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Q. This one
might be apropos. Prisoners thrown from helicopter?
RUSTY SACHS: Yeah, I've
seen that. I've never seen them thrown out of my airplane because it's
behind me, but we had a couple of guys from Philadelphia in our squadron
who used to blindfold the guys with safety wire, and pull 'em real tight
so this copper wire is tearing into their eyes and nose, and bind the
hands with safety wire. And they used to have contests seeing how far they
could throw the bound bodies out of the airplane, and throw one as far
as you can and see if you can get the other one farther.
Q. If you
could approximate how many incidences have you come across this?
RUSTY SACHS: Of that?
In the two-digit numbers. Say somewhere between 15 and 50, probably.
Q. Some of
these people weren't necessarily Cong or NVA, some could be VCS.
RUSTY SACHS: You never
know, you never know. If they're alive, they're VCS automatically. If
they're dead, then they're confirmed VC.
Q. Were you
ever issued orders not to take prisoners or disposing them?
RUSTY SACHS: We were
told, "do not count prisoners when you're loading them onboard the
aircraft. Count them when you unload them." Which the naive young brown bar says, "what difference does it make?" And the wizened old
first lieutenant says "because the numbers may not jibe. And sure
enough, you don't count them when they're getting on, because there was
a little bit of a feeling here -- the guy who told me this was a captain
-- and he said, "don't ever ever count them when they go aboard because
presumably you'd have to say something if one of them got thrown out.
***
Q. Give your
name, what unit you were in in Nam, when you were in the Nam, you know,
just tell a little bit about what you saw, to make it more clear exactly
what happened.
SCOTT CAMILE: Sargeant
Camile, Scott Camile.
KENNETH CAMPBELL: You were in
Alpha Battery 111.
SCOTT CAMILE: Right,
right.
KENNETH CAMPBELL: I know this
man. Singer. Remember Singer? I thought I recognized you. I was just
sitting over there trying to figure out who the hell you were. Last
time I saw you was last year, down in La Jeune?, you were still down
there.
SCOTT CAMILE: I got out
in '69.
KENNETH CAMPBELL: [I got out]
about a year and a half ago.
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