SHERMAN, PETER WOODBURY
Remains returned 01/19/91
Name: Peter Woodbury Sherman
Rank/Branch: O2/United States Navy/pilot
Unit:
Date of Birth: 04 August 1929
Home City of Record: Bay Village OH
Date of Loss: 10 June 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 192103 North 1062800 East
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action (PFOD 10/17/73)
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A4C, tail # 145145
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: none
Incident # 0730
Note: 22 year married Navy veteran
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS:
NOTE: On USG documents, grid coodinates indicate Hanoi area, loss
coordinates indicate 45 miles offshore - HON ME Island.
[0871-71.CM 02/25/96]
[NETWORK NOTE: This document was scanned and retyped to make it an ASCII file.
The Block format of a USG document was altered to just "text")
REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
DECLASSIFIED PER EXECUTIVE ORDER 12356, SECTION 3.3, NND PROJECT
NUMBER NN8937 597, BY RB1VSW, DATE 1/23/96
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE REPORT
Note: This Document contains information affecting the national defense of
the United States within the meaning of the espionage laws. Title 18,
U.S.C., Sec 793 and 794. The transmission or revelatin of its contents in
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
CONFIDENTIAL
This report contains unprocessed information. Plans and/or policies should
not be evolved or modified solely on the basis of this report.
1. COUNTRY: VN, NGHE AN Province 8. REPORT NUMBER: 6 029 0871 71
2. SUBJECT: PW Sighting in THANH 9. DATE OF REPORT: 14 Aug 71
CHUONG District, NGHE AN Province, NVN (handwritten-W31437)
10.NO. OF PAGES: 5
3. ISC NUMBER: 723.600 11.REFERENCES: DIRM: 6G3
SICR: D-6C2-26423
BRIGHT LIGHT
4. DATE OF INFORMATION: Apr or May 67 12. ORIGINATOR: US Element, CMIC,
USMACV
5. PLACE AND DATE OF ACQ: CMIC, SAIGON, VS
4 Aug 71
13. PREPARED BY: NELS M. SATHER
SP5, USA
6. EVALUATION: SOURCE F INFORMATION 6
7. SOURCE: PW Interrogation 14. APPROVING AUTHORITY: (SIGNED)
PAUL G. SPERO
LTC, USA
Dir, US Elm, CMIC
15. SUMMARY
(C) This report contains information on an American pilot captured three
or four kilometers north of LANG SEN Village, THANH CHUONG District,
NGHE AN Province, NVN (exact location unknown), to include the
circumstances of the sighting, description of the PW, clothing worn by
the PW, physical condition, capture data, and evacuation procedures.
THIS IS A BRIGHT LIGHT REPORT. MACV FOR JPRC.
1. (C) Background Information:
a. Name: NGUYEN HUU THACH (NGUYEENX, HUWUX THACHV), CMIC 0304-71
b. Rank: PFC
c. Position and Unit of Assignment: Soldier; 2d Plat, 12th, 12th
Co, 6th Bn, 61st Group, 18B Regt
d. DPOB: 22 Aug 52; LANG SEN Village, THANH CHUONG District, NGHE
AN Province, NVN
16. DISTRIBUTION BY ORIGINATOR:
DIA 1 cy
DIRNSA 1 cy
SAC 1 cy
CINPAC 1 cy
CINPAC AF 2 cys
CINCUSARPAC 2 cys
COMUSMACTHAI 1 cy
MACJ212-2 2 cys
MACJ213-1 1 cy
MACJ23 1 cy
MACJ231 10 cys
17. DOWNGRADING DATA: GROUP 3
DOWNGRADED AT 12 YEAR INTERVALS NOT AUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIED
THIS DOCUMENT IS RELEASEABLE TO REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND FREE WORLD
MILITARY ASSISTANCE FORCES
18: ATTACHMENT DATA: None
Page 2 of 5
e. Parents' Names: Father, NGUYEN HUU BAN (NGUYEENX, HUWUX BANN),
living; Mother, PHAM THI Y (FAM, THIV Y), living
f. Circumstances of Capture. On 2 May 71, Source's unit stopped
for the night near Canal 7, RACH GIA (VC) Province, RVN. As Source was
helping to prepare the evening meal, an unidentified ARVN unit attacked.
Source, NGUYEN, VAN SO (NGUYEENX, VEAN SOW), CIMC 0305-71, and NGUYEN VEAN
THANH (NGUYEENX, VEAN THANH), CMIC 0303-71, were captured.
g. Significant Activities. Source attended his village school from
1960 to 1968, then worked for the village cooperative as a farmer until he
was drafted into the NVA on 30 Apr 70. Source was assigned to the 7th Sqd,
3d Plat, 14th Co, 4th Bn, 22d Regt, MR-IV, located at QUYNH LAM Village,
QUYNH LUU District, NGHE AN Province. From Apr to Nov 70, he received basic
training. One 21 Nov 70, the 4th Bn was designated the 2249 Infiltration
Group and, with an approximate strength of 400 men, began infiltrating to
the RVN. The group arrived in Southern CAMBODIA on 17 Apr 71. The
personnel of the 14th Co were assigned to the 6th Bn. (Interrogator's Note:
Source did not know the subordination of the 6th Bn.) The group was taken
to the BA HON area, KIEN GIANG Province, RVN. Source was further assigned
to the 2d Plat, 12th Co, 6th Bn. On 28 Apr 71, the 12th Co joined elements
of the 4th Bn and proceeded to an unknown area of KIEN GIANG Province.
