Original subtitles

[music playing]

ANNOUNCER: This program is about unsolved mysteries.

Whenever possible, the actual family members

and police officials have participated

in recreating the events.

What you are about to see is not a news broadcast.

[music playing]

ROBERT STACK: Tonight, with Valentine's Day approaching,

mysteries of love lost and love found, and sometimes

when you least expect it--

around Chicago, she's known as Resurrection Mary,

a pale, mysterious young woman who

has teased and beguiled the city for more than half a century.

Some say she is nothing more than the product

of overactive imagination.

Others are certain there is much more to this ghostly beauty

than meets the eye.

1974, a difficult choice faced a young South

Vietnamese Air Force pilot training in the United States.

Should he remain in America with his true love

and his unborn child, or should he

return to his homeland to fight and perhaps

die for his country?

His decision and his consequences

placed Sun Van Nhuen at the center of an unsolved mystery.

It was a frightful crash that might have taken Colleen

Frangione's life, if not for the two unknown heroes who

pulled her from the wreckage.

Tonight, thanks to your calls, Colleen

can finally say thank you to the two

strangers who saved her life.

Also, we'll profile one of the most astounding armored car

robberies in history.

$7 million was stolen, and much of it

has gone to finance terrorist activities.

Join me.

Perhaps you may be able to help solve a mystery.

[music playing]

It's late on a moonless night.

You're on a dark, lonely road.

The shadows seem to reach for you.

The sudden rustle of leaves makes you jump.

Your heart beats faster and faster.

You assume it's your imagination, unless you're

on the road to Resurrection Cemetery

just southwest of Chicago.

[music playing]

In January of 1979, a cab driver found himself on that road

on just such a night.

He was about to have an extraordinary experience,

which a number of Chicago cabbies

claim to have had over the years.

Say, miss, I'm--

I'm lost and can't find my way back to town.

Look, if-- if you point me out in the right direction, I'll--

I'll give you a lift wherever you want to go, free of charge,

OK? Why don't you hop in?

ROBERT STACK: Just over a mile ahead

was Resurrection Cemetery, one of the largest

in the Midwest, the final resting place

of more than 150,000 souls.

Stop here.

Stop here?

ROBERT STACK: The cabbie parked across

from the cemetery's front gate.

Why do you want me to stop here for?

ROBERT STACK: The mysterious passenger had vanished

without so much as a door slam.

The unwitting cab driver had just met Chicago's most famous

ghost, Resurrection Mary.

RICHARD CROWE: I think that of all the ghost stories

worth believing in, Resurrection Mary is the one

with the best documentation.

The witnesses that I found are remarkably level-headed.

And they're primarily blue collar, middle class types who

have steady jobs and who have no other major claims

to psychic encounters in their life.

ROBERT STACK: According to Richard Crowe,

the earliest account of Resurrection Mary

came from a man named Jerry Palus, who died in 1992.

In 1986, when he was 72, Jerry described his encounter

in a videotaped interview.

--a wonderful experience, because when

I met her at the dance hall, I watched at--

at the entrance there by the lounge.

[music playing]

ROBERT STACK: The year was 1939.

On most nights, throngs of young people

filled Chicago's dance halls.

One of the regulars was Jerry Palus, who considered himself

something of a ladies' man.

Hey, you know that girl over there?

WOMAN: Yeah.

I'm going to ask her to dance.

RICHARD CROWE: Jerry described the woman as being blonde,

about 5 foot 7''.

Her hair was about shoulder length,

and she had curls along either side of her head.

She was wearing an old fashioned--

or, I should say, a very fancy type party dress of the period,

old fashioned to today's terms.

It's Mary, isn't it?

That's a pretty name.

I saw you here last week.

ROBERT STACK: Jerry danced every number with the quiet,

captivating young woman.

I couldn't help noticing somebody as pretty as you.

ROBERT STACK: He learned little about her,

except that her name was Mary, and she lived

on the south side of town.

- Where? - South Damen.

[music playing]

Your hands, they're like ice.

It must mean you have a warm heart.

[applause]

Can I give you a ride home?

Please.

