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Col Donald Cook POW Medal of Honor Memorial Tour “50th Anniversary of The Battle of Binh Gia”

25 Mar—5 April 2014

13198 Centerpointe Way, Suite 202 13198 Centerpointe Way, Suite 202 13198 Centerpointe Way, Suite 202

Woodbridge, VA 22193Woodbridge, VA 22193Woodbridge, VA 22193---528552855285

703703703---590590590---1295 * 8001295 * 8001295 * 800---722722722---9501 9501 9501

mht@miltours.com mht@miltours.com mht@miltours.com

www.miltours.comwww.miltours.comwww.miltours.com

Tour Host: Col Don Price, USMC Tour Leaders: Capt Ed Garr, USMC &

SgtMaj Pete Ross, USMC

MHT LEGACY

VIETNAM

BATTLEFIELD

TOUR

Below: Top CarlTon whiTe’s promoTion wiTh

Phil Norton, reenactment below with both

back in

Country

with MHT.

Military Historical Tours

(MHT) is proud to offer another in our

“LEGACY” Vietnam Battlefield Tours

to honor one of the most courageous Ma-

rines to ever serve his country as we re-

turn to Vietnam to honor Colonel Donald

G. Cook, USMC Medal of Honor Recipi-

ent. On 11 December 1964, then Capt

Donald Cook was reassigned to Saigon,

Republic of Vietnam, to report to the Senior Marine Advisor. On December 31st, Col Cook

volunteered to conduct a search and recovery mission for a downed American helicopter and

set off with the 4th Vietnamese Marines. Ambushed on their arrival at the crash site, he ral-

lied the Vietnamese Marines who accompanied him, tended to the wounded and was attempting to drag others to

safety when he was wounded in the leg and captured.

He was taken to a Viet Cong POW camp in the jungles of South Vietnam near the Cambodian border where he

quickly established himself as the senior American (even though he was not) and provided guidance and strength to

his fellow prisoners. His actions were in direct defiance of his captors who attempted to remove all semblance of mil-

itary rank and structure among the POWs. He impressed upon the Viet Cong that he was senior among the POWs

and therefore spokesman for the group, fully aware that his actions would lead to harsh treatment for himself. Col

Cook was subjected to physical abuse and isolation but he resisted his captor's efforts to break his will. Surviving on

limited rations, he tried to maintain his health in his ten foot square cage. He could be seen by other prisoners exer-

cising and running for hours. Still, the jungle prison took its toll on his health and he and the other prisoners found

themselves in a weakened state. As a consequence, he contracted malaria shortly before moving to a new camp. He

was so weak that he staggered when he walked, could not traverse log bridges, and lost his night vision due to vita-

min deficiency. Still, he persevered refusing to allow anyone to carry his pack or otherwise put a strain on themselves

to help him. Upon reaching the new camp, even the Camp Commander complemented Col Cook on his courage. He

regained some of his strength at the new camp but Col Cook still suffered from the effects of malaria. He was instru-

mental in saving the lives of several POWs who were convulsing with severe malaria attacks.

Even though he was on half-rations, Col Cook shared his food with the

weaker POWs even giving up his allowance of penicillin. He knew that in

his deteriorated condition that he would not survive a long imprisonment yet

he continued to offer food and badly needed medicine to other POWs. In this

respect, he went far above and beyond the call of duty by risking his life to

inspire other POWs to survive. Col Cook was last seen on a jungle trail by

fellow POW, Douglas Ramsey, in Nov 1967. When Mr. Ramsey was re-

leased in 1973, he was told that Cook had died from malaria on 8 Dec 1967

while still in captivity. On 15 May 1980, a memorial stone was placed in

Arlington National Cemetery and the flag from the empty grave presented to

his wife, Laurette. The following day Col Donald G. Cook was posthumous-

ly awarded the Medal of Honor.

The highly experienced, Vietnam-veteran Battlefield Tour Leaders of

MHT have walked the ground. We have an outstanding working relationship

with the Vietnam government that allows us access

to areas previously restricted to other travelers. Our

guides have been back to Vietnam dozens of times

and are intimately familiar with the terrain, the battle-

fields, and the people. And now the best part at only

$2,495 per person, this

tour is an outstanding

value, making it

affordable for you

to travel. The sin-

gle supplement is

only $625.

Tour Price: $ 2,495 Based on double Occupancy

Single Supplement $ 695

Tour Price Includes:

Vietnam Visa Processing and fees

*

First Class Hotel Accommodations

*

Air-conditioned motorcoach

*

Meals as indicated in itinerary

*

MHT Historical Trip information packet,

containing maps and tour information.

*

Emergency Medical Evacuation and

Hospitalization Insurance

*

Admission fees to all sites & museums

*

Services of experienced Battlefield Lead-

ers, and English- speaking local guides

Optional Airfare: Round-trip

economy or business class

airfare from your city or Los

Angeles to Vietnam quoted

upon registration

Tour Host: Col Donald

Price USMC (Ret) is the

acclaimed author of The

First Marine Captured in

Vietnam: A Biography of

Donald G. Cook and fre-

quent MHT Tour Leader.

