In 1977 the Khmer Rouge (KR) executed an incredibly effective ruse that resulted in the capture and servitude of thousands of Montagnards.
In two Russian Hind helicopters left over from the Lon Nol Government, a KR delegation dressed as US Special Forces indigenous personnel flew into Duc Co, Vietnam on the border. They told the Montagnards that USSF teams were in Cambodia and the Montagnard president, Y-Bham Enuol, in Phnom Penh had summoned them for training and supplies. For two years the Montagnards had been waiting on the promised US support. Their combat losses against the NVA were devastating and ammunition was extremely low. Many of their people had been slaughtered by the NVA and many more were in prisons and "reeducation." At risk of the same fate, they fell for the KR trick.

(For years Y-Bham had his government in exile in Phnom Penh. Unknown to his following in Vietnam, he and his staff were executed in the soccer stadium by the KR in 1975. Indeed, the last of the Montagnard Forgotten Army in Poste Deshayes, Cambodia didn't learn of his death until 1992 when they were discovered by a UNTAC Peace Keeping force.)

One KR helicopter sortie after another flew the Montagnard fighters from Duc Co, Vietnam deep into Cambodia. As they off-loaded and the two aircraft took off for another sortie, the Montagnards found themselves surrounded and compelled to give up their weapons. Unaware of the ruse, their fighters in Duc Co continued boarding the choppers and soon all were captives in KR territory. Their families escorted by the KR, began the long journey overland "to join their men."

Under threat of having their families killed, the Montagnard fighters served in various KR units as pointmen and porters. Segregated from their men, the women were used as many are in war and their old people were forced to "clear" minefields and booby traps. As noise makers and extra mouths to feed, their infants and babies were killed.

Tragically the ruse persisted via rumor, causing countless more Montagnards to follow their trails into the Killing Fields of Cambodia. Some reports have the cumulative total at 40,000 people.

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