Oh, thank you.

As we walked along to the street, she says, well,

you might as well take me down to Archer Road.

And I said what for?

I said, you live down here where you told me.

And she says, no.

She says, I want to go out to Archer Road.

Boy, it sure is quiet out here.

What'd you want to come out here for?

- Stop. - What?

Stop the car!

ROBERT STACK: This wasn't at all what Jerry had expected.

MARY: I need to get out here, please.

ROBERT STACK: Mary had asked him to stop in front

of Resurrection Cemetery.

[music playing]

Please, just wait right here.

ROBERT STACK: Jerry claimed that the young woman

vanished right before his eyes.

Jerry admitted he was perplexed, but certainly

willing to forgive one unexplained disappearance.

The very next day, he went out to Damen Avenue,

where Mary had said she lived.

Jerry found the house with little trouble,

but before he could even knock, the front door swung open.

Yes, can I help you?

Excuse me.

I don't mean to disturb you, but I'm looking

for a young woman named Mary.

I was told she lives here.

You must be mistaken.

There's no one here by that name.

Wait!

That's the woman I'm looking for, in that picture.

WOMAN: No, that's not possible.

That girl is my daughter, and she

has been dead for five years.

I danced with that girl last night.

RICHARD CROWE: It's then Jerry said that he understood why

the woman he was dancing with that night

was ice cold to the touch.

He had worked in a funeral home for a while,

and it was the touch of a corpse.

ROBERT STACK: The revelation naturally

cooled Jerry's romantic interest in the mysterious beauty.

Years later, Richard Crowe learned

the ghost was believed to be the restless spirit

of a young woman named Mary Bregovy.

Mary had been killed in a traffic

accident one Saturday night in 1934, a month

before her 21st birthday.

Around Chicago, folks liked to believe Mary had just

left the dance when she died.

She was laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery,

they say in her favorite gown.

Over the years, the bewitching spirit

has been seen time and time again

at dance clubs, in taxis, and simply strolling

outside the cemetery, looking--

as the legend goes-- for someone to take her home.

CLARE LOPEZ-RUDNICKI: I really didn't

think there was any ghost.

You hear these stories and these old ghost tales,

but it's never happened to me.

But now I must say, I think I'm changing my mind.

ROBERT STACK: In 1980, Clare Rudnicki, her husband Mark,

and two friends were driving on Archer Avenue,

along the front of Resurrection Cemetery.

- And I like to-- - You should go back to the cab.

CLARE LOPEZ-RUDNICKI: And I was just

looking out the window as we are going down the streets.

And on the right hand side of the road,

there was a girl walking. - Come on.

Look ahead.

Look, it's a-- it's a girl.

CLARE LOPEZ-RUDNICKI: She was bright, very

bright, like illuminating.

She was just walking very slow.

I remember thinking, oh my god, it's Resurrection Mary.

And I can feel my stomach starting to turn.

Let's go back up.

No.

CLARE LOPEZ-RUDNICKI: I was very frightened, I have to admit.

It did scare me. - You saw the same thing,

- No, I don't want to go back. - Let's go back.

- I don't want to go back. - Let's go back.

No, I don't want to go back.

ROBERT STACK: On the other hand, Clare's husband, Mark,

was ready to swing around for another look.

MARK RUDNICKI: No one could have pulled a prank like that,

because she was so bright and illuminated.

And there was no light source from which

that light could have come.

She was just a bright object, a glowing figure

on the side of the road.

And when we were coming up behind her,

I looked at her from behind on the side.

And when I had driven past her, and all the time

I was looking at her face.

And there was, like, a black void.

There was really nothing there.

There was no facial features.

[music playing]

We all went past it, turned around, and came back.

And by the time we had gotten back

to where we had originally seen her, it had gone, vanished.

She was all in white.

And her hair and the dress were flowing back.

It was like a stream backwards away from her.

And I just saw this profile of a young woman.

So what time are you leaving tomorrow?

Around 7:00.

ROBERT STACK: In October of 1989, Janet Kalal and a friend

set out for an evening drive.

