[0960-71.CM 02/29/96]
[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 revelation 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 8. REPORT NUMBER: 6 029 0960 71
2. SUBJECT: (U) US PW Camp in KIM XUYEN 9. DATE OF REPORT: 30 Nov 71
District, TUYEN QUANG Province, (handwritten-W32922)
NVN
10.NO. OF PAGES: 6
3. ISC NUMBER: 732.600 11.REFERENCES: DIRM: 1Q16, 6G3
SICR: D-6C2-26423
BRIGHT LIGHT
4. DATE OF INFORMATION: 29 Feb 68 12. ORIGINATOR: US Element, CMIC, USMACV
5. PLACE AND DATE OF ACQ: NCHC, SAIGON, VS
15 Nov 71
13. PREPARED BY: LARRY D. BLALOCK
SP6, USA
6. EVALUATION: SOURCE F INFORMATION 6
7. SOURCE: Returnee Interrogation 14. APPROVING AUTHORITY: (SIGNED)
LAVERN A. GUSTAFSON
LTC, USA
Acting Dir, US Elm, CMIC
15. SUMMARY
(C) This report contains information concerning a US PW Camp in KIM
XUYEN District, TUYEN QUANG Province, NVN, to include the location,
description of the camp, camp accessibility, camp security, limited camp
staff, and information concerning US PW, including clothing, physical
condition of the US PW, and general information. THIS IS A BRIGHT LIGHT
REPORT. MACV FOR JPRC.
1. (C) Background Information:
a. Name: NGUYEN VAN HAI (NGUYEENX, VEAN HAIR), CMIC C-3798-71
b. Rank: ASP
c. Position and Unit of Assignment: Medical Technician; MY THO City
Unit, DINH TUONG Province Unit
d. DPOB: 4 Apr 34; DONG XUAN Village, THANH BA District, VINH PHU
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 6
e. Parent's Names: Father, NGUYEN HUU CHI (NGUYEENX, HUUW CHIS),
living; Mother, CAO THI EN (CAO, THIV ENS), living
f. Circumstances of Return. Source as assigned to dispensary No1, MY
THO City Unit, DINH TUONG Province, in May 71, and promoted to Aspirant in Aug
71. During this period, Source became involved with a female in the
dispensary, and was subsequently criticized by the party and mis membership
was revoked. This angered Source to the extent that he rallied to the BINH
DUC Village Council, CHAU THANH District, DINH TUONG Province, on 31 Aug 71.
g. Significant Activities:
(1) 1945 to Jun 1968. From 1945 to 1949, Source went to school
at the DONG XUAN Village School, THANH BA District, VINH PHU Province, NVN.
Source then attended three years of secondary school at THANH BA District
School and two years of high school at the province level. Source was forced
to discontinue his education for financial reasons. In early 1956, Source
attended a medical training course at the VINH PHU Medical School which lasted
eighteen months. After graduation, Source was employed at the 103d Hospital,
NVN Defense Ministry, for one year. Due to receiving a low salary, Source
returned to his POB in 1959, where he worked as a medic for the village
dispensary until 1962. In early 1962, Source began working as a medic for the
Lime Production Company of the Construction Service of VINH PHU Province,
where he remained for six years. On 29 Feb 68, Source went to visit his high
school classmate, 1LT KHOA, the executive officer of a US PW camp located in
THUONG LUONG Village, KIM XUYEN District, TUYEN QUANG Province, NVN. Source
was inside the camp for approximately two hours while waiting for 1LT KHOA to
attend to some business. At that time, Source and 1LT KHOA left the camp and
went to 1LT KHOA's residence in TRUONG LUONG Village.
(2) Jun 68 to Aug 71. In Jun 68, Source was drafted into the NVA
and sent to a medical training school of the VIET BAC MR, located in HONG KY
Village, PHY BINH District, VINH PHU Province, NVN, for a three month course
to improve his medical training. After graduation, Source was promoted to
corporal and assigned as a medic to the 7B Bn, 3d Regt, 304th Div, located in
HA BAC Province, NVN. In Nov 69, Source was promoted to sergeant. At this
time, the 7B Bn began infiltration (infiltration group number unknown), with
700 men at BAC NINH City, HA BAC Province. After traveling to QUANG BINH
Province, the battalion crossed the TRUONG SON Mountains into LAOS, and
followed the HO CHI MINH Trail into CAMBODIA. The 7B Battalion ended
infiltration in early Mar 70, at SVAY RIENG Province, CAMBODIA, with
approximately 500 men. At this time, Source and two other cadre from the 7B
Bn were assigned to the X-12B Hospital, MR-2, located in the TAN LEC area of
SVAY BINH Province, CAMBODIA. Fifteen days after Source's arrival at the
X012B Hospital, he began further training to be a medical technician. Due to
increased ARVN operations in the area, the training was transferred to the
NGANG Canal, DONG THAN District, KIEN TUONG Province, RVN. However,
Page 3 of 6
only 10 of the trainees arrived at the new site. In May 71, Source graduated
from the course and was promoted to Sr Sgt and assigned to Dispensary No 1, MY
THO City Unit, DINH TUONG Province Unit, RVN. In Aug 71, Source was promoted
to Aspirant; however, soon after that he became involved with a nurse at the
dispensary and came under severe criticism by the party. Because of the
criticism, revocation of his party membership, Source's increasing belief in
the GVN Chieu Hoi Program, and his listening to GVN radio broadcasts, Source
decided to rally to the GVN, which he did on 31 Aug 71, at the BINH DUC
Village Council, CHAU THANH District, DINH TUONG Province, RVN.
