Page 6-Sunday, September 10, 1978- The Michigan Daily
Vietnam veteran killed in crash
trained Nicaraguan connandos
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - A
U.S. Vietnam veteran killed Friday in a
plane crash here had said in an inter-
view just last week that his mission to
Nicaragua was to train a special com-
mando unit.
In that same interview, Michael
Echanis said that he knew of a plot to
kill him and Nicaraguan Gen. Jose Ivan
Alegrett Perez. Both Echanis and
Alegrett and two others were killed in
that plane crash Friday.
ECHANIS, INTERVIEWED in the
coffee shop of the Inter-Continental
Hotel and several times before in a two-
week period, agreed to talk about his
role in Nicaragua on condition the in-
formation be disclosed only in the event
of his death.
He said he was 27 years old and a
native of Oregon, but declined to say
exactly where. He described himself as
an unconventional warfare expert and
martial arts master.
ECHANIS SAID he came to
Nicaragua last September along with
Charles Sanders, who also was killed in
the crash, along with Nguyen Van
Nguyen, a Vietnames. Echanis said he
and Sanders had come to train a com-
mando unit and run intelligence and
counter insurgency operations for Gen.
Alegrett.
Alegrett was a top field commander
in the 8,100-man national guard of
President Anastasio Somoza, who is
under pressure from various quarters
to resign. The government said the
crash into Lake Nicaragua near the
Costa Rican border was an accident
due to bad weather. Alegrett piloted the
piston-engine Aero Commander 114A,
the government said.
During the interview, Echanis said he
had planned to leave Nicaragua in six
months to a year, and that he had job
offers in Brazil and Rhodesia.
BUT HE SAID he wanted to talk
about his experiences in Nicaragua
because he had been told of a plot to kill
both him and Alegrett. Echanis would
not say who he thought was planning
the attempt, but he said it was intended
to sabotage the national guard in-
telligence program and pave the way
for some guard officers to oust Somoza.
"These people were plenty unhappy
with the old man (Somoza) for his han-
dling of the legislative palace
takeover."
Guerrillas of the Sandanista
Liberation Front seized the capitol
building on Aug. 22 and took 1,500 per-
sons hostage. They released the
hostages after Somoza freed 59 political
prisoners, paid $500,000 ransom and
gave the guerrillas safe passage out of
the country.
"My commandos are the only thing
standing in the way of a takeover,"
Echanis said.
"I RUN ALL unconventional warfare
training for the guard. I am in charge of
intelligence for Alegrett. I run all
operations and intelligence on counter
operations against the Sandinistas.
"I have a $5 million budget and I just
got another $1 million and six colonels
to set up a special anti-terrorist in-
telligence division.
"A lot of people on both sides are
unhappy about this and we understand
one of the reasons they're going to hit
me and Alegrett is to stop this
program."
ECHANIS, WHO said he has written
six books on hand-to-hand combat, ad-
ded that he came to Nicaragua at the
invitation of Maj. Anastasio Somoza,
son of the president, who had been his
student at the U.S. Army Special For-
ces (Green Beret) school at Fort
Bragg, N.C.
He has appeared on the cover of
Soldier of Fortune magazine, and
several publications devoted to martial
arts. The current issue of Soldier of
Fortune carries a full-page ad for two of
his books on knife fighting.
Echanis said he took several truck
loads of his 78 black-bereted comman-
dos to the capitol when it was seized
Aug. 22.
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DIRECTIONS
IN FIBER
"THEY SHOT UP the lead truck and
killed one of my captains. I dragged his
body around the side of the building.
"We wanted to hit them right then,
before they got organized, but they told
us by radio to hold off."
Echanis said he drew up plans to at-
tack the capitol, the National Palace,
for the chiefs of staff.
"WE WOULD HAVE taken the
building in 18 minutes. I figured maybe
200 to 300 wouild be killed. The plan
was to shock the building with tank fire
and blow the doors with recoilless
rifles.
"I was going to helicopter in with my
commandos and drop down through the
roof hatches. The old man (President
Somoza) wouldn't buy it and the only
reason was they (the guerrillas) held
Papa Chepe son."
Papa Chepe is Jose Somoza, the
president's brother and second in
command of the national guard.
ECHANIS SAID he was in Nicaragua
for the money, and because he hated
communism.
"Otherwise, I don't take sides," he
said. "I hate communists for what they
did to my people in Vietnam. I've got
six AK47 holes in my body." An AK47 is
a Soviet-made automatic rifle used by
the Viet Cong.
Echanis said he did not consider him-
self a mercenary.
