[120925Z.OH 06/16/96]
1/2 CM UNCLASIFIED CJTF-FADETONBA 006174-01
ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO DCM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9)
VZCZZZC
PR RUHQHQE RUMTFS RUEHPF RUEKJCS RUEEKJCS RUHQHQB
RUMJCS RUEKJCS RUEAIIA RULVAAA RUFALWW RUEHC
PF RUEHEK #6174/01 043 **
2ND UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASIFIED
BT 120925Z FEB 93 CHRGE: CJTF 02/12/93
FM CJTF-FA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GEB
TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF:GEB
INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIETIANE//CJTF-FAA DET THREE// : NONE
RUEHPF / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTFFA DET FOUR// DISTR: CJTF
RUEKJCS / JOINT STAFF WASHDC//OCJCS-PW-MIA/J5// ORGIN: OCR
RUEKJCS // SECDEF WASHDC//OASD-ISAA/PW-MIA//
RUHQHQB / USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3//
RUEKJS / USCINCPAC LO WASHDC//
RUEKJS / DIA WASHDC//POW-MIAA//
RUEEAAIIA / CIA WASHDC//DEA/SEA//IB/DDO///ICOG//
RULVAAA / CDRUSSACILHI HICKAAM AFB HI//
RUEHC / NSC WASHDC
RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS//EAP//
BT
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 06174
UNCLASSIFIED 0053 FEB 1993
MA PASS TO DDO POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: SPV ORAL HISTORY, INTERVIEW WITH FORMER SPECIAL ACTIONS
CADRE BHAM KIEU DA
REF: DET 1, JTFFA MSG 200341Z JAN 93
1. REF WAS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM
BY JTFFA SPECIALL ASSISTANT, MR G.E. BELL, DURING THE PERIOD 6 TO 18 JAN
93. PARA LE OF REF REFERS TO FORMER SPECIAL ACTIONS CADREE, MR PHAM
KIEU DA, WHO WAS INTERVIEWED IN DANANG CITY ON 14 JAN 93. THE
INTERVIEW WAS MONITORED BY ASSIGNED COUNTERPART AND MINISTRY OF
NATIONAL DEFENCE (MND) REP, LTC PHAM TFC, MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
REP, MR HA MINH THAN, QUANG NAM-DANANG PROVINCE TASK TEAM CHIEF,
MAJ THAN PHUOC SAU, AND QUANG NAM-DANANG PROVINCE EXTERNAL
AFFAIRS REP, MR LAM QUANG MINE. THE FOLLOWING REPORT PROVIDES THE
RESULTS OF THE INTERVIEW.
2. SOURCE SAID HE JOINED THE REVOLUTION DURING THE EARLY 1960'S AND
BECAME THE OPERATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE DANANG CITY SPECIAL
ACTION UNIT IN 1065. SOURCE EMPEASIZED THAT HE WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN
THE CAPTURE OR DETENTION OF ANY US PERSONNEL AND CITED THE BREVITY
OF PIS MISSIONS, AS WELL AS THE INHERENT REQUIREMENT FOR SPEED, AS
THE REASONS FOR HIS LACK OF INVOLVEMENT. DURING THE WARTIME YEARS,
SOURCE RESIDED AS A LEGAL IN DANANG CITY, BUT ALSO MAINTAINED A
SMALL OPERATIONAL BASE (I.E. HIDEOUT) IN A TUNNEL SYSTEM LOCATED
ONLY A FEW MILES FROM THE PERIMETER OF DANANG AIRBASE. AFTER THE
WAR ENDED IN 1975, SOURCE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE DANANG CITY
PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE. SOURCE CURRENTLY HOLDS THE POSITION OF
PERMANENT DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THIS SAME COMMITTEE.
3. SOURCE SAID HE PLANNED, AND IN SOME CASES EXECUTED, ATTACKS ON
US FORCES IN THE DANANG AREA. BEGINNING AT THE TIME US FORCES BEGAN
TO ARRIVE IN LARGE NUMBERS. SOURCE'S TARGETS INCLUDED THE O. K.
