I have had some response, however, for which I am very grateful. Recently, I have received three email communications from Vietnam veterans who claim to have encountered what they called rock apes. Their messages are below. I have redacted their names so as to protect their privacy.
“In ‘69 I spent my whole tour in the bush (iron triangle) One night in ambush position I had last guard duty before dawn. We were positioned on the outside edge of a tree line. About 15 minutes into my watch I heard loud movement coming from a ways in the trees. As they got closer I determined it to be a troop of monkeys. But as they got closer these were really big monkeys. They started making loud noises like they were yelling and just tearing up the jungle. As the twilight became brighter I could see trees being shook, big trees that no human would be able to shake. I had a starlight scope mounted on my 16 but was never able to get a glimpse of what they were. There was so much racket going on I wondered why the noise didn't wake any of the other guys. They kept getting closer, I wondered if they knew we were there (maybe smelt us?) but they were so close I took the safety off the daisy chained claymores and was on the edge of blowing them when all of a sudden they just quit. It was lighter now and I would have been able to see them but they just vanished back into the jungle. It was so quiet it was eerie. One thing for sure, if they got hold of a human I'm sure he would have been shredded. I've always thought about what if they got just a little bit closer how many would I have killed because I was certainly loaded for bear.”
- XXXX XXXXXX USMC
TCH Comment: The behavior described sounds like classic great ape intimidation behavior. The problem is that there are not supposed to be any apes in Vietnam.
“Rock apes are the real thing. I saw a band of them up on "Carlie Ridge" in Quang Nam Province in the spring of 1970. It was nightfall and I saw them through a Starlite scope. 10-15 of them headed away from us up a steep incline. They weren't VC because they walked as a pack side by side in the jungle and not in a military type line. They all looked to be very broad bodied and up to 5 ft tall.”
- XXXX XXXX A/1/1..USMC
TCH Comment: Whatever this soldier saw, it certainly was not VC. The broad body and height described are typical of the rock ape reports I have read.
“I spent my whole tour in the bush in Vietnam. Have seen them both alive and dead. Only thing I can say I never seen them attack anyone. Had to kill one coming into lines one night. Never thought much about them other then they were apes. Yes, they did walk upright. About four and half to five tall. Saw them mostly around the Rock Pile. Heard a lot of different story about them in Nam. Like the throwing of rocks but never seen that myself. In my unit I would say that over 3/4 of the guys have seen them. As much as us Marines smell they were worse.”
- Anonymous, USMC
TCH Comment: I wish this marine had taken a picture of that dead ape. What he says about not thinking much about them other than they were apes is something that has been echoed many times. Most of the G.I.’s in Vietnam were very young and not up on what wildlife makes southeast Asia home. They simply did not know what they were encountering was not a species documented by science.
I have presented these emails exactly as they were sent to me. The stories are very similar to others I have been told or read about. The descriptions of appearance, behavior and even smell are very similar to those given by people across the globe who claim to have encountered large, bipedal, hair-covered “apes.”
Is there an unknown species of great ape or some kind of Wildman roaming the jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia? Perhaps, time will tell. Until then, we have the anecdotal accounts of our servicemen to ponder.
Make of them what you will.
Hello. I am a researcher in the paranormal. I am looking to make contact with any vets that have reports of any sort of paranormal experience, while on the battlefield, or in any wartime situation. Please instruct them to email me at janebfitzgerald@yahoo.com. Thank you. Jan
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post! For what it's worth, I had a friend who served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and medic. He died recently, but several years ago we were watching some old videos that he had digitalized of flights he had taken into and out of the bush. He was smiling & reminiscing as we watched the videos. Being a bigfoot enthusiast, I asked him if he had ever seen a 'rock ape' while stationed there. His smile melted away and he looked at me with a flat expression and said "I never saw one myself, but many of my friends did." There is no way this man would ever lie about such a thing. He went on to tell me that many in his platoon had seen them in some of the remotest areas. He had only heard 'large monkeys' yelling and shaking trees on one occasion (that he could not otherwise explain) and had been a part of a rock throwing incident on an overnight rescue when they were flying in to evacuate wounded soldiers. Some had definitely observed these apes up close in their scopes, per my friend - so witnesses may still be out there to tell their stories. You can't discount all the soldier encounters from Vietnam - these men are proud military heroes and not apt to lie. I know my friend never would have.
ReplyDeleteI served with 1st Marine Div in I Corp in Northern Vietnam. When troup withdrawls began, we had members of 3rd Marine Div transferred to our unit. One particular marine, by the name of Padget, told me about the Rock Apes. They saw them all the time. He said that one time a rock was thrown at them from the apes. They all responded by throwing back. Padget said that this was a big mistake. The apes bombarded the Marines with rocks before they could rush out of the area.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm more then likely wrong about the month but it was 1967. I was with Bravo company of the first battalion fifth marine regt. We were out on a night ambush we had just set up in our ambush sight. We were on a small low hill covered in elephant grass. All of a sudden someone yelled out grenade, nothing happened we figured it was a dud. A couple seconds later another yell. Long story short we had set up in a rock ape nesting area. And they wanted us out. No one slept that night and as soon as it was light enough to see we got the hell out of there.
ReplyDelete1969- Vietnam. Several men in my company were on Monkey Mt.and reported getting into a rock fight with rock apes. They were not men to BS you about such a thing.
ReplyDeleteI left the original post. Which got very little response. But as you say, people may not feel comfortable talking about such encounters, especially to others that weren’t ever there. Quite understandable. I really am encouraged by theses few replies though. Perhaps there will continue to be more. The topic of the paranormal is not as shunned as it once was.
ReplyDelete