Cork Graham
Encyclopedia
Frederick Graham who writes under the name Cork Graham, is a best-selling American author of political thriller
novels and true adventure memoir
s. He is a former combat photographer
, who was imprisoned in Vietnam
for illegally entering the country
while looking for treasure buried
by Captain Kidd.
, from 1968 to 1972 his father workin there as an electrical engineer. His mother is an immigrant from Ecuador
. He enrolled in the College of San Mateo
and became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, but he dropped out without graduating, He returned to Southeast Asia
in April 1983 intending to be a photojournalist. He arrived at Bangkok
, planning to photograph the conflict in Kampuchea
. Having no experience and no contacts, however, he could obtain no work. Graham wrote, "I was living on five dollars a day in the slums of Bangkok. You know the atmosphere, rats. . . ."
expedition off the Vietnamese island of Phú Quốc. The expedition was looking for treasure allegedly been buried by the 17th century pirate Captain Kidd. The leader of the expedition was Richard Knight, who has been described as an "extrovert" and "failed actor". Out of work, Graham "snapped at the chance."
Graham met Knight on June 7. Knight claimed to be in possession of a map passed down from his grandfather detailing the position of Captain Kidd's buried treasure. "I knew I had a story," Graham later said, "whether you find treasure or not." They rented a speedboat on June 8 and set off from the Thai
resort of Pattaya
, Knight armed with the 300-year old treasure map
.
They were arrested on June 16, 1983 by Vietnamese authorities for illegally landing in Vietnam. According to a western official following the case in Hanoi
, the whereabouts of Knight and Graham were unknown until late July, when it was learned they were being held in a provincial prison at Kien Giang. The Vietnamese government officially reported to British officials that they were holding the pair on September 1. In November a provincial court found them both guilty of illegally landing on Vietnamese territory and assessed each a $10,000 fine. The boat and all their equipment were confiscated.
The families of both said they did not have the money to pay the fines and appealed for their release on humanitarian grounds. The Vietnamese government, however, insisted that the provincial court's ruling stood and the amounts had to be paid. The Vietnamese indicated they expected the British and American governments to come up with the money, but both refused on grounds it would set a bad precedent. One diplomat complained "The Vietnamese think we are a charity." The fine, he said, "is essentially a ransom."
Late in 1983 the pair were transferred from the provincial prison at Kien Giang to a converted French military building in Ho Chi Minh City
. Graham's father said his son was visited by an intermediary in January who "reported back that Fred was doing well. His morale was in pretty good shape and the indications were that he was getting a good, balanced diet, fish and vegetables, and any medical attention he needed." He also reported to Graham's father that Graham and Knight were kept together in a shuttered 16-by-16-foot room, and that they didn't get much light or outside exercise.
Graham's father established a "Free Freddie Fund", and on May 18, 1984 Graham was released after his family paid the $10,000 fine. Graham said "I feel great" when he arrived in Bangkok
on his way home from Ho Chi Minh City. Knight, who had been unable to raise the money for his release, was still held. Knight had raised only $2,000 and was said to have been suffering from severe depression
. Kenneth Crutchlow, a British businessman who owned a taxi business (London Transport of Sonoma) heard of the capture of Knight and donated $8,000 for Knight's release. Knight was released on August 20.
While Graham and Knight were released in 1984, the two Thai boatman who accompanied them remained in captivity. They were finally released after 44 months in captivity when Crutchlow paid the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok $6,000. Crutchlow said it was his "duty as an Englishman" to help them. "It was an Englishman who got them into Vietnam. If he wasn't going to help them, then there had to be an Englishman who could." Crutchlow planned to sell one of his London-style taxicabs
to pay for the fine.
A diplomat later called the hunt "a hare-brained scheme." The Washington Post described it as "dubious, since historians have never agreed whether Captain Kidd and his pirate ship, Adventure Galley
, ever sailed the waters off the Indochinese
coast." "It was pretty stupid," Graham said later of the whole idea and his decision to follow Knight. "I couldn't believe he was really going on this because it was really strange,"
Perhaps not so "hare-brained" according to a US State Dept. memo sent from the US Embassy in Singapore, at 0834 Zulu time, 29 July 1983: "Luckily, Grimley did not know or chose not to reveal the exact locations of the treasure on the island, else the Vice Consul in Singapore may have set her jib by now."