I don't--

ROBERT STACK: After about an hour,

they found themselves at Resurrection Cemetery.

Oh my god!

[tires screeching]

JANET KALAL: There was no impact.

There was no bump to say that I had hit something.

But I know she ran out.

The young woman ran out in front of my car, and I hit her.

Just calm down.

Everything's going to be OK. JANET KALAL: And yet nothing.

Let's just go back to your apartment and--

JANET KALAL: No impact, no sound, nothing.

OK?

PAMELA TURLOW-WILSON: My dad had told me

the story about Resurrection Mary

before, because he had read it in the newspaper back in 1939.

But I never thought that I would be party to it,

that I would see it myself or that I would be with a friend

who would have seen her.

RICHARD CROWE: You can pick apart individual ghost stories,

but when you come up with a story like Resurrection Mary

where we have dozens of reports spanning decades,

I think you've got to go a long way to trying to undermine

all that massive documentation.

I'd like to drive past the cemetery

to see if I can see her again.

I never want to see her again.

It's so fresh in my mind still.

It still scares me.

MARK RUDNICKI: I didn't believe in ghosts until I saw her.

And the way I know it was really a ghost is, you just know.

ROBERT STACK: Does the ghost of Mary Bregovy

still haunt Chicago late at night,

or is Resurrection Mary simply a time honored urban myth?

In any case, should you find yourself driving in this city

late one night and you spot a wistful young woman

in a flowing gown, you might think twice

about offering her a ride.

[music playing]

Tonight, we have an update, which is one of our most

touching and poignant.

It concerns a woman searching for two

men, two complete strangers she never even talked to.

But during one fateful encounter in 1978, they saved her life.

She has been searching for them ever

since, simply to say thank you.

[music playing]

Hi, Colleen.

Hi.

WOMAN: Well, welcome to our class.

Oh, thank you so much.

ROBERT STACK: Colleen Frangione was paralyzed

from the waist down more than 15 years

ago in a horrible automobile accident.

Since then, she has spoken to thousands

of high school students, urging them to wear seat belts.

It's very simple.

Buckle up. I didn't.

It's my slogan, my motto.

ROBERT STACK: Every time Colleen speaks in a classroom,

she relives the night of September 23, 1978.

[honking]

[tires screeching]

COLLEEN FRANGIONE: The hit of that second car just twisted

me beyond the normal range.

And that twist was so forceful that it

broke two lower vertebrae and severed my spinal cord.

And I'm glad I don't remember it.

ROBERT STACK: In the midst of the chaos,

two bystanders pulled Colleen from the burning wreckage.

However, both men disappeared before anyone

could get their names.

Colleen has never stopped looking for them.

When Colleen's appeal aired, luck was with her.

Both men called our phone center.

Their names are Ray Meyers and Mike Kane.

Though they both live in the Providence, Rhode Island area,

they have seen each other only once in the aftermath

of Colleen's accident.

Colleen was thrilled to learn that her rescuers had been

found after more than 15 years.

What "Unsolved Mysteries" did was the tip lady called me,

told me, you know, that she had heard from one of them,

and gave me his number.

Because, of course, they didn't want to give out my number.

So I called him and I said who I was.

And it was just so nice.

In fact, we talked so long that night, my husband fell asleep.

We were in bed, and my husband fell sound asleep while him

and I were just talking about--

you know, he was telling me things that I had no idea.

ROBERT STACK: On December 27, 1993,

Colleen finally was able to meet her heroes in person.

Ray Meyers was the first to arrive.

How are you?

Oh, oh.

I can't believe I can really touch you.

I really didn't think that you existed.

Thank you.

You're looking good.

I was in shock.

I couldn't believe it was me, you know.

I mean, I knew it was me, but it's like--

it's incredible.

That's how I feel about this whole thing.

I think it's incredible.

ROBERT STACK: Half an hour later, it was Mike Kane's turn.

COLLEEN FRANGIONE: Hi. - Hi.

COLLEEN FRANGIONE: Mike?

Mike.

COLLEEN FRANGIONE: Oh, gosh, how nice to meet you.

Thank you so much.

Oh, gosh.

