SOUTH VIET NAM DEATH OF THE MISSIONARIES IT BEGAN LIKE A TRIP 
TO A CHURCH PICNIC . CRAMMED INTO THE LAND-ROVER BOUNCING OVER 
SOUTH VIET NAM'S HEAVILY TRAVELED ROUTE 20 WERE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ELWOOD 
JACOBSEN, 35, AND FILIPINO MISSIONARY GASPAR MAKIL, 36, WITH THEIR WIVES 
AND FIVE CHILDREN . AFTER MONTHS OF MINISTERING TO PRIMITIVE VIETNAMESE 
NATIVES, THE TWO MISSIONARIES AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE HEADED FOR THE 
MAKIL HOME NEAR THE MOUNTAIN RESORT OF DALAT . BUT 50 
MILES NORTHEAST OF SAIGON THEIR CAR RAN INTO A STRING OF 
AUTOS STALLED IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD . AROUND THEM 
SWARMED SOME 20 GRIM-FACED VIETNAMESE WEARING RUBBER SANDALS, TREE BRANCHES THRUST 
INTO THEIR BELTS FOR CAMOUFLAGE, AND LIGHT FIELD PACKS OVER THEIR 
BLACK PEASANT GARB . " WE WERE ORDERED OUT OF THE 
CAR, " SAID MRS . JACOBSEN, " BUT WE WEREN'T FRIGHTENED 
. WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE ON OUR WAY IN A 
FEW MINUTES . " THIS WAS NOT TO BE, FOR THE 
HAPLESS MISSIONARY FAMILIES WERE CAUGHT IN A ROADBLOCK OF THE COMMUNIST 
VIET CONG . WITHOUT WARNING THE REDS OPENED UP ON THE 
TWO UNARMED FAMILIES IN A WITHERING BLAST OF CARBINE AND SUBMACHINE-GUN 
FIRE . THREE-YEAR-OLD THOMAS MAKIL FELL WITH A BULLET IN HIS 
LEG, AND SLUGS RIPPED THROUGH HIS FOUR-MONTH-OLD SISTER JANIE'S BODY INTO 
HER FATHER, KILLING THEM BOTH . ELWOOD JACOBSEN JERKED BACKWARD AND 
FELL DEAD INTO THE ROAD . " I STARTED HOLLERING " 
ELWOOD, ELWOOD,' " SAID MRS . JACOBSEN, " BUT I GOT 
NO ANSWER . " IN A FLASH, THE REDS DISAPPEARED INTO 
THE JUNGLE ; MOMENTS LATER, A TRUCKLOAD OF GOVERNMENT TROOPS LUMBERED 
INTO SIGHT DOWN THE ROAD . FOR THE LATEST VICTIMS IN 
THE UGLY WAR OF SOUTH VIET NAM, RESCUE HAD BEEN JUST 
MINUTES AWAY . 