. In the mid to late 80's he went to Central America
, again as a freelance photojournalist. Recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency
in El Salvador, he deployed as a paramilitary officer
. After four years in the war, he went to Alaska to live in the silence of nature.
Graham returned to Vietnam in 1999 to reconcile with his past. He revisited his second and third prisons in Ho Chi Minh City, one of which was at Bach Dang #3, a street along the Saigon River; the front portion of which had been converted into a restaurant. In 2004, a memoir was published about his Vietnam treasure hunt/prison adventure, titled "The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War", in which he wrote about confronting (during seven months solitary of an eleven month confinement), a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, incurred from observing the Tet Offensive of 1968 as a child in Saigon, South Vietnam. He has provided consulting services on PTSD, as well as lecturing on the hunting of feral pigs.
June 2011, he became a weekly columnist for Human Events
, focusing on the United States Constitution
and the 2nd Amendment
.
Political thriller
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle. They usually involve various extra-legal plots, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him. They can involve national or international political scenarios....
novels and true adventure memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s. He is a former combat photographer
War photography
War photography captures photographs of armed conflict and life in war-torn areas.Although photographs can provide a more direct representation than paintings or drawings, they are sometimes manipulated, creating an image that is not objectively journalistic.-History:Photography, presented to the...
, who was imprisoned in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
for illegally entering the country
Illegal entry
Illegal entry is the act of foreign nationals arriving in or crossing the borders into a country in violation of its immigration law.Migrants from nations that do not have automatic visa agreements, or who would not otherwise qualify for a visa, often cross the borders illegally in some areas like...
while looking for treasure buried
Buried treasure
A buried treasure is an important part of the popular beliefs surrounding pirates and Old West outlaws. According to popular conception, criminals and others often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places, intending to return for them later, often with the use of treasure maps.-Pirate...
by Captain Kidd.
Background
As a boy, Cork Graham lived in Saigon, South VietnamSouth Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, from 1968 to 1972 his father workin there as an electrical engineer. His mother is an immigrant from Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. He enrolled in the College of San Mateo
College of San Mateo
College of San Mateo is a community college in San Mateo, California. It is part of the San Mateo County Community College District....
and became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, but he dropped out without graduating, He returned to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
in April 1983 intending to be a photojournalist. He arrived at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, planning to photograph the conflict in Kampuchea
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Having no experience and no contacts, however, he could obtain no work. Graham wrote, "I was living on five dollars a day in the slums of Bangkok. You know the atmosphere, rats. . . ."
Captain Kidd incident
Graham was invited on a treasure huntingTreasure hunting
Treasure hunting is the physical search for treasure which has been a notable human activity for millennia. -In modern times:In recent times, the early stages of the development of archaeology included a significant aspect of treasure hunt; Heinrich Schliemann's excavations at Troy, and later at...
expedition off the Vietnamese island of Phú Quốc. The expedition was looking for treasure allegedly been buried by the 17th century pirate Captain Kidd. The leader of the expedition was Richard Knight, who has been described as an "extrovert" and "failed actor". Out of work, Graham "snapped at the chance."
Graham met Knight on June 7. Knight claimed to be in possession of a map passed down from his grandfather detailing the position of Captain Kidd's buried treasure. "I knew I had a story," Graham later said, "whether you find treasure or not." They rented a speedboat on June 8 and set off from the Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
resort of Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
, Knight armed with the 300-year old treasure map
Treasure map
A treasure map is a map that marks the location of buried treasure, a lost mine, a valuable secret or a hidden locale. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of fiction as hand drawn and containing arcane clues for the characters to follow...
.
They were arrested on June 16, 1983 by Vietnamese authorities for illegally landing in Vietnam. According to a western official following the case in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, the whereabouts of Knight and Graham were unknown until late July, when it was learned they were being held in a provincial prison at Kien Giang. The Vietnamese government officially reported to British officials that they were holding the pair on September 1. In November a provincial court found them both guilty of illegally landing on Vietnamese territory and assessed each a $10,000 fine. The boat and all their equipment were confiscated.
