In August, 1970, when I served with the 25th Division Wolfhounds outside of Dau Tieng near the Black Virgin Mountain, our company once spotted a blond caucasian male with a squad of NVA soldiers. He was hatless and wore green fatigues but we couldn’t spot an ammo vest or weapon. We didn’t fire at him thinking that he may be a prisoner(?) and didn’t want to hit him so we lit up those behind him. However, when the led started flying, he didn’t try to escape his captors(?), and instead, took off running with them. I’ve later heard that Russia had sent over military advisors to North Vietnam, but I seriously doubt any of them had ventured that far south and actually accompanied a ground unit. Never did find the blonde guy – dead or alive and God knows we looked for him. Anybody witness or hear of something similar? Who was this mysterious White Cong , White VC, or Super Charlie?
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Another of the unsolved stories of the Vietnam War has to do with persistent reports that two Americans, one Caucasian and one dark-complexioned — nicknamed Salt and Pepper — were seen on many occasions operating with PAVN forces in I Corps.
Reports of Salt and Pepper span several years, are focused in a fairly small area of I Corps, and all reports are quite similar. The consistency of these reports is enough to convince US intelligence that something was going on there. I was never part of any of the work done on Salt and Pepper. Most of that was done during the war and, when I arrived in DIA, there was only the file (a large file) and we were not working on it, though I did read through it.
The bottom line is that there was never any firm identification established of Salt and Pepper. Most reports come from members of US combat units who report that, in the midst of a firefight, they observed a “black guy and a white guy” with the PAVN. Others report seeing only the white guy, others only the black guy. Some reports claim that one or the other of Salt and Pepper called out. People who claimed to have seen Salt and Pepper were shown photographs of missing Americans. While many guys picked out photos, there was no consistency to the selected photos sufficient to identify one guy as Salt or Pepper.
The reports consistently identified:
Salt as white; 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet; dark hair; medium to slender build.
Pepper as African-American or Hispanic; 5 feet 6 inches or so; black hair; medium build.
So, who were Salt and Pepper?
Could have been American deserters.
Could have been French colonial troops or Legionnaires. There were (are) some of those who stayed in Vietnam after the French withdrawl
Could have been from some third country serving as observers or advisors.
Other theories?
***
In looking through the internet, I’ve been unsuccessful in finding any information to support either of the above theories. I did find that of over 4,000 deserters during the Vietnam War Era, only 249 soldiers actually deserted while in-country. Many of them have come forward, but some remain as MIA. When amnesty was declared, many of these former soldiers turned themselves in. Dozens have chosen to remain in other countries outside of the U.S. since receiving citizenship during that time. Yet a handful remain hiding within the U.S.. A few have been found and charged, the latest, a man in the state of Georgia, who was arrested while filing for his social security pension and Medicare. Personally, I will never forgive any of them!
Here is a copy of the newspaper article referencing our experience with the blonde soldier:
Vol 5 No. 31 TROPIC LIGHTNING NEWS August 17, 1970
Caucasian Seen With Foe
By SGT DAN DAVIS
FSB LYNCH – A male blonde Caucasian was spotted among a group of enemy soldiers by the Wolfhounds of Alfa Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry near here recently.
As the point element of Charlie Company, a scout dog and handler from the 66th Scout Dog Platoon, approached a small clearing, the animal alerted to the presence of the enemy. The team moved to the edge of the clearing and spotted two enemy moving away from them and slightly across their path.
The handler opened fire and wounded one of them, causing him to drop his AK-47 and run into the woods.
Following heavy blood trails and numerous other visual signs, the Wolfhounds spotted another group of six to eight NVA soldiers – this time with an unusual addition.One of the men was a blonde Caucasian.
“I was ready to fire,” said Staff Sergeant Joseph Burnett of Tryon, N.C., who was near the front of the Wolfhound element. “But I saw this blonde guy in the middle. “They were in line and heading away from us, about to go into the woods,” Burnett continued. “I figured the guy must be a prisoner, and I didn’t want to shoot him. So I engaged those behind him. He didn’t seem to try to escape but ran with the rest of the NVA into the woodline where we lost them.”
Along with the one rifle, the enemy left behind five rucksacks containing medical supplies and clothing.
The identity of the stranger remains a mystery.
***
My friend and Aussie brother, Barney Bigwood, sent this to me after publishing this article:
Information for this article obtained from:
MIA Facts site – http://www.miafacts.org/aa.htm
Tropic Lightning News – http://www.25thida.org/TLN/tln5-31.htm
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CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website 
I was with HMM-164 and flew 842 combat missions in 1967-1968. I rescued 2 survivors of a 3rd Force Recon team that had escaped and evaded an ambush with a black American wearing a red sash they claim they killed. Another 1st Force Recon extract of a team that ambushed NVA/VC near Da Nang led by a 6′ white man believed to be Russian or American.
Colonel Dick Rosser, USMC (Ret.)
