[190012Z.OH 06/16/96]
ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
R 190012Z OCT 93 ZYB PSN 815099P32
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP: RSA//
INFO WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/EAP/VLC/CCS/OCS//
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5//
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
DIA WASHINGTON DC
CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H//
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
RUEHBT/CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH
UNCLAS //N03460//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CDR JTF-FA/J223//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE. NGUYEN VAN HIEU//
REF/A/FAX/CJTFFA DET TWO HANOI/19OCT93//
AMPN/THE SOURCE NGUYEN VAN HIEU IS ENTRY NUMBER 68, LIST OF 83
INTERVIEW REQUESTS PRESENTED TO ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER TRAN QUANG
CO, MAY 93//
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSMISSION OF AN SRV ORAL
HISTORY PROJECT INTERVIEW REPORT//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 12 OCT 1993, A JOINT U.S-/VIETNAM ORAL
HISTORY PROGRAM INTERVIEW TEAM INTERVIEWED RETIRED PAVN
LIEUTENANT COLONEL (LTC) DR. NGUYEN VAN HIEU. A 65 YOA VINH PHU
PROVINCE RESIDENT. DR. HIEU IS CURRENTLY A FARMER. FORMERLY
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE MILITARY MEDICAL BATTALION (BN), PAVN
2ND INFANTRY DIVISION (DIV) THE TEAM MET AT THE INTERNATIONAL
ECONOMIC RELATIONS BUILDING, VIET TRI TOWNSHIP, VINH PHU
PROVINCE, TO INTERVIEW DR. HIEU. LISTED IN REFERENCE AS A
POTENTIAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING U S. PERSONNEL MISSING
IN ACTION IN VIETNAM. THE U.S. CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF TSGT
[XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], DET 2 ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM COORDINATOR; AND
SGT[XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], JTF-FA ANALYST/LINGUIST. THE VIETNAMESE
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF COLONEL (COL) LE KY,
MINISTRY
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OF DEFENSE; AND MR. NGUYEN VAN THANG LOI, MINISTRY OF
INTERIOR. DR. HIEU HAD NOT BEEN INTERVIEWED BY A JOINT TEAM
BEFORE.
2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE, DR. NGUYEN VAN HIEU, PROVIDED BRIEF
CAREER BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SUMMARIZED HIS POSITION AND
ACTIVITIES AT THE MILITARY MEDICAL BATTALION (AKA GK38), PAVN
2ND DIV. HE TREATED ONE U.S. PRISONER OF WAR (PW) DURING HIS'
TENURE AT GK38. THIS AMERICAN, WHOM DR. HIEU BELIEVED TO BE
PUERTO RICAN, RECEIVED TREATMENT, LEFT THE HOSPITAL, AND WAS
SUBSEQUENTLY REPATRIATED TO THE U.S. THIS INFORMATION
PROBABLY CORRELATES TO CASE 0678-1-02, A RESOLVED CASE. DR.
LIEU NEVER MET ANOTHER AMERICAN DURING THE WAR OR SINCE, AND
HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER U.S. PRISONERS IN THE GK38 AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY. THOUGH UNABLE TO LOCATE THE EXACT POSITION OF
GK38 ON A MAP. HE INDICATED THE GENERAL VICINITY, IN SOUTHERN
QUANG NAM-DANANG/NORTHERN QUANG NGAI PROVINCES. HE PROVIDED
THE NAME AND GENERAL WHEREABOUTS OF A FORMER GK38 POLITICAL
OFFICER WHO MAY HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S. PW/MIA'S IN
THE PAVN 2ND DIV FORMER AREA OF OPERATIONS. DR. HIEU CLAIMED
NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S. PERSONNEL, LIVING FREELY OR AGAINST
THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.
