Skalakaho Chapter 10: Meet Charles Woodson
Skalkaho had an unexpected surprise when he reaches the Mekong River in central Laos. A CIA operative contacted him on the river banks as he had a small camouflaged hut back from the river bank on a higher piece of the berm. His name is Charles Woodson and he worked for a CIA networking scheme called "Air America". Chuck was young at this time and was relegated as a cargo pusher. He had been pre-dropped at this location for his new assignment. He was to move into Northern Laos about 250 miles away and organize the Hmong people for its defense against the NVA. The CIA was very keen to make things worse for its enemies.
This story has some legs as Skalkaho remained resolute in his goal of making it to Bangkok. Chuck had Bangkok connections and could help him find a business anchor basing his US return in the next year. As Skalkaho read the local newspaper on November 25, 2017, he read more about Chuck disclosing troubles that may also follow his own journey living in Montana.
A Local newspaper, The Missoulian, which has a home office only 60 miles north of Skalkaho Falls reported this during November of 2017.
"Charles Woodson was one of a handful of witnesses who were close to the man who, as an operative for the Central Intelligence Agency, became a living legend to the Hmong people during and after the Secret War in Laos. Chuck “Hog” Danbury disappeared into the realm of a folk hero after his death, or alleged death, in a Bangkok apartment in April 1982.
The U.S. State Department, for whom Danbury worked, quickly determined his death to be accidental by carbon monoxide poisoning due to a leaky propane water heater. The body was sent home to Missoula in a sealed coffin and strongly worded orders that it not be opened."
It also has been reported Chuck may not be dead. Skalkaho had a long friendship with Chuck and this recent newspaper report brought an alarm to his own security. When Skalkaho found him on the Mekong River he was about 30 years old. It was 1971.
Further reports had this to say about Chuck's exploits.
The Missoulian Also Reports:
"Reported “Chuck” sightings in Montana and around the world fueled speculation that he was still alive and the U.S. government didn’t want it known."
"Danbury grew up in Helmville and Missoula. He was a U.S. Forest Service smokejumper in 1958 at age 17, the summer before he graduated from Missoula County High School. By age 20, he was a “cargo kicker” for the CIA’s Air America in Laos and went on to become the agency’s closest liaison to Gen. Vang Pao.
For 13 years Vang Pao’s fierce-fighting Hmong guerrillas warded off communist forces while the highly publicized Vietnam War raged next door.
In the days following Saigon’s collapse in Vietnam in the spring of 1975, Danbury was the last American at Long Cheng, the secret CIA-Hmong air base in the mountains of remote northeastern Laos. He engineered a daring air evacuation of Vang Pao and some 2,500 Hmong allies to Thailand."
Real-time started during January 1971 for Skalkaho's friendship with Chuck as he became a secret link to the outside world. It would signal an off and on merging of forces with this CIA agent. He knew Chuck could be very dangerous since he worked for the same type of people who held power over his life.
One thing emerged from Skalkaho's trip from the plateau village and Samarn's admonitions, "Trust your intuition over anything else."
The handshake with Chuck gave him all he needed to know.
"Do trust this man as if your life would depend on this man's excellent character?"
Another surprise for Skalkaho is that he came from an area not far from the Bitterroot Valley Montana. Born near Helmville, Montana. They were both from within "shouting distance" of each other's birthplace. Chuck grew up only "straight line miles" from Skalkaho Falls, referencing his own given namesake. There must be something with this flower power's opening up one's own past. Chuck was the second man in Skalkaho's new organization along with Mauli.
Once Chuck had completed his mission in Northern Laos with the Hmong he would meet up again with Skalkaho in Bangkok, Thailand. However, Chuck had an abundance of supplies buried nearby and his porters did not show up. He had to wait before traveling north with the Hmong supply caravan. Skalkaho took Chuck up on an offer of two guns and the carry-on ammunition he may need in a firefight. Skalkaho chooses an M1 sniper rifle. Mauli got the traditional M-16. A firefight wouldn't last long anyway. So a Sniper rifle would engage any adversary for a longer period of time before the M-16 came into play. He calculated he could hit anything moving from about 1,000 yards with his M-1.
The trip to Bangkok started hours after he first met Chuck. This man seemed to already know something about Skalkaho as he bade him farewell and "good luck when meeting other agents of the US CIA". That clue struck in his mind as if a dagger penetrated his skull. Chuck would meet Skalkaho again and a bond would be revealed as he would tell him the backstory of his mission with Hmong.
The journey overland to the Pasak River started as a march through the countryside avoiding main highways and larger towns along the westward travel. It would be difficult when encountering people whom couldn't be trusted at first meeting.
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