You know, I tried to imagine what you'd look like.

And I can't do that when I don't know the person.

Do I look different?

I was surprised, you know, why 15 years later?

Oh, I just can't tell you how much I appreciate this.

MICHAEL KANE: Why? Why?

Why-- you know, why? - It's so important.

But when she said she wanted to thank the people,

and after I spoke to her on the phone, it was like,

this lady is really sincere, you know.

And that's what she wanted.

She wanted to thank us.

It was your name that was in the new--

Right.

COLLEEN FRANGIONE: I feel the whole circle,

it's all completed, all the pieces of the puzzle--

Well, how did I get your number?

COLLEEN FRANGIONE: --are all put together now.

And it's a real peaceful feeling inside.

That's, to me-- in fact, how many times

have I said in the last three weeks, how many people get

to meet their guardian angels?

I mean, this is how I feel.

ROBERT STACK: Next, a young woman

disappears in the wake of a near-fatal motorcycle accident.

[music playing]

These days, most of us are resigned

to keeping in touch with friends and family by telephone.

The calls are usually a source of comfort and pleasure.

But for one California mother, a phone call

from her 28-year-old daughter began a nightmare

which has yet to end.

As a rule, we do not air stories about grown children

who choose to separate from their family and friends.

But the case of Selena Edon is special.

When she graduated from high school in 1980,

Selena was everything a parent could ask for.

She was president of the student body and of the senior class.

But Selena had always marched to her own drummer.

She dropped out of college to join the Air Force.

Then after a stint, Selena became

a journeyman construction worker in San Francisco.

She joined the Teamsters and bought herself a motorcycle.

CLARISSA EDON: She was humorous.

She was also quite daring.

She was the kind of child, like, say of those things

that you wanted to do that, you know, in life

this was the child that kind of did it, was that daring.

ROBERT STACK: On November 29, 1989,

Selena was on her way home from a union hall in downtown San

Francisco when tragedy struck.

[tires screeching]

[music playing]

After the accident, she was in a coma for six weeks.

And she had some brain damage.

She had a long way to go.

ROBERT STACK: Selena was admitted

to the hospital as a Jane Doe.

Her ID papers had disappeared in the aftermath of the accident,

and seven days passed before her mother and brother

were tracked down in San Diego.

Selena, baby, look who's here.

Dion, he came with me today.

Hi, Dion.

DION EDON: Hi, baby.

How you feel?

OK.

DEON: Have they been good to you?

LAURIE GALLAGHER: She had lost a lot of her memory.

It's all right.

LAURIE GALLAGHER: So it really kind of

took away her personality.

Mama, don't leave me, OK?

Don't leave me.

LAURIE GALLAGHER: She appeared to be like a child again.

Like, she didn't know too much anymore, you know?

She just is, you know, like-- like a child.

ROBERT STACK: Selena's left eye had been permanently damaged.

She suffered painful headaches.

Her left thigh was crushed and a severe head

injury caused fluid to build up around her brain.

Nevertheless, Selena dove into an exhausting regimen

of physical therapy.

Just a little bit of weight.

Selena was the type of patient they had to slow up.

She wanted to do everything in a hurry.

She wanted to walk before she could walk.

It was just that she was, like, rushing everything.

She challenged herself to the max,

and it was like a lot of things that she just couldn't do.

And I guess she just wasn't ready to accept the fact

that she wasn't well yet.

Come on in, baby.

OK.

ROBERT STACK: Two months after the accident, Selena's brother

brought her home to San Diego.

Selena planned to live with her mother and niece,

and continue physical therapy on an outpatient basis.

Welcome home, baby.

Thank you, mom.

Thank you.

Oh.

How are you feeling?

I'm OK, mama.

Real good, baby.

You're doing good.

You know, she was living with me.

She started having more, like, confused episode.

Being the mother, I could see it.

And medical people, you know, really couldn't

see it the way I could.

There was a lot of changes.

I feel that sometimes she had her days

that she could be quite mean.

And then that was the days I would notice that she

was having a lot of headaches.

Uh huh.

So we'll do that.

Bye.

