M.I.A. A Greater Evil

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1

As part of Operation Homecoming

President Nixon has secured the

release of all American prisoners of

war held by the North Vietnamese.

All our boys are back home, no

man was left behind.

Washington was rocked this week by

eyewitness reports claiming that 41

American POWs are being held in the

jungles of Laos, 20 years after

the Vietnam War ended.

None of these reports are verified.

Stop giving these families false hope.

Senate hearings today heard evidence

of signals and signs on the ground in

Southeast Asia that some claim

were made by American POWs

held captive since the

Vietnam War.

The government dismissed the

reports amidst growing calls of a

cover-up in Washington.

Questions remain of the almost 2,000

American soldiers listed as missing

since the Vietnam War.

(guns firing)

You know the story. Back in

1889, the French set up a gold

mining operation on this river,

between Vietnam Laos and Cambodia.

The French miners, soldiers, and

geologists sent back reports of

massive gold discoveries that

made them fabulously rich.

But then, they just disappeared.

55 people vanished into thin air,

along with the gold.

But this river is full of gold

and we're going to find it.

We've been on the river for

two goddamn days.

When are we going to start

panning for gold?

We passed the old French mining

station a few miles back, we're doing

a short detour first.

- We passed it?

- Yeah.

We didn't agree to no detour.

We're doing this as a group,

aren't we?

Yes.

But as your Geology professor and the

expedition leader, sometimes I'm

going to call the shots.

Says who?

Alright, stop messing with the drone.

You're wasting batteries.

Let's get back on the river.

Maybe this is what they

mean by fool's gold.

Rachel, Anita, shall we head

back?.

I'm going with Steve.

Me too.

Jez, are you taking your meds?

You're mom asked me to make sure.

I'm sick of that sh*t, I don't

need it out here.

Yeah you do.

(folk music playing)

It's so peaceful.

Yeah, it is now.

But only 50 years ago, this was

the epicenter of the Vietnam War.

The whole jungle was ravaged in

fighting and bombs.

Even this river was part of the North

Vietnamese army supply route called

the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Same as the city.

But during the war, before it fell

to the communists, Ho Chi Minh City

was called Saigon.

It's where my parents lived

before they escaped to the US.

When we left Vietnam, we spent

many years in refugee camps.

So, you're one of those Boat

People'?

Yeah.

A lot of sh*t happened after the

war.

And during it.

You know my grandfather was a pilot,

shot down in the Vietnam War?

They never found his body.

Sorry, I didn't know.

The war cast a dark shadow

over my family.

I don't give a rat's ass

about the Vietnam War.

We've come for the gold.

Thanks for the sympathy.

Sorry, come on,

you know I didn't mean that.

You're like family

Steve, you didn't say

there were rapids.

F***!

They're not marked on the map.

Better break out the life vests.

- Where did you put them?

- Last I saw, they were at camp.

How could you just

leave them behind?

You said the river was flat,

no rapids.

Until your goddamn detour.

Hold on!

Watch Out!

Come on guys,

just keep paddling.

We're going to make it.

Steve!

Help!

Come on, come on guys.

F*** yeah! That was a blast!

(laughter)

Is everyone ok?

Yeah.

Let's head over there.

Is everything there?

Seems to be.

That's pretty damn impressive.

That's what happens

when Anita and I pack.

You two dummies can't even

pack the life vests.

- You all right?

- Yeah

Ok, let's make a

fire and dry off.

Sh*t! The map.

So you don't know where we are?

Not exactly.

But I know how to get back.

The way we came from.

I've got this if it helps.

Yeah, when we get back to

Ho Chi Minh City.

Let's go.

Hey guys.

The geology looks great!

I'm gonna check for

gold in the river.

Anyone coming?

We're still drying out after

your last brilliant plan,

the detour.

Suit yourself.

What the hell do you see

in him Rachel?

He's an old f***ing man.

He treats me well and

he's not a kid.

I heard him treating you

well last night.

Pretty sure it's again the

rules for a professor to

be banging one of his students.

Grow up Jez. You haven't

changed since high school.

High school probably wasn't even

invented when he was a kid.

Are you taking your meds?

Yeah, ask Anita. I took them

before the rapids, right?

My watch stopped.

I kinda wish I was back home.

Already? We've only

been here for two days.

I usually spend the

summers with my dad.

We'd go fishing and stuff.

I don't get to see him much

since my parents got divorced.

Wait, hang on, you fish?

Yeah.

Well, my dad fishes.

I work on my tan.

Can you hear that?

What?

Whispers.

No. What kind of whispers?

I don't know.

This place gives me the creeps.

I think we should get

back on the river.

So do I. Something's wrong.

You still can't hear that?

No.

[Whispers]

The jungle can play tricks on your

mind, but I've been on too many

camping trips back home to

be scared out here.

No, this is different.

Not scared? My ass!

Steve, we're gonna split.

Why?

We just don't feel right here.

Are you sure you want to go?

Yeah, let's get back up river.

Just so you know.

I've found more gold

here in the last two hours,

than I've found in Nevada

for the past two years.

Bullshit.

No f***ing way.

Look for yourself.

Look how the plates roll.

- Hey come on.

- What?

That's it you got

some too right?

I told you.

Another one.

Oh my god!

We sure as hell hit the jackpot!

We need to go get more firewood.

I'll go with you.

Alright.

What are you doing?

Hiding the gold.

You can't be too careful,

even out here.

Well, Anita and Jez have gone to

get some firewood.

We should take advantage

of this time.

Ok.

[Moaning]

What are you doing?

Sending a message to my hunting

buddies.

They'd love it out here.

You won't get any signal.

We're in deep jungle.

Where are we exactly?

Laos.

Laos?

Yeah.

But we'll be out tomorrow.

Vietnam's just upriver.

But that's why we can't stay any

longer, we don't want to get

busted for visas.

Where'd you stash the gold?

It's safe.

Man, I gotta hand it to you.

That was some haul.

To Steve, guys.

To Steve.

Steve.

You think we'll get the

same kind of action

at the old French

mining station?

If the historical

accounts are true

and if they found all that gold,

why not?

What happened to

the French miners?

Maybe they were killed by gold

robbers, maybe disease.

Back in 1889, this place was

wild and dangerous.

There were no clues?

None. No bodies were found.

But what happened to the gold miners

isn't even the greatest mystery.

This jungle is good at

keeping secrets.

What like?

Hundreds of U.S. soldiers and

airmen are still unaccounted for

from the Vietnam War.

Just like Anita's grandfather,

maybe thousands

Many were still alive

when the war ended,

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