U.S. government officials have
acknowledged they are aware of the
presence of several American advisers
to the national guard but could do little
about it.
Echanis declined to say exactly lhow
Echanis declined to say exactly how
many Americans are involved, or how
much he or the others were paid.
Otters occasionally drape seaweed
over themselves while they, nap so
that they won't drift away from the
group.
t,
Sept.6-I
Reception:
Sept.8, 7-9
Oct.1
Tuea - Fri. 10 - 6
Sat. Sun. 12- 5
764-3234
FIRST FLOOR MICHIGAN UNION
Doily Photo by ANDY FREEBER
MAC WATTERWORTH offered an unusual piece of merchandise at the Kiwanis
sale yesterday. Unfortunately, this one-of-a-kind purchase is final and cannol
be returned. This tyke, however, looks dubious about his new owners.
Kiwanis sale lures
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-COUPON- 2 for 1 Speciai -COUPON-
Buy 1 Super Salad-GET 1 FREE
Coupon Good:
Sunday, Sept. 10thru Thursday, Sept. 14
NOT AVAILABLE FOR CARRY OUT
GOOD AFTER 4 pm ONLY
Longevity Cookery
314 E. Liberty
GOURMET NATURAL FOOD RESTAURANT (313) 662-2019
A
2
bargain-hunters
Dr. Paul C. Uslan
Optometrist.-
FULL CONTACT LENS
SERVICE
EYE EXAMINATIONS
OPTICAL LAB
545 CHURCH
769-1222
9:30-5:00 Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri.
10:00-12:00 Sot.
(Continued from Page 1)
fall.
Yesterday's sale is considered
"small," compared to the three-day
sale in February. The February event,
which has been held annually since
1925, offers clothing and dishes, as well
as the cookware, furniture and yard
supplies sold at the September sale. All
merchandise is donated by community
members, according to Olsen.
"Have you got your barbecue grill for
your apartment?" thundered out a club
member whose nametag bore a simple
"Chet" "Or how about half a
lawnmower for half a lawn?" he called,
L t.
:...
..-
WL
TI-
-Best Price in Town
CONTACT:
ANN ARBOR MUSIC MART
336 S. STATE STREET
ANN ARBOR, MICH.
769-4980
tI
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New in town?
For the latest in news, enter-
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Jble fihclian ai 1
Call 764-0558
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'HE UI~EI OF M1ICHIGANJ OFFICE OF MA~JOR EVEMTS
PRESQf1TS
I
brandishing the item with one hand.
"CAN I TALK you down?" one
woman inquired of a salesman holding
a large wicker basket. When the man
shook his head, the student turned away
with a reluctant shrug.
"This kind of sale is a lot of fun, but
it's so hectic," exclaimed one junior
who preferred to remain anonymous.
"I'm looking for a mirror, carpets and
bookshelves. We live in an eight-person
house, so actually it's anything."
University senior Frandie Oseherwitz
was explaining her dilemma to one of
the Kiwanis members: the building was
to close at 1:00 p.m., but Oscherwitz
would not have a car with which to pick
up her purchase' until later in the
afternoon. "I kind of expected it to be
this way," ,sighed the senior. "This is
my second or third sale, and it's always
crazy."
Kim favors
one Korea
TOKYO (AP) - North Korean
President Kim Il-sung yesterday called
for the peaceful reunification of the
"two Koreas" but said this will be
possible only if Washington "assumes
the right attitude" and withdraws all
U.S. troops from South Korea.
Kim, quoted by the official North
Korean Central News Agency, said he
is ready to open talks with the United
States to settle all differences between
the two governments. He said U.S.
forces in Solth Korea should leave "as
soon as possible."
New York State delivers 100 bush-
els of salt to the Onondaga Indians
every year under the terms of an old
land treaty, says National Geograph-
ic.
DETROIT
PISTONS
CLEVELAND
CAVALIERS
CRISLERfi
ARENA
SEPT.
24
MINRTlNI
MULL
WONEME~~, SEPTCM DCR 27
~J..
HILL AUDITORIUM
8pm
7.50
6.50
5.50
0
* $35.00for the school year -
* No Deposit Required
* Free Delivery and Pick-Up
-DORMS ONLY-PER SCHEDULE-
* Guaranteed to work
Tickefs go on sale
Tues. Sept. 12,
10am at the
Michigan Union Box
Office (763-2071).
Tic
r Huckleb
personal checks.
ickets also at the
perry Party Store
in Ypsilanti.
To order by mail send
money order only and a
self addressed envelope
TO: MARTIN MULL
j
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