ROBERT STACK: Soon, the headaches

gave way to general confusion.

Physically, Selena was getting better, but mentally,

she was worse.

Are you all right, baby?

Mother, who was that I was talking to?

I don't know who you were talking to.

Did you forget?

Yes!

I forgot.

CLARISSA EDON: Things like that would upset her.

That's when I noticed her frustration more and more.

And she felt like more and more she wanted to be on her own.

But the more she pushed it, the more confused she was becoming.

ROBERT STACK: With her recovery stalled,

Selena decided to return to San Francisco in May of 1990.

She hoped that the familiar surroundings would help her.

Laurie.

Yeah?

Who's that girl?

What girl?

The one who stopped by the house today?

You mean Liz?

Yeah, Liz.

Who is she?

She's your friend, Selena.

She's very happy to be in San Francisco

and to be around her friends.

But, you know, she didn't appear healthy enough

to be on her own.

Are you OK?

I'm fine.

LAURIE GALLAGHER: She was very unaware of a lot of things.

I think she definitely needed somebody

to be with her to help her.

ROBERT STACK: Despite her erratic behavior,

Selena had been in the habit of calling her mother regularly.

[phone ringing]

Finally, in October of 1990, nearly one year

after the accident, Clarissa Edon received a phone

call she would never forget.

Hello?

SERENA EDON (ON PHONE): Hello, mama?

Selena.

SERENA EDON (ON PHONE): Mama, I'm going away for a while.

I met someone who promised to be kind to me.

Who?

She was evasive with me.

Don't you go off with somebody you don't know.

And that wasn't like her.

She would tell me everything, you know?

You need to come home.

SERENA EDON (ON PHONE): Give me a couple weeks.

I'll be in touch, OK?

CLARISSA EDON: I said, Selena, what she need to do,

you need to come back home.

And she said, well, don't worry if you don't

hear from me in a month or two.

Selena, you should come back home.

And then she said, I'll be calling you soon.

And that's the last I've heard from Selena.

TRACY CAVARETTA: The last time I heard anything of Selena,

she was leaving for somewhere in the Midwest--

and I can't remember where--

with some woman who she had just met.

And I got the impression that she

probably didn't know much more about the woman than I did.

And I didn't even know the person.

I had no idea who it was.

And I couldn't get a last name from her.

And it was just kind of a haphazard plan.

There was no plan.

She's like, I'm going.

Excuse me?

ROBERT STACK: Selena's family hired a private investigator

to search for her.

I'm looking for a lost girl.

ROBERT STACK: Even after she told her mother she was leaving

town, Selena was sighted in San Francisco's

Tenderloin District.

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Some people

said they saw her around here.

When was she here?

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: A few weeks back.

ROBERT STACK: The investigator followed up on all the leads,

but it turned out to be a fruitless search.

And if you do see her, would you give me a call?

Yeah, sure.

Thanks.

DION EDON: You know, I just hope she's out there, probably,

you know, just living her life.

And for what reason she didn't call us,

maybe it's just because she forgot us.

Maybe she just don't remember, you know?

Hopefully it's one of those stories.

And hopefully, you know, we can find her, you know?

I want to see my daughter again.

That's my baby.

I love her like I love all my children.

And I want her back with us.

I want her to try to call us or someone call

for her if she's unable to call, and let us know where she is

and how she is.

ROBERT STACK: On New Year's Eve of 1991, a year after Selena

had disappeared, she left a garbled message

on her friend Laurie Gallagher's answering machine.

It was the last time any of Selena's friends or family

heard her voice.

Since then, a lawsuit has been filed in Selena's

name regarding the accident.

However, the action cannot proceed until Selena is found.

Selena Marie Edon is 31 years old

and stands five feet, six inches tall.

At the time of her disappearance,

she weighed 125 pounds.

She has a pronounced stiffness in her left leg,

which causes her to limp.

In a moment, a daring $7 million heist funds a bold act

of international terrorism.

[music playing]

It's hard to imagine what $7 million in cash

would look like.

But in 1983, one man managed to steal that astounding sum.

