GERBER, DANIEL AMSTUTZ

Name: Daniel Amstutz Gerber
Rank/Branch: Civilian
Unit: Missionary, Mennonite Central Committee
Date of Birth: 14 August 1940
Home City of Record:
Date of Loss: 30 May 1962
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 123250N 1075927E (ZU250888)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 1
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 0011

Other Personnel in Incident: Rev. Archie E. Mitchell; Dr. Ardel Vietti (both
captured)

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

REMARKS: TAKEN FROM LEPROSARIUM

SYNOPSIS: The Ban Me Thuot Leprosarium was located in dense jungle terrain
in Darlac Province, South Vietnam, near the provincial capitol of Ban Me
Thuot. The Leprosarium was jointly financed by The Christian and Missionary
Alliance, the Mennonite Central Committee and American Leprosy Missions,
Inc. There were 56 Alliance church groups in the areas outlying Ban Me Thuot
in 1962.

The Leprosarium had a staff of nine, including Rev. Archie Mitchell, the
administrative officer; Dr. Ardel Vietti, a surgeon, Daniel A. Gerber, and
nurses, Misses Craig, Deets, Kingsbury and Wilting. There were two others on
staff; also, the Mitchell's four children lived at the Leprosarium.

Late afternoon on Wednesday, May 30, 1962, a group of about 12 armed Viet
Cong entered the Leprosarium compound and abducted Dan Gerber, Dr. Vietti
and Rev. Mitchell. The nurses were sternly lectured on their betrayal of the
Vietnamese people and assured that they deserved immediate death, but were
not molested or abducted. Mrs. Mitchell and her four children were not
harmed. The VC ransacked all the buildings for anything they could use -
linens, medicines, clothing and surgical instruments. About 10:00 p.m., the
Viet Cong finally left, taking their three prisoners with them.

When the three were captured, the U.S. pledged all of its resources in order
to see that everything possible was done to get them back safely in 1962.

At the time, U.S. and South Vietnamese intelligence discovered their
probable location, but were never able to rescue the three. Reports have
continued to surface on them through the years since 1962. Some of the
members of their families believe them to be still alive.

Now, 25 years later, Gerber, Vietti and Mitchell are still missing. They
were not military personnel, nor were they engaged in highly paid jobs
relating to the war. They were just there to help sick Vietnamese people.

Although the U.S. has given the Vietnamese information on Gerber, Vietti and
Mitchell, the Vietnamese deny any knowledge of them.

-----------------
Gerber is mentioned in an Live Sighting/Oral History report, available in
full on the internet at

http://www.asde.com/~pownet

Smoking Gun -- Oral Histories -- document 190922Z.OH

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