h. Additional References: CMIC PW/Rallier Exploitation Guide; Map:
VIETNAM, AMS Series L7014, Sheet No 6052 II, Edition 1, dtd 1965, Scale
1:50,000
2. US PW camp located near TRUNG LUONG Village, KIM XUYEN District,
TUYEN QUANG Province, NVN. The following information is based on SICR
D-7CX-49018 (US PW Information, NVN):
a. Location. The PW camp was located just north of TRUONG LUONG
Village (vic WJ335805), KIM XUYEN District, TUYEN QUANG Province, NVN.
b. Description. The area of the PW camp (approximately 200m x 200m)
was surrounded by a bamboo thatchwork fence which was approximately two meters
high. At each of the four corners of the fence was a one-man guard shelter
approximately two meters high. A one-man shelter was also located at the only
entrance to the camp. The only access road to the camp was a dirt path
approximately two meters wide, and access was blocked by a swinging bamboo
thatchwork gate approximately two meters wide by two meters high. There were
two water wells inside the compound. One well(2m in diameter) was located in
the northeast corner of the compound and was used for drinking and washing
before meals. The other well (2m in diameter) was located in the southeast
corner of the compound and was sued for bathing, personal hygiene, and washing
clothes. There were four buildings (30m x 10m x 3m), which were used for
housing PW, two other buildings (30m x 10m x 3m), which Source assumed were
also used to house PW, a mess hall (30m x 10m x 3m), a conference building
(40m x 15m x 3m), and a living area for guards and administrators (20m x 8m x
3m). Each PW building was divided into 10 to 12 rooms with one door which
opened to the outside to each room. Each room could accommodate four PW. All
buildings in the compound were constructed of wood with bamboo thatched roofs.
there were three ping-pong tables and an area to play volleyball inside the
compound. The camp's electricity was provided by a generator (exact type and
size unknown) located outside the compound near the northeast corner. The
generator was operated and maintained by three men from another unit (NFI).
There were lights in the PW buildings, but Source did not know if each room
was equipped with a light fixture. There was one 100-watt light bulb
suspended from a large tree in the center of the compound for illumination of
the camp at night. The entire area was well camouflaged by trees and thatch
foliage.
Page 4 of 6
(Interrogator's Note: Source believed the area could not be located by air or
ground unless directions were provided). For further information, see sketch
provided by Source on page 6.)
c. Camp Accessibility. The PW camp was located approximately one and
one-half kilometers northeast of TRAM Mountain (vic WJ 320793). The camp
could be reached in the following way, across the LO River by ferry at (vic WJ
316776 to WJ 318782), then proceed along CHIEN LUOC Street continuing past the
CHUNG LUONG Marketplace for one kilometer until arriving at a dirt road, turn
west on the dirt road and continue for approximately two kilometers to TRUNG
LUONG Village, KIM XUYEN District, TUYEN QUANG Province.
d. Camp Security. Camp security was handled by 120 to 150 NVA
soldiers who lived in and around the PW camp. During daylight hours, one man
was stationed at each guard tower, and an unknown number were inside the
compound on a roving patrol. Source did not know the policies for guarding at
night. Each guard was armed with an AK-47 and 150 to 200 rounds of
ammunition.
e. Camp Staff. The camp staff lived with their families in TRUNG
LUONG Village. Source knew only the assistant director of the camp: 1LT KHOA
(KHOA); age 39, 1.60m, 55kg, light complexion, birth mark on right side of
face between the temple and ear, NVA.
f. US PW:
(1) Number. The assistant director of the camp told Source that
there were approximately 200 US pilots being detained at the camp. These PW
were to be moved elsewhere at a later unspecified date for political
indoctrination (NFI).
(2) Identification. Source was unable to describe or identify
any PW from the JPRC US PW Photo Album.
(3) Clothing. All PW observed by Source were dressed in a blue
shirt and blue trousers and wore HO CHI MINH sandals. (Interrogator's Note:
When asked if the blue uniforms might be a pilot's flight suit, Source stated
that he believed the clothing was a special uniform provided to the PW by the
camp staff). There were no markings on these uniforms.
(4) Daily Activities of the PW. Source did not know if the camp
had a daily schedule or any work details. He only observed PW either
informally talking among themselves or playing ping-pong.
(5) Diet of the PW. The PW were fed three times a day in the
mess hall, and they received the same food as the guards.
(6) Physical Condition of the PW. The few PW observed by Source
seemed healthy and active. Source did not know if there were any medical
facilities provided at the camp.
Page 5 of 6
(7) Morale of the PW. Source did not come into contact with any
PW; however, he believed their morale was high considering their
circumstances.
(8) General Information. Source observed one landline telephone
in the conference house. Source had no knowledge of other communications
facilities at the camp, nor did he know of any surrounding support units.
Source knew no camp policies pertaining to PW discipline, welfare, or
interrogation.
(U) COMMENTS: Source was of average intelligence and cooperated fully
throughout the interrogation. His limited knowledge of the camp is due to the
fact that the purpose of his visit to the camp was to visit the camp's
assistant director and not to observe the PW or the facilities of the camp.
The use of control questions revealed no apparent attempts at deception. This
report partially satisfies the requirements of SICR D-6C2-26423.
Page 6 of 6
(C) Sketch of the PW Detention Camp located at TRUNG LUONG Village, KIM XUYEN
District, TUYEN QUAND Province, NVN, as provided by Returnee NGUYEN VAN HAI,
CMIC C-3789 (DOI: 29 Feb 68) (Not to Scale)
[NETWORK NOTE: a copy of the 8.5" x 6.5" SKETCH OF THE PRISON CAMP
is available - call or write using the file number 0960 71 page 6.]
[Distributed through the P.O.W. Network]