As early as TET 1968 we had reports of two non Vietnamese, both black men, working with the VC in the Duc Pho area. Our aircraft spotted them on at least two occasions, on one occasion in March or April one of our crewchiefs had the opportunity to take one of them under fire, but believed the individual to be an American separated from his unit.
Not only were we hesitant to report this information, partly because of racial problems in the U.S., but reports we did make were placed immediately above top secret levels of security. The only people in the AO who could access the information were battalion staff officers.
After leaving Vietnam I heard nothing more about the individuals until I came accross data concerning the heavy MACV activity around Duc Pho starting in late 1969, incuding Phoenix information. These reports began talking about sightings in the area of a black man and a caucasian working with VC units. Repeated sightings continued throughout 1970 and by August they had been nicknamed "Salt and Pepper." In September, 1970, they had been observed several times by American troops and had at least once been reported as POW's by ARVN units. It was well known that at least 4 US POW's and many ARVN had been held in the Duc Pho area for years and had been used as rice mules. On one occasion they were observed by a local Vietnamese who was being questioned by local VC commanders.
On October 16, 1970, "Pepper" inexplicably walked into LZ Snoopy wearing tigerstripes with name tags in Vietnamese that read "Peoples Party" and "Blackest Cong." He was carrying a gas mask carrier full of handgrenades and tried to convince individual soldiers to frag others. Failing that, he walked into the messhall and began making a speech advocating overthrow of the government. He was promptly arrested and held for division MP's and transport to Chu Lai. He may still be being held at Fort Leavenworth.
In early November 1970, an incident codenamed "gingerbread" occurred and was credited to "Salt." "Gingerbread" involved the VC taperecording real artillery missions and playing the recordings back to either jam or confuse real fire missions.
There very well may have been a "Pepper II" because in January, 1971, two American MACV acvisors were traveling from Chu Lai when they were flagged down by a black American soldier in Korean fatigues outside of a village. He had no ID but asked for a ride to Quang Ngai MACV. When the officers offered to take him back to his unit, he replied that he did not need a ride and held his rifle on them, telling them to move on down the road. After they were out of sight they called for MP's and moved back to observe him. He jumped in the back of an ARVN truck headed the other direction and was not seen again.
In February 1971, "Salt" was suspected when a radio call sign from an expired SOI was used trying to access information on American OPs around LZ's.
The last information on "Salt and Pepper" is from 1974 with "Salt" being seen at the mouth of the Song Ve River Ferry crossing and "Pepper" in a truck in Quang Ngai Province.
There was rarely a dull moment around Duc Pho.
Rotorwash
Not only were we hesitant to report this information, partly because of racial problems in the U.S., but reports we did make were placed immediately above top secret levels of security. The only people in the AO who could access the information were battalion staff officers.
After leaving Vietnam I heard nothing more about the individuals until I came accross data concerning the heavy MACV activity around Duc Pho starting in late 1969, incuding Phoenix information. These reports began talking about sightings in the area of a black man and a caucasian working with VC units. Repeated sightings continued throughout 1970 and by August they had been nicknamed "Salt and Pepper." In September, 1970, they had been observed several times by American troops and had at least once been reported as POW's by ARVN units. It was well known that at least 4 US POW's and many ARVN had been held in the Duc Pho area for years and had been used as rice mules. On one occasion they were observed by a local Vietnamese who was being questioned by local VC commanders.
On October 16, 1970, "Pepper" inexplicably walked into LZ Snoopy wearing tigerstripes with name tags in Vietnamese that read "Peoples Party" and "Blackest Cong." He was carrying a gas mask carrier full of handgrenades and tried to convince individual soldiers to frag others. Failing that, he walked into the messhall and began making a speech advocating overthrow of the government. He was promptly arrested and held for division MP's and transport to Chu Lai. He may still be being held at Fort Leavenworth.
In early November 1970, an incident codenamed "gingerbread" occurred and was credited to "Salt." "Gingerbread" involved the VC taperecording real artillery missions and playing the recordings back to either jam or confuse real fire missions.
There very well may have been a "Pepper II" because in January, 1971, two American MACV acvisors were traveling from Chu Lai when they were flagged down by a black American soldier in Korean fatigues outside of a village. He had no ID but asked for a ride to Quang Ngai MACV. When the officers offered to take him back to his unit, he replied that he did not need a ride and held his rifle on them, telling them to move on down the road. After they were out of sight they called for MP's and moved back to observe him. He jumped in the back of an ARVN truck headed the other direction and was not seen again.
In February 1971, "Salt" was suspected when a radio call sign from an expired SOI was used trying to access information on American OPs around LZ's.
The last information on "Salt and Pepper" is from 1974 with "Salt" being seen at the mouth of the Song Ve River Ferry crossing and "Pepper" in a truck in Quang Ngai Province.
There was rarely a dull moment around Duc Pho.
Rotorwash