Single-handedly, he wrestled 50 heavy bags of currency

out of a vault, and loaded them into a getaway car,

and vanished.

The daring robbery still stands as one of the greatest heists

in United States history.

The key figure in the hold-up was

a brazen 25-year-old armored car guard

named Victor Manuel Gerena.

At the time of the robbery, Gerena was a trusted employee

at the West Hartford, Connecticut office of the Wells

Fargo Express Company.

Good morning, Jeff.

What's up, Vic?

ROBERT STACK: September 12, 1983, Gerena's arrival at work

that day was unremarkable, except for the one

special request he made of his supervisor.

Excuse me, Jim.

I need to ask a big favor.

Is there any way I can park my car over here at bay five?

I would really appreciate it.

What's wrong with your car?

It's not mine.

It's a friend of mine's.

I'd hate to see something happen to it.

You know how it is outside.

You know, I'm really not supposed to be doing this.

I'll let you do it this one time.

Just don't take advantage of me, Victor.

Thanks, appreciate it.

OK, Vic.

All right.

JEFF ROVELLI: The vehicle that Victor was driving that day was

a 1973 Buick LeSabre, which was a full size

big car, capable of carrying a large load,

whatever that may be.

ROBERT STACK: That day, Gerena and his partner

made all of their scheduled rounds,

collecting more than $3 million in currency

from local banks and businesses.

The Wells Fargo vaults already held more than $4 million.

Tim, I'm going to check in the guns.

OK, take mine.

Thanks.

ROBERT STACK: By 9:00 PM, Gerena, his partner,

and the supervisor were alone in the armored car terminal

with more than $7 million in cash.

Listen, I'll kill you.

I swear to god I'll kill you.

- Victor, what are you doing? - Shut up!

Stand up! Come on!

Victor.

You, lay down!

Lay down now!

Right now!

Move it!

Put your hands behind your back! - Victor--

Shut up!

JEFF ROVELLI: He handcuffed his supervisors' arms

behind his back, and also taped up their mouths

and used duct tape to tape their feet and--

Put your head down because I don't want to hurt you.

JEFF ROVELLI: --bind them so they couldn't move.

And he put jackets over both their heads,

so they would not be able to see what was going on.

OK, guys, this injection is just

going to put you to sleep now.

ROBERT STACK: Authorities never determined

what the syringe contained, but it did

not put the guards to sleep.

Gerena began to move the $7 million, bag by bag.

It took the better part of an hour and a half

to load his car with about 1,000 pounds of cash, roughly half

a ton in marked and unmarked bills.

[honking]

JEFF ROVELLI: After the car was loaded,

we believe that he sent a signal to someone on the outside that

was helping him.

He honked the horn and opened the bay door to the terminal.

It's believed that at that point someone else came

into the terminal and drove his car out of the terminal

with the money inside the car.

The guards at this point I'm sure

were very upset, and even more so

when they heard a shotgun being loaded,

which is a very distinctive sound.

ROBERT STACK: However, Gerena left the building

without harming the guards.

They soon worked themselves free and called the police.

18 hours later, Gerena's car was found

abandoned about eight miles from the Wells Fargo terminal.

Victor Gerena had vanished, along with every last cent

of the stolen money.

Investigators soon discovered that the daring theft was far

more than a one man operation.

It had been masterminded by a Puerto

Rican terrorist group that counted Victor

Gerena among its members.

The group call themselves Los Macheteros,

literally the machete wielders.

And they were fighting for nothing

less than the independence of Puerto Rico.

The island of Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States

by Spain in 1898.

Eventually, some Puerto Rican groups

began to agitate for a complete break with the United States.

At times, they turned to violence.

In 1950, two Puerto Rican terrorists

attempted to assassinate then-President Harry Truman.

The failed attack left one White House

guard dead and two injured.

More than 30 years later, Los Macheteros attempted

to strike another blow.

Flush with millions from the robbery,

the group purchased a surface to air missile,

apparently from a black market arms dealer.

On October 30, 1983, they launched it

at the FBI headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

However, little damage was done, and some

of Gerena's co-conspirators were quickly arrested.

