Vietnam veteran carried enemy's diary for 56 years — until he fulfilled his silent promise to fallen soldier’s family
Adorned with plastic in an abandoned backpack, Mathews decided to take it along with him.
Vietnam War veterans have shared countless stories over several decades, yet there are still many stories that continue to emerge, warming the hearts of people around the globe. In a surprising turn of events, a Vietnam War veteran was finally able to return the diary of a fallen soldier after 56 years, on May 2023. He had held onto this remnant of the battlefield, hoping to restore some dignity and closure to the comrade's family.
In 1967, Peter Mathews was on duty on a hill in South Vietnam when he stumbled across a small book left behind after the Vietnam War. Amidst the bloody war in Dak To, the book was an eye-catching diary, filled with colorful illustrations, music, and poetry. He revealed to CBS News that the diary was found at the exact location where a helicopter was shot down. Adorned with plastic, in an abandoned backpack, Mathews decided to take it along with him. "I recognized the beauty of it. The handwriting was amazing. And I just thought it was something to really cherish," Mathews said. He only had a couple of weeks to serve as a sergeant with the 1st Cavalry Division and was ordered to count the bodies after a bloody battle and look for the war documents from the enemy.
Soon, Mathews, after a long run for obtaining a Green Card, was finally reunited with his wife Christine, with whom he raised his children. Many years went by, but the notebook remained hidden, and the writings were unknown to the world. Mathew was reminded of the notebook when he came across a familiar object at a client's house — a typical Vietnamese hat. Mathews asked if the client knew someone who could translate the diary, and later, the writings came to life. "This is a poem that he wrote, and it tells you about his devotion to Ho Chi Minh, how he adored him, how he loved the Communist Party, how he hated American soldiers, of course," Mathews read.
After a long search to find the owner of the book, Mathews realized that the answers to the questions were right in front of them. The diary contained the names, address, and family details of the owner. "I knew I was gonna give it back to them, whatever it had to take. I was determined," Mathew said as he choked up in tears. After the news broke in the local article, Mathews received a call from the soldier's family. He and his wife boarded a flight to Vietnam and were stunned to witness dozens of journalists waiting for their arrival. Recalling the heartwarming moment he gave the book to the fallen soldier's surviving sisters and nephew. "It felt light once I gave it to her," he recalled.
Mathews then reveals that the owner of the book was Cao Van Tuat, who lost his life at just 21 years, but his remains were never recovered. Unfortunately, his family was left with nothing to remember him — not even a picture. Van Tuat also had a girlfriend, who is now 80 years old, and she never married. What fascinates Mathews the most is the fact that the fallen soldier, despite battling through limited resources, was able to create such beautiful art as this.
A 2011 dissertation by John A. Wood gives an overview of how Vietnam War veterans' memoirs, published between 1967 and 2005. The study highlighted how these personal narratives have influenced public perceptions and the broader cultural understanding of the Vietnam War. While it carried the struggles of soldiers in a postwar civilization, the memoirs also presented them as a "moral vector," helping people gauge each other's mindsets. It helped create a three-dimensional portrait of the man behind the costume. Just like how Mathews went through the soldier's diary, gaining a glimpse into a life lived by a man whose memories seemed lost in time, but whose notebook preserved them vividly.
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