out of miracles.” He was 23.