Source did not know the mission of the unit nor its designation. On 2 May
71, Source was captured with two others while they were setting up their
camp for the night.
h. Additional References: CMIC PW/Rallier Exploitation Guide; US
PW Photo Album, Hq 525 MI Gp did 10 Nov 68, MACV IDHS PW/MIA/CPT Biographic
File, dtd 16 Jul 71
2. PW Sighting in THANH CHUONG District, NGHE AN Province, NVN. This
information is based on SICR D-6C2-264321:
a. Circumstances of Sighting. In Apr or May 67, Source was
returning to his home to eat and relax after working in the fields, when he
observed a pilot eject form an F-105 aircraft which had been hit by
antiaircraft fire from an antiaircraft artillery gun (site location
unknown). Source saw the pilot land approximately three or four kilometers
north of LANG SEN Village, THANH CHUONG District, NGHE AN Province, NVN
(exact location unknown). Source ran to where the pilot landed, which was
about one kilometer away. Source observed the PW for less than five minutes
at a distance of 10 meters. The pilot was guarded by five men of the LANG
SEN Village Militia. The group was armed with one CKC. The PW's hands were
bound behind his back. He was taken on foot to an unknown destination.
b. Description of PW;
(1) Identification:
(a) Name: Unknown
(b) Rank and Branch of Service: Major (heresay)
Page 3 of 5
(c) Nationality: American
(d) Physical Description:
1 Height: 1.80m
2 Weight: 100kg
3 Color of Hair and Eyes: Light yellow; Light blue
4 Race: Caucasian
5 Complexion: Fair
6 Hair Length: Medium thickness and length
7 Nose: Long
8 Scars: None observed
9 Tattoos: None observed
10 Birthmarks: None observed
11 Build: Heavy
12 Age: Unknown (Interrogator's Note: Source was
unwilling to guess.)
13 Glasses Worn: None observed
14 Rings/Watches: Calendar watch on the left arm
For comparative purposes a description of the Interrogator is provided by
Source:
Estimate Actual
Height 1.70m 1.70m
Weight 70 to 80kg 81kg
Age 25 25
(2) Clothing Worn by PW. Source could not provide any
information on the PW's clothing other than that he wore olive drab colored
clothing.
(3) Physical Condition. The PW did not appear to need medical
treatment at the time of capture.
(4) Capture Data. The PW was captured at 1200 hours, in Apr or
May 67, after bailing out of a F-105 airplane disabled by antiaircraft
artillery. The PW landed approximately three or four kilometers north of
Page 4 of 5
LANG SEN Village, THANH CHUONG District, NGHE AN Province, NVN (exact
location unknown). The pilot was captured by five members of the LANG SEN
Village Militia, armed with one CKC among them. The PW's hands were bound
behind his back.
c. Evacuation Procedures. The PW was led away on foot by the five
militia men to an unknown destination. Source thought that the PW was taken
to the HGHE AN Province Unit.
d. Photo Identification. Source was unable to recognize the PW
from the US PW Photo Album.
e. Biographical Correlation. The following is a list of American
PW whose date and location of capture correspond to the date and location of
capture given by Source:
Name JPRC Number Status
CAMERON, KENNETH R. 1244 CPT
CARLTON, JAMES E. 405 MIA
COLE, LEGRANDE O. JR. 1260 MIA
DODGE, RONALD W. 1276 CPT
SWANSON, JOHN WILLARD JR. 1140 MIA
The following is a list of American PW whose date of capture corresponds to
the date of capture given by the Source. No coordinates are given by the
Source. No coordinates are given for their capture location.
Name JPRC Number Status
CARRIER, DANIEL LEWIS 651 MIA
CLARK, JOHN WALTER 665 CPT
CRAIN, CARROLL OWEN JR. 1267 MIA
CROW, FREDERICK AUSTIN JR. 692 CPT
FOWLER, HENRY POPE JR. 762 CPT
CALVIN, RONALD EDMOND 1309 MIA
GOODRICH, EDWIN RILEY JR. 779 MIA
PALENSCAR, ALEXANDER, J. III 1402 MIA
PAWLISH, GEORGE F. 1406 MIA
ROCKETT, ALTON CRAIG JR. 1066 MIA
SHERMAN, PETER W. 1438 MIA
f. VC/NVA Policy Concerning the Treatment and Disposition of US PW.
Source was unaware of any policy on treatment given to US PW. Source stated
that NVA soldiers never physically harmed US PW.
(U) COMMENTS: Source was administered the Cross-Cultural IQ Test and
scored Low Average (15). Source was cooperative during the interrogation
and his answers to control questions were consistent. Source was unable to
find the location of the PW sighting on a may even though the sighting
occurred near his POB. This report partially satisfies the requirements of
SICR D-6C2-26423.