Daily Itinerary

25 Mar Tue - (Day One) Depart Los Angeles for flight

to Vietnam—Cross International Dateline, lose a day

transfer. (International Air will be quoted upon registra-

tion and can be tied into domestic flights upon request.)

26 Mar Wed - (Day Two) Arrive Saigon (HCMC) in the

afternoon and transfer to our hotel. Arrive at Tan Son

Nhut Airfield, Saigon Check in Majestic Hotel, an offic-

ers’ hotel (BOQ) during the war and the most famous of

the French-built hotels in Saigon. From the roof garden of

the Majestic, at the hub of Saigon’s downtown, observe

Le Loi Street to the former RVN Parliament Building on

Dong Khoi Street, well known during the war as Tu Do

Street. Hotel: Majestic (B/L/D)

27 Mar Thur - (Day Three) City tour of Saigon includ-

ing the Presidential Palace, Remnants of War Museum

(formerly American War

Crimes Museum), old U.S. em-

bassy, Cho Lon (Chinatown),

central post office and Notre

Dame Cathedral on what was

once called John F. Kennedy

Square, Thien Hau Pagoda,

Binh Tay Market, and the lac-

quer ware factory. Hotel: Ma-

jestic (B/L/D)

28 Mar Fri - (Day Four) Ride hovercraft ferry from

Saigon to Vung Tau, the biggest in-country R&R site dur-

ing the war. See sunken American ship in Saigon River,

the 8,500-ton SS Baton Rouge Victory, mined by Viet

Cong sappers. Pass through Rung Sat Special Zone, the

“Forest of Death.” Meet bus. Visit following: Pacific Ho-

tel where Marine advisors stayed. Cyrno's Restaurant,

where advisors ate, the Catholic church where Cook at-

tended last mass of his lifetime, the airport that Cook used

to make recons of the Mekong Delta, the 4th Battalion's

old base camp, and the mountaintop Jesus statue. We will

have an opportunity for swim call on the very popular

beaches. RON at a classic hotel, the

Canadian. Places of interest: Villa

Blanche, Light House, Niet Ban Tinh

Xa Pagoda, shipwreck museum, Bud-

dhist temple dedicated to fishermen.

Hotel: Canadian (B/L/D)

29 Mar Sat - (Day Five) Visit Catho-

lic village of Binh Gia that Cook

helped liberate and the nearby rubber

plantation where he was captured, and

the 4th battalion was destroyed. Take

counterclockwise POW march route

around Saigon and pass through Long

Khanh, Bien Hoa, Di An. Dau

Mot, Xuan Loc, Ben Cat, and Dau

Tieng. Hotel: Hoa Binh Tay Ninh (B/L/D)

30 Mar Sun - (Day Six) Visit Nui Ba Den . Head for Bu

Gia Map nature preserve where Cook died after nearly

three years in captivity. Hotel: An Loc. (B/L/D)

31 Mar Mon - (Day Seven) Visit Bu Gia Map. Return

to HCMC. Hotel: Majestic (B/L/Dinner on your

own)

1 Apr Tue - (Day Eight) Fly to Hue on the early morn-

ing flight. Walk the south Perfume River in trace of 2/5

and 1/1. After lunch, we will have free time to explore the

Citadel on your own or to shop on exciting Le Loi Street.

Hotel: Huong Giang, (B/L/Dinner on own)

2 Apr Wed - (Day Nine) Early morning departure for

Quang Tri with a special stop at the site of the Dong ha

bridge where then Capt John Ripley, a COVAN with the

3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion, wired the bridge with

explosives to drop the bridge and blunt the NVA Easter

Offensive this day on Easter Sunday 1972. We proceed up

Route 9 to the Lao Border, with stops at Camp Carroll,

The Rockpile, Razorback, Khe Gia Bridge, Da Krong,

The Hairpin, Lang Vei and Khe Sanh. Return to Hue. Ho-

tel: Huong Giang, (B/Box L/D)

3 Apr Thur - (Day Ten) Morning flight to Hanoi and

sites to include the National Army Museum, John McCain

Monument and other sites as time permits. We check into

our hotel with a chance to enjoy Hanoi’s nightlife. Hotel:

Silk Path (B/L/D)

4 Apr Fri - (Day Eleven) We finish our visit to Hanoi

with a walking tour of the the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

and Presidential Palace plus a trip to the Hoa Lo Prison

(“The Hanoi Hilton”). Remainder of the day for prepara-

tion for evening flight home. Hotel: Silk Path (B/L/D

on plane)

5 Apr Sat - (Day Twelve) We cross the International

Dateline (gain a day) and arrive back at LAX in the even-

ing on the same day.We will return to LAX on Friday 4

April.

Citadel Then & Now - 45 years later...less a weapon and some hair!

13198 Centerpointe Way Suite 202 Woodbridge, VA 22193-5285

Col Donald Cook POW Medal of Honor Binh Gia Memorial Tour

Siege of Dien Bien Phu Post-Tour Available 4—7 Apr for only

$675. Ask for more info on our other great Post Tours in Asia.

Binh Gia Today