10 Strangest Vietnam War Unsolved Mysteries
6. The Disappearance Of Rev Archie Mitchell, Dan Gerber And Dr Eleanor Ardel Vietti
On the evening of 30 May 1962, the Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium was raided by the Viet Cong. It was a centre that was staffed by missionaries, many of them from the west. These Viet Cong soldiers split into four groups. One group captured Dan Gerber. One went to the Rev Archie Mitchell's house to capture him and his family. The final group went to Dr Eleanor Ardel Vietti’s house to secure her.
After the Viet Cong imprisoned these civilians, they proceeded to ransack the hospital. They first attempted to take Mitchell’s family as well. However, the missionaries said they would not cooperate if this happened. After taking everything they could, the Viet Cong took the three individuals and left.
After their capture, Americans and South Vietnamese discovered that they were being detained. The Viet Cong were using their medical expertise to treat their sick and wounded. While their movements were tracked, they were often in heavily guarded areas so a rescue attempt could not be made. While negotiation for a release was in the works, these eventually fell apart. Nothing was ever heard from these three again and they are reported as missing to this day.