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Cao sitting with Pete Joyce. 1st platoon, Delta/2nd/ 28th/ Black Lions.
Episode 3195 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Doug Miller and his Kit Carson Scout buddy. The featured story is titled: This Day in History: Remembering the Kit Carson Scouts — A Vietnam Veteran Reflects. . It appeared on the ACP website and was submitted by Joe Lyons.
Lyons reported that Vietnam Vet Doug Miller’s reflection highlights one of the Vietnam War’s most vital yet overlooked contributions: the Kit Carson Scouts. These men—former Viet Cong or North Vietnamese soldiers who defected through the Chieu Hoi (“Open Arms”) program—played an extraordinary role in saving lives and shaping battlefield outcomes. Choosing to rally was an act of immense courage. Scouts risked execution by their former comrades and suspicion from their new allies, yet many stepped forward, driven by hope for a different future.
Highly valued by U.S. units, effective Kit Carson Scouts brought something no amount of technology could replace: intimate knowledge of the terrain, enemy habits, base camps, booby traps, and weapons caches. As Miller recalled, “Good Kit Carson Scouts were highly prized,” because their insight often meant the difference between life and death. Their work was among the most dangerous in the war, frequently placing them at the point of contact. Many paid the ultimate price while protecting American and South Vietnamese soldiers.
Miller’s own platoon was assigned Cao Van Huong, a 20-year-old former Viet Cong soldier whose bravery defined the program’s importance. Shot while attempting to defect, Cao reached friendly forces clutching a Chieu Hoi leaflet, survived his wounds, completed training, and became indispensable. He repeatedly identified booby traps, enemy camps, and subtle signs of activity others would have missed—quiet acts that saved lives.
Years later, Miller still wonders about Cao’s fate after the Communist victory, a reminder of the personal cost borne by those who stood in the shadows. Remembering the Kit Carson Scouts is not just history—it is honoring exceptional courage, loyalty, and the profound impact of warriors who chose hope and humanity amid war.
Listen to Episode 3195 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Doug Miller and his Kit Carson Scout buddy.
