Description
Object description
American civilian correspondent with Denver Post in United States of America, United Kingdom and Germany, 1945-1950; civilian correspondent with St Louis Post-Dispatch in United States of America, Central America, Cuba, People's Republic of China, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, 1950-1993
Content description
REEL 1 Background in United States of America, 1918-1941: family; education; early training and career in journalism and photography, 1930s. Aspects of of period as seaman with United States Merchant Marine, 1940-1942: joining United States Merchant Marine as cabin boy; duties; attitude towards first passage; duties as chief cook on another ship; enlistment as officer United States Navy, 1942. Recollections of period as journalist with Denver Post in United States of America, United Kingdom and Germany, 1945-1949: return to journalism, 1945.
REEL 2 Continues: writing story on case of racial discrimination in United States of America; posting to Europe and GB to report on Jewish/Zionist emigration for Denver Post; visiting Displaced Person camps in Germany; covering the story of the SS Exodus during voyage to Palestine; style of reporting, 'reportage' during late 1940s; changes in style of writing from 1950.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period as journalist with St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper in United States of America, South America, People's Republic of China, South Vietnam and Cambodia, 1950-1993: covering cases of racial discrimination in St Louis, United States of America; examples of racial discrimination in St Louis, United States of America; story of first ever mixed race lunch counter in St Louis, United States of America; reputation of St Louis Post-Dispatch in United States of America; independent stance of paper; visiting People's Republic of China, 1972; meeting with Zhou Enlai.
REEL 4 Continues: further details of visit to People's Republic of China; reporting on Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sponsored invasion of Guatemala; method of getting stories back to St Louis, United States of America; following Fidel Castro and his forces in march across Cuba to Havana; attitude towards Castro's triumph in Cuba, 1959; attitude of Cuban people towards Fidel Castro; reporting on trial of suspected supporters of former President Fulgencio Batista in Cuba; language difficulties and attitude towards working through interpreter; attempt to get into Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sponsored training camps for Cuban emigres in Guatemala, 1961; visit to border between People's Republic of China and North Vietnam to gather information on situation in People's Republic of China, 1961; evidence of American involvement in South Vietnam, 1961.
REEL 5 Continues: evidence of American involvement in South Vietnam, 1961; talking to American aircrew of Air America; visit to Laos, 1960; reporting on question of Chinese communist infiltration into Laos; attitude towards American claims of Chinese/Soviet expansionist aims in South East Asia; gaining information on situation in Republic of China during visit to border between People's Republic of China and North Vietnam, 1961; care taken when using information from American official high level sources; contacts with journalist I F Stone who ran a dissident newspaper.
REEL 6 Continues: nature of anti-Communist McCarthy era in United States of America during 1950s; reporting on 'Strategic Hamlets' in South Vietnam; attitude towards American policy in Vietnam; taking helicopter flights into combat zones; decision not to wear military clothes or carry arms; belief in importance of maintaining neutrality; witnessing demonstrations against President Ngo Diem by Buddhists in Hue, 1963; spread of Vietnam War into Cambodia; entering Cambodia with Elizabeth Pond and Michael Morrow to assess situation.
REEL 7 Continues: story of how group were ambushed by members of National United Front of Kampuchea, 7/5/1970; arrest and interrogation by National United Front of Kampuchea, 7/5/1970; treatment by captors; further interrogation by Viet Cong; drive through jungle; decision to tell truth during interrogations; rations available during forty day captivity, 7/5/1970-15/6/1970; efforts to keep fit; improvement in relations with captors.
REEL 8 Continues: concern of captors for their welfare; good relationship with captors; occasion when they were required to write down details of their life; evidence of captors influence in towns under American control; story of playing chess with captors; bombing of area by American aircraft; attitude towards lifestyle and military prowess of captors; story of how captors helped Elizabeth Pond deal with menstruation; living conditions; relations with Elizabeth Pond and Michael Morrow; hearing news of their imminent release.
REEL 9 Continues: farewell dinner with captors and exchange of gifts; release, 15/6/1970; hitching a lift with South Vietnamese convoy; telephone call to his wife Helen Dudman; writing first story on his experiences in captivity; refusing to disclose whereabouts of National United Front of Kampuchea captors to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); attitude and beliefs of National United Front of Kampuchea captors; American bombing of Cambodia; his family's attempts to get him released; promising captors that they would tell truth about their experiences; impact of period in captivity on health.
REEL 10 Continues: attempting to write about experiences whilst seriously ill in hospital; medical problems; reaction of colleagues at St Louis Post-Dispatch to his return; welcome home party; his wife Helen Dudman's attitude towards meeting Elizabeth Pond; arranging visit to Hanoi, North Vietnam; dispersal of troops and equipment to protect them from bombing; interviewing North Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong; evidence of bomb damage; reaction to end of Vietnam war; his assessment of Vietnam War; attitude towards involvement of five American Presidents in the conflict; lessons of Vietnam War.
REEL 11 Continues: impact of Vietnam War on United States Government military policy; question of impact of anti-war movement on United States Government policy and American society; treatment of Vietnam veterans on return to United States of America; declining status of St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper; visit with journalist Elizabeth Becker of Washington Post newspaper and British academic, Malcolm Caldwell to Phnom Penh, 12/1978; description of Phnom Penh; difficult relationship with Elizabeth Becker.
REEL 12 Continues: ten day tour of Cambodia, 12/1978; events staged by authorities to impress them; lack of contact with Cambodian people; visiting Angkor Wat; interviewing Pol Pot; attitude of Malcolm Caldwell towards Khmer Rouge; story of how they were shot at by assailants and Malcolm Caldwell killed in hotel room, 23/12/1978; taking Malcolm Caldwell's body to British Embassy in Beijing, People's Republic of China; impact of experience on himself and Elizabeth Becker.
REEL 13 Continues: attitude towards rumours of mass executions by Khmer Rouge, 1975-1979; attitude towards common view of Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge; question of 'genocide' in Cambodia under Khmer Rouge; visit to Vietnam in 1993 to meet the General Bay Cao who was behind his capture and release, 5/1970-6/1970; economic changes witnessed in Vietnam. Reflections on career and world events: impact on United States Government of attacks on United States of America, 11/9/2001; attitude towards setting up of military courts; question of civil liberties.
REEL 14 Continues: question of anti-American feeling in world; impact of new technology on journalism and war reporting since 1950s; difficulties faced by local/regional newspapers; contacts with other war reporters; his aim to achieve exclusivity in reporting; dangers of war reporter's job.