Victor Gerena eluded capture, and he

was soon elevated to the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List.

Victor Manuel Gerena is now 35 years old.

He has brown hair, striking green eyes, and when last seen,

weighed around 165 pounds.

He stands five feet, six inches tall.

Authorities believe Gerena has been hiding out in Cuba,

but may soon return to the United States.

Victor Gerena should be considered armed and dangerous.

[music playing]

When we return, the poignant story of a father and daughter

torn apart by the war in Vietnam.

[music playing]

May 1968, Xuan Van Nguyen was among hundreds

of South Vietnamese officers dispatched

to England Air Force Base in Louisiana

for jet pilot training.

Xuan was scheduled to remain in the United States

for seven months.

He felt lonely and displaced until a local family--

the Gaultiers-- took him under their wing.

They have six children.

Their oldest son was stationed in Vietnam.

Gwendolyn, our friend's here.

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: Mrs. Gaultier was thinking about her son

being a foreigner in Vietnam, in the same situation

as my friends and I were here in America.

Because of that, she helped us on the weekends

so that we feel comfortable, just like we

were in our own country.

Mercy.

Me?

ROBERT STACK: One of the Gaultier's daughters--

Gwendolyn-- was the same age as Xuan.

In no time at all, the two of them had fallen in love.

But, inevitably, the war intervened.

In December of 1968, Xuan completed his training.

He and Gwendolyn had one final night together

before they said goodbye.

Why are you crying?

I don't want you to go.

We could leave this place.

We could go to Canada or something.

Gwen.

Why not?

- I can't. - Why can't you?

I cannot walk away from my country, my own people.

INTERPRETER: Because of my honor as an officer in the Air Force,

I could not desert my countrymen.

And so, I said to Gwen, I have to go back.

But I hope that someday we would see each other again.

I've got to go.

Wait.

ROBERT STACK: Within weeks, Xuan was flying

combat missions in Vietnam.

[non-english speech]

ROBERT STACK: Xuan often received letters

from Gwendolyn, but one letter carried news that

would change his life forever.

Gwen was pregnant with his child.

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: After barely escaping from death

on a very dangerous mission, I came back

and there was good news.

I'm going to be a father.

[speaking vietnamese]

[speaking vietnamese]

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: Coming back from a tense mission

and hearing the good news, I was so happy at that moment.

ROBERT STACK: On August 28, 1969,

Gwen Gaultier gave birth to a healthy baby girl

and named her Kimberly Karen.

Gwen continued to write faithfully.

Xuan could do nothing, except write back.

Five long years past, years in which Xuan

yearned to see his little girl.

He felt frustrated and helpless, caught

in the middle of a war more than 9,000 miles away from Kimberly.

But fate stepped in.

In June of 1974, Xuan was sent back to England Air Force

Base for further training.

Gwen's mother was now divorced and living in a mobile home.

Xuan went to visit her, not knowing

whether Gwen and Kimberly lived there,

not knowing whether after five years,

Mrs. Gaultier would be friend or foe.

I-- I don't believe it.

Xuan?

Hello, Mrs. Gaultier.

Oh.

Oh.

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese],

oh my god.

INTERPRETER: She kept saying, oh my god.

I cannot believe it.

From what I could understand, she had never

imagined that she would see me again

or that Kim would ever see me at all.

Just wait and you'll see her.

She is the most beautiful little girl in America.

Where are they?

Houston.

You did know that Gwendolyn got married?

No.

When?

Oh, about a year ago.

ROBERT STACK: Mrs. Gaultier became Xuan's closest ally.

She contacted Gwen in Houston and arranged a meeting.

Hello, Xuan.

Hello, Gwen.

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: And I looked at her,

and knew right away that this was my child.

Kimberly, this is Xuan.

Xuan?

Xuan.

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: Emotions were running high.

I really wanted to hug my child, this child

I had waited so long to see.

But the situation simply did not allow it.

It's good to see you.

ROBERT STACK: Mrs. Gaultier convinced

Gwen to let Kimberly come back to Louisiana for the duration

of Xuan's assignment.

