Benjamin L. Willard (1930-) was a US Army Green Beret captain who fought in the Vietnam War. In 1969, he was assigned the task of assassinating rogue colonel Walter E. Kurtz in Cambodia in a highly-classified mission.
Biography[]
Benjamin L. Willard was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1930, and he enlisted in the US Army's Green Berets during the Vietnam War. Willard served in the special forces and served in the 505th Battalion, US 173rd Airborne Brigade, which was assigned to MACV-SOG during the war. He worked in intelligence and counterintelligence for the CIA from Nha Trang, taking part in secret operations and assassinations and working COMSEC to protect the Army's communications. Willard's attempt to re-integrate into home life after his first tour of duty failed, and him and his wife barely talked until he said "yes" to a divorce, leading to him re-enlisting and returning to Vietnam.
In 1969, Willard met with General Robert Corman, CIA agent R.E. Moore, and Colonel G. Lucas at Nha Trang, and they sent him on a top secret mission to assassinate the rogue colonel Walter E. Kurtz in Cambodia. Willard was given a naval escort on a PBR, and Willard and his escorts fought at the Battle of Vin Drin Dop before heading upriver. The crewmembers went insane as they headed upriver, and a few were killed in Viet Cong ambushes. Willard clashed with CPO George Phillips over the leadership of the crew, and Willard kept his dossier to himself, obsessing over Kurtz's service record. Willard arrived in Cambodia after the deaths of Phillips and Tyrone Miller, and Willard, Lance B. Johnson, and Jay Hicks headed to a Montagnard village to kill Kurtz. Hicks stayed with the boat to call in an airstrike if things went wrong, only to be killed by Kurtz's men; Willard and Johnson were taken prisoner by Kurtz. Willard was tortured by Kurtz, who praised the Viet Cong's bravery and cruelty and read some TIME Magazine articles to Willard, and Kurtz asked Willard to tell his wife and son about his career after Willard killed him; Kurtz accepted his fate. That night, as a water buffalo was sacrificed by the Montagnards, Willard stealthily entered Kurtz's chambers and killed him with a machete, and the Montagnards knelt in respect as Willard left the temple and returned to the boat.