Eleanor Ardel Vietti (November 5, 1927—disappeared May 30, 1962) was an American physician and missionary. She worked at the Buôn Ma Thuột leper colony where she was taken as a prisoner of war on May 30, 1962. ^[1] She is currently the only American woman unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. ^{[2] [3]}

Biography

Vietti was born in Fort Worth, Texas and had a twin sister, Teresa J. Vietti and a younger brother, Victor. ^{[1] [2] [4]} Vietti and her sister were both interested in science and medicine early on. ^[5] The family lived in Bogota, Colombia until she was around fourteen. ^[6] Vietti then contracted a bad strep infection and had surgery in Houston, Texas. ^[2] Because of her illness, she became more religious, but also was a year behind her twin sister in school. ^[7] Vietti attended San Jacinto High School (Houston, Texas). ^[2] After graduation, Vietti attended Rice University and studied for a summer at Nyack Missionary College. ^[6] Then she went to medical school at the University of Texas from 1950 to 1954. ^{[6] [2]} She interned at the South Shore Hospital in Chicago and then did a year's residency at the General Hospital of Wichita Falls, finishing in 1956. ^[6]

Vietti entered missionary work around 1957 and the next year, went to South Vietnam. ^[8] She worked in Buôn Ma Thuột at a Christian and Missionary Alliance leper colony. ^[9] There was a high rate of leprosy among the Montagnard people and Vietti both treated those with leprosy and worked to prevent the disease. ^[10] She made house calls to people in the villages. ^[2] In 1961, her sister Teresa visited the leper colony. ^[11]

Disappearance

In April 1962, Vietti came back to the United States and visited with her family in Houston and St. Louis. ^{[7] [2]} She also took a course in cleft-palate repair in St. Louis. ^[7] Her family wanted her to stay in the United States. ^[2] The Department of State also warned Vietti about returning to the leper colony. ^[2] However, Vietti chose to return to Vietnam. ^[2]

On May 30, 1962, Vietti, Archie E. Mitchell and Daniel A. Gerber ^[12] were kidnapped by 12 Viet Cong guerillas. ^{[1] [13]} Vietti's ankle was injured, so it was reported that she was not tied up by the soldiers and was limping. ^[13] Vietti, Mitchell and Gerber were taken to the nurses' house, where the Viet Cong members lectured them, and also promised that Dr. Vietti would not be harmed. ^[13] The three captives were taken away by car. ^[13] The other nine Americans in the leper colony were left behind. ^[8] It was suspected that she was taken in order to work in a Viet Cong hospital. ^[14] A captured Viet Cong soldier told interrogators later in 1962 that Vietti was treating the Viet Cong wounded. ^[15]

It was believed that she was being moved from village to village and was still believed alive in 1965. ^{[9] [16]} A report of a white woman asking for a Bible in a village came through in 1967. ^[2] In 1968, the Christian and Missionary Alliance announced at their General Council that Vietti and the other 2 missionaries captured were still alive. ^[17] Reports of seeing Vietti and the other two missionaries among the Montagnard villages continued into the 1970s. ^[2] However, by 1991, she was listed as "presumed dead" on the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action list. ^[18]

Legacy

In 1998, Maggie O'Kane reported about Vietti and her capture on a radio special called The Only Woman Left Behind. ^[19] In the show, she discussed Vietti's capture, aired memories of families and friends and speculated on what had happened to Vietti. ^{[19] [20]} In 2008, Nyack College honored her and other alumni who were lost in Vietnam, adding their names to a special stone bench on campus. ^[21]

See also

• Archie E. Mitchell
• List of people who disappeared

References

External links

• Find a Grave memorial