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I searched for this story and am so happy that I found it, because my best friend had told me about the blonde traitor who was fighting with the North Vietnamese against our troops. He told me this story way back in 1975 after I first met him, and I never forgot about it because it was so strange to me. We both worked together for 30 years for Gulf/Chevron Chemicals Co. in Baytown Texas. My friends name was David L. Harvison and was a very proud Marine from Pritchard Alabama and I loved him dearly. He has since passed away due to cancer from agent orange. He claimed to have seen this guy he said they called blondie, that he said was kind of like a phantom of sorts, and that they had seen him on several different occasions. He said that by the time that he and his fellow Marines figured out that he was the enemy, no one was ever able to get a shot at him again. He told me that just knowing that blondie was still out there somewhere had always haunted him. He took that to his grave! I want to thank you for your story on the blonde guy because he has haunted me as well, just knowing that such a person like that existed…to me…has made Viet Nam an even scarier mysterious place!
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Claims the ‘Red Sash’ deserter was killed:
“Machine gunner LCpl Herrera was killed on the Thuong Duc plateau. Before dying, he killed the infamous traitor, ‘Red Sash.'”
From the Frederick J. Vogel Collection (COLL/5577) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division.
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In all wars, I’m sure there are these traitors. Sad to say but the enemy hates them also and their rewards are met out.
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I was with the 3rd of the 506th 101st. I don’t know anything about salt and pepper, or anything about westerners working with the enemy. I did see a small white boy with very blonde hair while we were near nam be tuit (spelling). He was with a large group of villagers. I can’t say for sure but they may have been mountain nerds. We all looked at a large blonde fellow named Reed in our platoon and laughed as if he may have been responsible in some way. There was a white male somewhere. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. I a not sure about the location that we were at.
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See My chapter of Stand To… A Journey to Manhood near the end of the book of the tank attack on Ben Het SF camp. Russian radio traffic, Russian operating manuals and bits of Russian uniforms in the NVA destroyed tanks. I was there. Frank Evans
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There was white marine private Robert garwood. (Wasn’t blond). Captured 1965 not released till 1979! supposed traitor was credited for going into field yelling in loudspeakers outside FSB trying to encourage American soldiers to surrender and there is black McKinnely Nolan defected late in war to NVA/NLF and later to Khmer Rouge. Later executed by Khmer Rouge after wars end. their stories tie into another mystery/controversy remaining from vietnam war. Were American POWs withheld after 1973?
As for the blonde cong I think all fingers point to covert Soviet or eastern bloc advisors going into field with VC/NVA. Although no official proof. If u read Mac v sog books they mention dropping a few Chinese PLA advisors that would accompany Nva units down ho chi Minh trail in Laos. Plausible to think Soviet or eastern bloc advisors would be come across in the field.
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I was assigned to the 571st MI Detachment, 525 MI Group, from 1971-72. There were 3-4 times in which Salt and Pepper, operating as a VC Propaganda Team, were sighted west of Chu Lai. Each time, I would contact the local Special Forces team and they would go looking for them. Never heard if the Salt and Pepper team were caught or not.
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The only time I have ever seen or heard of a NVA helo in Vietnam (or elsewhere) was recently in Vietnam magazine (October 2016 issue) in an article entitled, “Somehow Blow the Bridge.”
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I almost forgot to say that there were many PRC PLA soldiers under orders to fight alongside the NVA in Nam from communist China. HC Trail is HCM Trail as I made an error.Even the ROC/Taiwan sent their soldiers and pilots to Nam.
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Good article. Actually many Cubans,Russians and PRC Chinese were in the field as an adviser for the NVA. The US mil code was sold to the Russians by the USN John Walker under the false name of Ramon Garcia helped the Soviets to assign many field advisers out of sight of American troops in Nam.Did you know that NVA gave field tours to many rebel leaders (Yasser Arafat,etc) courtesy of the Soviets at that time.Yes they visited the RVN without a valid passport via the HC Trail and ended in Saigon as the final destination of tour.
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Good article. I was told in March 1970 by an officer who was DEROS out that the 101st had chased a male with red hair and hit the treeline he ran to with artillery. No body discovered. Later that summer I was battalion artillery ops when one of the 196th LIB snipers radioed that he had his rifle on a tall non asian male. He asked for clearance to kill him and I gave it after checking on known POWs. When the sniper was about to make the shot the tall male and his three asian companions disappeared into a cave.
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In October or November of 1969, I was flying backseat for an insertion of troops from the 9th ARVN Division in the Mekong Delta. During the LZ prep by the gunships, I received a frantic radio call from an individual on the ground requesting that we immediately cease fire. He claimed to be an American advisor with VN troops from the local district, conducting operations in the area. He had a distinctly American accent, and I could hear the sound of our rockets impacting near him. We had not been informed of any district troops operating in the area, but I called the district HQ on my other radio anyway. They confirmed that they had no one in the area, and that I was free to fire. We resumed the LZ prep and inserted a battalion of troops to search the area. We found some evidence of VC activity, but no casualties. I made a follow-up report through the 9th Division headquarters. The only answer I got was that there had been several reports of an American deserter operating with the VC, but they were never able to confirm them.