3. DETAILS.
A. AFTER FORMAL INTRODUCTIONS, COL LE KY INTRODUCED
THE JOINT TEAM AND EXPLAINED ITS PURPOSE. THE SOURCE
PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
B. DR. NGUYEN VAN HIEU (NGUYEENX VAWN HIEEUJ) BEGAN HIS
SERVICE ON THE SOUTHERN BATTLEFIELDS IN 1965, WHEN HE WAS
ASSIGNED AS A SURGEON TO THE DIRECTORATE OF MILITARY
MEDICINE'S 33RD MEDICAL TEAM. AFTER THE TEAM SERVED AT THE
BATTLE OF BA GIA (BA GIA - 45P BS4779) IN QUANG NGAI
PROVINCE, DR. HIEU TRANSFERRED TO THE MILITARY MEDICAL
BATTALION, AKA GK38, PAVN 2ND DIV. HIS ASSIGNMENT TO GK38 WAS
CONCURRENT WITH THE UNIT'S ESTABLISHMENT. HE WORKED AS A
SURGEON AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF GK38 IN QUANG NAM-DANANG
AND QUANG NGAI PROVINCES UNTIL 1969. FROM 1969 TO 1970, HE
SERVED WITH MILITARY REGION FIVE'S BINH DINH PROVINCIAL
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AS HEAD OF HOSPITALS K200 AND K208. IN
1970, DR. HIEU RETURNED NORTH DUE TO AN UNSPECIFIED AILMENT,
WHERE HE SERVED UNTIL HE RETIRED AS A LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN 1983.
C. DURING HIS ENTIRE WARTIME SERVICE, DR. HIEU ENCOUNTERED
ONLY ONE AMERICAN, A WOUNDED PW BROUGHT TO GK38 IN AUTUMN
OF 1967. THE PRISONER WAS NOT AMBULATORY, HAVING
TWO POSTERIOR AK-47 WOUNDS, AND HAD TO BE CARRIED INTO THE
MEDICAL FACILITY ON A STRETCHER. AS THERE WERE MULTIPLE
ROUTES TO THE HOSPITAL AT THAT TIME, DR. HIEU WAS UNSURE FROM
WHERE THE PRISONER HAD COME AND DIDN'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OR LOCATION OF HIS CAPTURE. THE AMERICAN WAS APPROXIMATELY
1.7 METERS TALL, HAD BROWN SKIN, A HEAVY BUILD, WAS CLEAN
SHAVEN, AND WORE AN "EARTH COLORED"
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UNIFORM. DR. HIEU DIDN'T REMEMBER ANY PATCHES, INSIGNIAS, OR
WRITING ON THE UNIFORM. HE SPECIFIED THAT THE PRISONER'S SKIN
WAS BROWN NOT BLACK, AND SAID HE THOUGHT THE PW WAS OF PUERTO
RICAN DESCENT. HE COULD NOT REMEMBER THE PW'S HAIR COLOR OR
HAIRCUT STYLE. DR. HIEU DIDN'T KNOW THE PRISONER'S NAME OR
HIS BRANCH OF SERVICE. BUT SURMISED THAT HE WAS AN ENLISTED
SOLDIER. HE ALSO HEARD THE AMERICAN WAS A COLLEGE GRADUATE
WHOSE PARENTS WERE STILL LIVING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
D. DR. HIEU TREATED THE AMERICAN FOR HIS WOUNDS. AND AFTER
APPROXIMATELY 20 DAYS. THE PRISONER ALMOST COMPLETELY RECOVERED. AT
THAT TIME, HIGHER PAVN HEADQUARTERS (HQ) SENT AN ENGLISH SPEAKING ENEMY
PROSELYTING CADRE TO WORK WITH THE AMERICAN. DR. HIEU COULD NOT SPECIFY
THE NATURE OF THIS WORK. THE PROSELYTING CADRE WORKED WITH THE AMERICAN
FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS, THEN ESCORTED THE PRISONER FROM THE
FACILITY. DR. HIEU NEVER SAW THE AMERICAN AGAIN. BUT LATER HEARD A
RADIO BROADCAST REPORTING THE PRISONER HAD BEEN RELEASED. IN THE
BROADCAST, THE AMERICAN THANKED THE LIBERATION FRONT FOR RELEASING
HIM. DR. HIEU WAS UNSURE OF THE RELEASE DATE, BUT GUESSED IT WAS
SOMETIME DURING 1967. THE AMERICAN RECEIVED A NEW PAIR OF BLACK
PAJAMAS AND RUBBER SANDALS UPON HIS RELEASE. DR. HIEU CLAIMED NEVER
TO HAVE HEARD ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE AMERICAN.