For nearly a month, Kimberly lived with her grandmother,

and Xuan spent every free moment with his daughter.

Come on, daddy.

ROBERT STACK: Xuan had no idea that Mrs. Gaultier had told

Kimberly he was her father.

What'd you say?

Daddy?

Why you call me that?

Because you are.

How do you know that?

Because [inaudible].

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: And then Kim said, because her hair was black,

her eyes were black, and her skin was dark skin.

And she was especially proud to point out that she

had a flat nose, an Asian nose.

ROBERT STACK: Finally, the day Xuan had dreaded arrived.

I thought she'd come with me tomorrow to airport.

Xuan, we've got to go home.

ROBERT STACK: Gwen came to take Kimberly back to Houston.

Xuan knew the war was not going well, that he might never be

able to return to his daughter.

Can't she stay one more day?

No, she can't.

This isn't a fairy tale, Xuan.

You're going back to Vietnam tomorrow.

We got to go.

[music playing]

XUAN VAN NGUYEN: [speaking vietnamese]

INTERPRETER: The time had been so short

and now we were parting.

I didn't know if I would ever see my daughter again.

I couldn't control myself.

I broke down and cried.

And that's the truth.

[gunfire]

ROBERT STACK: Xuan shipped out to South

Vietnam in July of 1974.

In less than a year, Saigon fell to the communist government

of North Vietnam.

Along with thousands of other South Vietnamese,

Xuan was incarcerated in a re-education camp, where he

languished for nearly 10 years.

In 1984, Xuan was released from the camp.

Two years later, he married and eventually had two children.

In 1993, Xuan and his family immigrated

to the United States, where Xuan has continued

the search for his daughter.

And on our broadcast, he asked if someone in our audience

could help reunite them.

That night, the switchboard at our phone center

lit up with calls from Kimberly's friends and family.

Kimberly-- who lives in Pineville, Louisiana--

was thrilled to learn that Xuan was looking for her.

Over the years, Kimberly has searched for Xuan

but had always run into dead ends.

Now, she was anxious to be with her father again.

A few days later, Xuan and his American sponsor

traveled to Louisiana for an emotional reunion

with Kimberly.

It was their first time together in more than 20 years.

Hi.

Hey.

Oh, it's good to see you.

ROBERT STACK: Xuan was overcome with emotion.

Still, he wanted to convey his feelings in English.

When in Vietnam, I never--

I never think I can not--

I can meet her.

But now, it's my dream coming true.

I'm very, very happy.

Xuan.

KIMBERLY LOFTON: And then we hugged, and then we said hello.

And then it was--

Yeah, you.

--just you can't describe the feeling.

It was just like--

[breathing deeply]

Nice.

It doesn't-- it doesn't do the feeling justice, but it

was just incredible, fantastic.

Do you want to sit down?

[inaudible].

KIMBERLY LOFTON: Great.

ROBERT STACK: Later that day, Xuan

celebrated with 20 members of Kimberly's family,

including her mother, Gwendolyn.

They asked what type of topping.

I said, she likes pineapple.

To see them together is just a dream come true.

I'm telling you.

A fairy tale that had had some bad detours,

but it came to a happy ending.

Oh, this is a big day, a happy day.

I-- I think I cannot forget it.

Please, OK?

WOMAN: Oh, no.

That's not fair.

WOMAN: OK, then I will answer the--

KIMBERLY LOFTON: I knew that wherever

he was that he loved me.

And I was always certain in my heart

that one day we would be back together.

[inaudible].

ROBERT STACK: For Xuan and Kimberly,

the end of their long search marked the beginning

of a new life for both of them.

[music playing]

Next week, "Unsolved Mysteries" travels to Lourdes, France,

one of the world's most mystical and revered locales.

Since 1858, millions of religious pilgrims

have visited the basilica, where the spring

waters are said to have the divine power to cure the sick.

In this fascinating study, meet two women

who believe their illnesses were cured by a miracle at Lourdes.

For every mystery, there is someone

somewhere who knows the truth.

Perhaps it's you?

Join me again next week on "Unsolved Mysteries."

[music playing]