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I was with D Co 1/27th when we spotted a tall blond soldier walking with an NVA file. They were too far away to engage and they disappeared into the woodline. A good friend of mine was the point man who saw him. This happened in the summer of “68.
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Hi John. Believe it or not, I was bitten by a brown recluse is spider and have been in the hospital for almost a month. I am fighting to save my legs right now. As soon as I get out I will contact you. Cheers
Sent from my iPhone
>
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Summer of 69 with A Co 1/28th Infantry, Big Red One our CO told us that recon had spotted a red haired individual with enemy troops in our AO. He promised a 3 day pass to the man who killed him. We never did find him.
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When in an OP BihnThuy north of Blackhorse we observed over 1000 VC- NVA and numerous blonde and black guys mostly carrying heavy loads but unarmed, also RC Nunscarrying weapons without magazines or ammo there were white and Asian priests with shackles and large packs.Some of these guys were badly wounded with crutches and a couple were being carried roughly on poles carried by big black guys all wearing US underware boxer shorts,some with hospital slippers, we thought they were foreign troops, so called in Duc Tahn Arty 175 mm and roughed them up big time, later on debrief we learnt they were US airforce and Army prisoners moving with Roman Catholic hostages through Phuc Thuy to the massive NvaVC prison camp in the Rung Sat zone.
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There were sightings of a long red haired man fighting with the VC down in the Mekong Delta and Rung Sat area. I have also heard of GIs who went over the hill and could have fought alongside VC. People were drafted and unhappy with America at the time and VC deserted and came over and served with American forces so why not Americans fighting with VC?
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Re: Salt and Pepper…see this article http://www.miafacts.org/greer.htm.
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This brings back an old memory. I was a grunt, in the 101st, in I Corp, in 1971. After I got back to the world I was traveling thru Miami with a backpack, and a guy approached me and asked me if I needed a place to crash. He was a black guy,and his buddy was a white guy. I stayed with them for a couple of days,in a cheap motel in Miami. They didn’t volunteer a lot of information about their backgrounds, and I didn’t ask; but I knew they had spent some time in VN, had run afoul of the UCMJ, and were laying low in Miami. I moved on after a few days. Sometime later, back at home in NJ,I saw something on “60 Minutes” I think, about deserters in VN who had gone over to the other side. Especially about 2 guys, Salt and Pepper, and an artist’s rendition of them. I got a chill. It was them, the 2 guys I had spent time with in Miami.
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Took out the “red bandanna” Was a deserter/turncoat.
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I arrived at Tay Ninh base camp and was place in a hooch where a guy named Felix a skinny kid with red hair and freckles was. I was there for about 2 days and he suddenly disappeared. Rumor has it that he defected.
Never saw him again
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in 1968, around May if I remember correctly, we (A Trp, 3/4 Cav, 25th I.D.) were going north on the MSR towards Tay Ninh (from Cu Chi). We had to stop to allow a convoy to go by us near Trang Bang (just south of Trang Bang). A man is a SUIT came walking down the MSR. We stopped and asked for I.D. Then we radioed in and the MP’s came along. Soon, this mysterious person was choppered out.
Later, we were told we had captured an EAST GERMAN!!!
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Great read about Salt and Pepper. But never heard of closeure. They never talk about flight crews shot down taken to Russia. What happened to Them ?
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They are in Russia, forced to train a group of Russians to behave American and infiltrate the US as 5th columnists in the event of war between Russia and US.Now there are many Russian migrants in the US, I think they are retired in Russia.
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Great article! I was with G2/4 3rd Marine Div. 1968-1969 as an 0311 grunt. We were advised to look for salt and pepper, but never saw either of them. I found a Chinese soldiers cap with the red star in a cave North of Khe-Sahn combat base near hill 471 in 1969.
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Interesting. We heard but never saw a American wearing a “Red Headband” leading NVA to raid PPB’s . Nothing ever came of it besides we were pretty busy getting body counts for the skipper…..
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Do you mean, other than Hanoi jane?
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There was an article in the local Charleston paper about a Marine Recon team encountering the man with the red sash and wounding him. Garwood was said to have a scar that may have been then result of this encounter.
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The French were there before us, could be a child born from union with them. Saw a few blonde women while I was over there.
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Salt and Pepper? Could have been Cuban advisers/mercinaries?
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I was based out of Phouc Vinh and did a lot of flying to Song Be Bu Dop , Tay Ninh. and heard these stories ……..
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During my tour I heard many rumors of this sort, and more. I listened to them as I often do now, but considered them as rumors only. I never heard a ‘first hand’ account. There is more about our involvent, the Chinese’ the Russians’ & others that supported so many sides of the war that we will never know. I can’t discount any of it, but I don’t contribute to any rumor mill w/o some credible source, evidence, etc. Thanx John.
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What year were you in Phuoc Vinh? I was there in 69 and we had sightings of Salt and Pepper was in OP/INTEL
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