E. ACCORDING TO DR. HIEU. GK38 WAS A MOBILE FACILITY WHICH
OPERATED IN SOUTHERN QUANG NAM-DANANG AND NORTHERN QUANG NGAI
PROVINCES. TRANSITTING THE PROVINCE BORDER ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS OF
ITS PARENT UNIT. THE 2ND DIV. TO MAINTAIN SECRECY. THE HOSPITAL MOVED
AS MANY AS THREE TIMES A MONTH. THE HOSPITAL'S GENERAL OPERATING AREA
WAS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION WEST OF THE TRANH RIVER (SOONG TRANH -
AKA SOONG THU BOONF). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FACILITY WAS
LOCATED NEAR VAN NANG MOUNTAIN (NUIS VANJ NAWNG - UNLOCATED) IN THE
VICINITY OF PHUOC SON (PHWOCS SOWN - 49P AT8422) IN QUE SON (QUEES
SOWN) DISTRICT. DR. HIEU DID NOT KNOW THE HOSPITAL'S LOCATION IN
RELATION TO THE 2ND DIV HQ. SINCE THE DIV'S LOCATION WAS NOT WIDELY
DISSEMINATED.
F. THE GK38 HOSPITAL WAS SPLIT INTO TWO BRANCHES. ONE A KIND
//
MSGID/GENADNIN/CDR JTF-FA/J223//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE. NGUYEN VAN HIEU//
RMKS/
OF REAR SERVICE FACILITY. THE OTHER SERVING A FORWARD AREA
FUNCTION. THE TWO BRANCHES WERE NEVER FAR FROM EACH OTHER AND
ONLY COMMUNICATED WITH EACH OTHER BY RUNNER. NEITHER HAVING RADIO
COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY. DR. HIEU WORKED AT THE REAR FACILITY
AND AS THE DIRECTOR OF GK38. DR. TU (TWJ - INTERVIEWED BY THE
PRIORITY CASE INVESTIGATION TEAM (PCIT) ON 9OCT 93), WORKED AT
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THE FORWARD FACILITY. ELEMENTS OF GK38 ACCOMPANIED REGIMENTS (REGT)
SUBORDINATE TO THE 2ND DIV, INCLUDING THE 1ST, 21ST, AND 31ST
REGT'S, TO PROVIDE COMBAT MEDICAL SUPPORT. AN INDIVIDUAL NAMED CHANH
(CHANH - INTERVIEWED BY THE PCIT ON 13 OCT 93) WORKED WITH AN
ELEMENT THAT ACCOMPANIED THE 1ST REGT (AKA BA GIA REGT). THE NORMAL
CONTINGENT OF PERSONNEL AT GK38 WAS APPROXIMATELY 60 (EXCLUDING
PATIENTS). BUT THE NUMBER OCCASIONALLY ROSE TO AS MANY AS 100 WITH
THE INFLUX OF SUPPORT PERSONNEL.
G. POLICY AT GK38 HOSPITAL CONCERNING U.S. PW'S WAS SIMPLY
TO TREAT THEM AS THEY WOULD OTHER PATIENTS, WITH THE BEST MEDICAL
PERSONNEL AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES AVAILABLE. DR. HIEU SAID GK38 KEPT
TREATMENT RECORDS ON ALL PATIENTS, INCLUDING THE U.S. PW, AND
FORWARDED THESE TO 2ND DIV HQ AFTER THE PATIENT LEFT. HOWEVER, THE
ONLY NAME ANNOTATED ON THE AMERICAN'S TREATMENT RECORD WAS "AMERICAN
PRISONER OF WAR" (TUF BINH MYX). AS FAR AS REPORTING PROCEDURES WHEN
THE U.S. PRISONER CAME TO GK38, DR. HIEU SAID THAT NEITHER BRANCH
OF GK38 HAD RADIO COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY, AND THAT REPORTING WAS
ACCOMPLISHED BY COURIER. THOUGH THIS WAS THE CASE, DR. HIEU HAD NO
EXACT KNOWLEDGE OF THE 2ND DIV HQ LOCATION.
H. ASIDE FROM THE INDIVIDUALS NAMED IN PARA. 3.F., ABOVE, DR.
HIEU REMEMBERED SEVERAL OTHER PERSONS STATIONED AT HOSPITAL GK38
DURING THE WAR.