HOTEL/BOQ (NOTE: CURRENTLY THE BACH DANG HOTEL AKA MILITARY
REGION 5 GUEST HOUSE WHERE ARCHIVAL RESEARCH TEAM 2 IS BILLETED).
THE NON NUOC AIRFIELD, THE DANANG AIRFIELD. A US ARTILLERY UNIT IN
THANH VINH VILLAGE NORTHEAST OF DANANG AIRFIELD. A US ARMORED
UNIT IN CAM BINH VILLAGE NEAR THE HOA CAM TRAINING CENTER, AND THE
LIEN CHIEU POL FARM LOCATED ON ROUTE 1 AT THIS SOUTH END OF HAI VAN
PASS. SOURCE SAID NONE OF THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN THE CAPTURE OF
A LIVE AMERICAN. SOURCE RECALLED THAT THE DANANG SPECIAL ACTION
FORCES, HAD AN AVERAGE WARTIME STRENGTH OF APPROXIMATLY 1800
PERSONNEL. APPROXIMATELY 400 OF THOSE PERSONNEL WERE CAPTURED BY
US/ARVN FORCES, INCLUDING MR LE DO WHO PLACED EXPLOSIVES IN THE O.K.
HOTEL.
4. SOURCE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE CAPTURE OR
DETENTION OF ANY US PERSONNEL, HE DID OBSERVE AN AMERICAN POW ON
ONE OCCASSION. SOMETIME DURING THE LATE 1960'S WHILE SOURCE EN
ROUTE FROM DANANG TO THE MRS HQ IN THE HIEP DUC AREA (AT9024), HE
OBSERVED ONEE MALE CAUASIAN MOVING ALONG A TRAIL WITH A
COMMUNIST UNIT. SOURCE PASSED BY THE GROUP WHILE ON A TRAIL IN DEEP
JUNGLE AND CLAIMED TO BE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
OF THE SIGHTING. SOURCE COULD ONLY RECALL THAT THE CAUCASIAN WAS
WEARING BLACK PAJAMAS AND CARRYING A RIFLE. SOURCE HEARD THAT THE
CAUCASIAN HAD VOLUNTEERED TO WORK WITH COMMUNIST FORCES.
SOURCE COULD NOT RECALL THE DESIGNATION OF THE UNIT. (NOTE:
ALTHOUGH SOURCE WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUCASIAN, VNOSMP
AND LOCAL CADRE PRESENT DURING THE INTERVIEW WERE UNANIMOUSS IN
THEIR OPINION THAT THE CAUCASIAAN WAS REFNO 0155). SOURCE SAID THAT
DURING THE WAR YEARS HE OBSERVED AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE BUT WAS NOT
ABLE TO RECALL ANY DETAILS. SOURCE WAS CERTAIN HE DID NOT OBSERVE
ANY REMAINS OR GRAVES ASSOCIATED WITH US PERSONNEL. SOURCE
CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY AMERICANS REMAINING IN
INDOCHINA.
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UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 06174
SOURCE CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY AMERICANS WHO WERE
MOVED TO THIRD COUNTRIES.
5. COMMENT: SOURCE WAS COOPERATIVE AND CORDIAL, BUT RELUCTANT TO
DISCUSS THE WARTIME APPARATUS OF MRS DURING THIS LIMITED CONTACT.
ALTHOUGH SOURCE READILY ADMITTED HE PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS
RESULTING IN NUMEROUS US KIA. HE INSISTED HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE
CONCERNING US POW'S. SOURCE'S ATTITUDE AND PRESENT POSITION IN THE
LOCAL ADMINISTRATION PLACE HIM IN A POSITION TO PROVIDE VALUABLE
ASSISTANCE BY PRESSING LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR MORE CONCRETE
COOPERATION IN WORKING WITH US TEAMS. SINCE THE DEGREE OF
COOPERATION IN DANANG IS CURRENTLY SUPERIOR TO THAT OF OTHER
AREAS, SOURCE MAY HAVE ALREADY HAD SOME IMPACT IN THIS REGARD.
BT
#6174
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