An Incredible Saga of Seaman Hegdahl - American Hero - Page 20

Dick Stratton, Lieutenant Commander

The Vietnamese were big on token propaganda releases of prisoners to make various peace groups look good and our government look impotent. They would try to pick people who had not been tortured or in jail long enough to look emaciated. Usually they were volunteers, violators of direct orders from their seniors and traitors to our cause of resistance. These releases always were of three at a time. The magic of the number three was always a mystery to us. As our leaders exercised greater internal communications and controls, it became harder for the Communists to make up a propaganda release party. Seeking to round out the number they finally turned to "The Incredibly Stupid One" who, although not volunteering, was certainly too dumb to do them any harm. As part of this conditioning they had both Doug and I examined by "the Doctor." This was a female soldier we saw through a peephole we had in the door get briefed up and then dolled up like a physician.