The Case:
Marge Garner of Missouri brought the diary to History Detectives for her friend and Vietnam War veteran, Bob Frazure.
In 1966, after the battle “Operation Indiana,” Bob came upon the body of a North Vietnamese soldier. A small, red diary lay on the soldier’s chest. Inside, Bob found a photograph of two young women. With mixed emotions, he’s held onto the diary for 46 years. Marge and Bob ask Wes Cowan to find the soldier’s hometown and return the diary to his family.
This History Detectives investigation became part of a profound international exchange, a first for History Detectives. In this case, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta returned the diary of a fallen North Vietnamese soldier to Vietnam’s Minister of Defense.
Update:
On September 21, 2012, the journey of Vu Dinh Doan’s diary was completed.
In his home town of Cay Village, Vietnam, Colonel Nguyen Xuan Nang, director of the Vietnam Defense History Museum presented the diary to Doan’s surviving children, Vu Dinh Son and Vu Thi Tuyen. Find out more and see images from the ceremony in our blogpost.
Vietnam's People's Army Newspaper devoted a five part series to the deeply personal story of the family's journey since their father died in 1966. Read the article here.
More Information
If you were a part of Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines 1965-1966, contact Captain Robert Prewitt (ret. Lt. Colonel).
Diary Excerpts
Read excerpts from the soldier's diary.
Courtesy Marge Garner. Translation by Merle L. Pribbenow
Explore
-
Also with Wes Cowan
Valley Forge Map
Did George Washington use this map during the American Revolution?
-
Also with Wes Cowan
Old Fire Station
Did President Ulysses S. Grant stop by a New Jersey firehouse on the centennial of America?
-
Also with Wes Cowan
Lincoln Forgery
Could this piece of sheet music have come from Abraham Lincoln's private collection?
-
Also in Vietnam Era: 1960-1980
Frank Zappa Collage
Is the artist who created this piece Frank Zappa?
-
Related Investigation
Our Colored Heroes
Is this a WWI recruitment poster... or something else?
-
Also in Season 10
Empire State Building Plane Crash Piece
Does this piece of metal belong to the plane that crashed into the Empire State Building?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.