(1) LE HONG HAI (LEE HOONGF HAIR - AKA LEE HOONGF SOWN)
WAS GK38'S POLITICAL OFFICER. DR. HIEU SAID HAI WAS STILL AT GK38
WHEN HE (HIEU) DEPARTED IN 1969. HAI'S HOME TOWN WAS IN DIEN BAN
(DIEENJ BAN) DISTRICT, QUANG NAM-DANANG PROVINCE. DR. HIEU BELIEVED
THAT IF ANYONE WOULD KNOW OF CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING U.S. PW'S IN
THE GK38 AREA, IT WOULD BE LE HONG HAI.
(2) NGHIA (NGOO VAWN NGHIAX - INTERVIEWED DURING THE
13TH JFA). ONE OF DR. HIEU'S SUBORDINATES.
(3) CHAU (NGUYEENX VAWN CHAAU - INTERVIEWED BY THE PCIT
ON 9SEP 93) WAS A MEDIC AT GK38.
(4) NAM (NAM - FAMILY NAME UNKNOWN) WAS A NURSE WHO
SERVED AS DR. HIEU'S ASSISTANT DURING SURGERY. SHE WAS VERY YOUNG
DURING THE TIME SHE SERVED AT GK38. HER HOME WAS IN SON LONG
(SOWN LONG) VILLAGE, QUE SON DISTRICT, QUANG NAM-DANAG PROVINCE.
4. CORRELATIONS TO EXISTING POW/MIA CASES. DR. HIEU'S STATEMENTS
PROBABLY CORRELATE TO CASE 0678-1-02, BASED ON GENERAL TIME FRAME,
GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS, CIRCUMSTANCES OF MEDICAL TREATMENT,
ASSUMED ETHNIC BACKGROUND, AND RELEASE CIRCUMSTANCES.
5. POTENTIAL LEADS. LE HONG HAI (AKA SON), FORMER GK38 POLITICAL
OFFICER. MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON OTHER CASES IN THE
GK38 AREA. VNOSMP COUNTERPART COLONEL LE KY IS
Page 4
FOLLOWING LEADS TO LOCATE HAI AS OF THE WRITING OF THIS
REPORT.
6. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE.
7. COMMENTS.
A. MR. NGUYEN VAN HIEU OFFERED HIS STATEMENTS IN A
RELAXED AND STRAIGHTFORWARD MANNER, WITH NO APPARENT
COACHING OR SCRIPTING. HIS STATEMENTS WERE LOGICAL AND
CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER SOURCE'S STATEMENTS, OF WHICH DR.
HIEU EVIDENTLY HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE. ASSESS THIS SOURCE'S
RELIABILITY TO BE GOOD.
B. DURING THE 13TH JFA. NGO VAN NGHIA, A FORMER GK38
MEDIC, STATED THAT AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE "PUERTO RICAN"
AMERICAN PW, HE HEARD THAT A SECOND PW, A BLACK MAN. WAS EN
ROUTE GK38. HOWEVER, THE BLACK PRISONER NEVER CAME TO THE
MEDICAL FACILITY (SEE THE FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT FOR CASE
0647 DURING THE 13TH JFA). WHEN ASKED HOW NGHIA, DR. HIEU'S
SUBORDINATE, HAD HEARD ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF A SECOND PRISONER
WHEN HE HAD NOT, HIEU MAINTAINED THAT HE KNEW NOTHING OF ANY
OTHER U.S. PRISONERS AND DID NOT KNOW HOW NGHIA MIGHT HAVE
HEARD OF THIS. HE OPINED THAT, SINCE THE POLITICAL OFFICER LE
HONG HAI WOULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE HAD THERE BEEN OTHER U.S. PW'S
IN THE AREA, PERHAPS NGHIA HAD HEARD OF THE BLACK U.S. PW FROM
HAI. DO NOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIEU AND NGHIA'S
STATEMENTS DETRACT FROM EITHER SOURCE'S RELIABILITY.
C. REQUEST THE VNOSMP MAKE DR. NGUYEN VAN HIEU AVAILABLE
FOR RE-INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.//
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