The families of both said they did not have the money to pay the fines and appealed for their release on humanitarian grounds. The Vietnamese government, however, insisted that the provincial court's ruling stood and the amounts had to be paid. The Vietnamese indicated they expected the British and American governments to come up with the money, but both refused on grounds it would set a bad precedent. One diplomat complained "The Vietnamese think we are a charity." The fine, he said, "is essentially a ransom."
Late in 1983 the pair were transferred from the provincial prison at Kien Giang to a converted French military building in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. Graham's father said his son was visited by an intermediary in January who "reported back that Fred was doing well. His morale was in pretty good shape and the indications were that he was getting a good, balanced diet, fish and vegetables, and any medical attention he needed." He also reported to Graham's father that Graham and Knight were kept together in a shuttered 16-by-16-foot room, and that they didn't get much light or outside exercise.
Graham's father established a "Free Freddie Fund", and on May 18, 1984 Graham was released after his family paid the $10,000 fine. Graham said "I feel great" when he arrived in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
on his way home from Ho Chi Minh City. Knight, who had been unable to raise the money for his release, was still held. Knight had raised only $2,000 and was said to have been suffering from severe depression
Mood disorder
Mood disorder is the term designating a group of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification system where a disturbance in the person's mood is hypothesized to be the main underlying feature...
. Kenneth Crutchlow, a British businessman who owned a taxi business (London Transport of Sonoma) heard of the capture of Knight and donated $8,000 for Knight's release. Knight was released on August 20.
While Graham and Knight were released in 1984, the two Thai boatman who accompanied them remained in captivity. They were finally released after 44 months in captivity when Crutchlow paid the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok $6,000. Crutchlow said it was his "duty as an Englishman" to help them. "It was an Englishman who got them into Vietnam. If he wasn't going to help them, then there had to be an Englishman who could." Crutchlow planned to sell one of his London-style taxicabs
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
to pay for the fine.
A diplomat later called the hunt "a hare-brained scheme." The Washington Post described it as "dubious, since historians have never agreed whether Captain Kidd and his pirate ship, Adventure Galley
Adventure Galley
Adventure Galley, a.k.a. Adventure, was an English ship captained by William Kidd, the notorious privateer. She weighed 236 tons and had 34 cannons and a crew of about 150....
, ever sailed the waters off the Indochinese
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
coast." "It was pretty stupid," Graham said later of the whole idea and his decision to follow Knight. "I couldn't believe he was really going on this because it was really strange,"
Perhaps not so "hare-brained" according to a US State Dept. memo sent from the US Embassy in Singapore, at 0834 Zulu time, 29 July 1983: "Luckily, Grimley did not know or chose not to reveal the exact locations of the treasure on the island, else the Vice Consul in Singapore may have set her jib by now."
Post incident
Graham returned to America 40 pounds lighter than when he had left home, and doctors diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorderPost-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
. In the mid to late 80's he went to Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, again as a freelance photojournalist. Recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in El Salvador, he deployed as a paramilitary officer
Special Activities Division
The Special Activities Division is a division in the United States Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service responsible for covert operations known as "special activities"...
. After four years in the war, he went to Alaska to live in the silence of nature.
Graham returned to Vietnam in 1999 to reconcile with his past. He revisited his second and third prisons in Ho Chi Minh City, one of which was at Bach Dang #3, a street along the Saigon River; the front portion of which had been converted into a restaurant. In 2004, a memoir was published about his Vietnam treasure hunt/prison adventure, titled "The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War", in which he wrote about confronting (during seven months solitary of an eleven month confinement), a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, incurred from observing the Tet Offensive of 1968 as a child in Saigon, South Vietnam. He has provided consulting services on PTSD, as well as lecturing on the hunting of feral pigs.
June 2011, he became a weekly columnist for Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, focusing on the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and the 2nd Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
.
Television/Radio
- Cork's Outdoors (2009) - writer/host
- KFOGKFOGKFOG is an FM radio station in San Francisco, California, broadcasting on 104.5 and sister station KFFG 97.7 FM MHz. The 97.7 transmitter is located near Cupertino, California, and it is a simulcast of 104.5 KFOG....
Morning Show (2006) - guest - Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
(1984) - guest