[200012Z.OH 07/14/96]

ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE    ROUTINE

R 200012Z OCT 93 ZYB PSN 815116P22
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 TM//PW-MIA// RUEHBT/CJTFFA
DET ONE BANGKOK TH
UNCLAS //N03460//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CDR JTF-FA/J223//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, PHAM KHAC//
REF/A/FAX/DET 2/20JUL93 //
AMPN/SUBJ: LIST OF PERSONS FOR INTERVIEW, ENTRY NUMBER 62 OF
83// THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF AN
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT INTERVIEW REPORT//

RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 20 JULY 1993, A JOINT U.S./VIETNAM
PRIORITY CASE INVESTIGATION TEAM (PCIT) INTERVIEWED PHAM KHAC
(AKA LE MINH)' A 54 YEAR OLD HO CHI MINH CITY RESIDENT. MR.
KHAC IS CURRENTLY VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HO CHI MINH CITY
TELEVISION STATION, FORMERLY AN EMPLOYEE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY
FILM OFFICE AND PARTICIPANT IN THE MAKING OF THE FILM "DONG
XOAI IN FLAMES." THE TEAM MET AT THE HO CHI MINH CITY OFFICE
OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS,

TO INTERVIEW MR. KHAC, LISTED IN REFERENCE AS A POTENTIAL
SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING IN
ACTION (MIA) IN VIETNAM. THE U.S. CONTIGENT CONSISTED OF
MSGT [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX],PCIT LEADER, AND MR.
[XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], DIA ANALYST/LINGUIST. THE VIETNAMESE
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF LTC PHAM TEO,
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE; AND MR. NGUYEN DUY THANH, MINISTRY OF
INTERIOR. MR. KHAC HAD NOT BEEN

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INTERVIEWED BY A JOINT TEAM BEFORE.

2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE. PHAM KHAC' PROVIDED INFORMATION CONCERNING
THE CONTENTS OF SEVERAL COMBAT FILMS PRODUCED BETWEEN 1563 AND
1571, INCLUDING TWO FILMS WHICH CONTAIN FOOTAGE OF DEAD AMERICANS.
MR. KHAC PROVIDED NO INFORMATION THAT WILL, IN ITSELF, RESOLVE ANY
EXSISTING PW/MIA CASE. HE ALSO SUMMARIZED THE PURPOSE OF COMBAT
FILM MAKING. THE SOURCE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICANS, LIVING
FREELY OR AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.

3. DETAILS.

A. AFTER FORMAL INTRODUCTIONS, LTC PHAM TEO EXPLAINED THE JOINT
TEAM'S MISSION AND MSGT [XXXX] INVITED MR. PHAM KHAC (PHAMJ KHAWCS),
AKA LE MINH (LEE MINH) TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION HE HAS CONCERNING
U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. MR. KHAC BEGAN BY SAVING
THAT BETWEEN 1962 AND 1971 HE WORKED FOR THE SOUTH VIETNAM
LIBERATION ARMY'S (SVNLA) REVOLUTIONARY FILM OFFICE (XWONGR PHIM
GIAIR PHONGS). IN 1971 HE MOVED TO HANOI' WHERE HE WAS EMPLOYED BY
THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TELEVISION STATION. HE SAID THAT HE IS NOW
VICE DIRECTOR OF THE HO CHI MINH CITY TELEVISION STATION.

B. DURING THE WAR. MR. KHAC SAID, FILM FOOTAGE OF DEAD
AMERICANS WAS A VERY VALUABLE PROPOGANDA TOOL AND MEDALS WERE
AWARDED TO CREWS WHO TOOK SUCH FOOTAGE. HE SAID THAT FOOTAGE OF
DEAD AMERICANS WAS VERY RARE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET DUE TO
FIERCE AMERICAN EFFORTS TO RECOVER THEIR DEAD. WHILE IN COMBAT, MR.
KHAC SAID, THE FILM CREWS CARRIED ST-ILL CAMERA EQUIPMENT, BUT DID
NOT USE IT BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER AND---FASTER TO USE 16 MILLIMETER
MOVIE CAMERAS. HE EXPLAINED THAT STILL PHOTOS WERE LATER MADE FROM
FRAMES OF THE 16 MILLIMETER FILM. MR. KHAC SAID THAT HE HAS NO
KNOWLEDGE OF FILMS MADE IN THE SOUTH AFTER HE WENT
TO HANOI IN 1971.

C. MR. KHAC SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO ORGANIZATIONS, THE SVNLA
REVOLUTIONARY FILM OFFICE AND THE MILITARY FILM OFFICE (XWONGR PHIM
QUAAN SWJ), RESPONSIBLE FOR COMBAT FILMING IN THE SOUTH. DURING
PROBABLY MAY OR JUNE OF 1965, HE SAID, HE WAS TEMPORARILY ASSIGNED
FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY FILM OFFICE TO THE MILITARY FILM OFFICE IN
ORDER TO ASSIST IN FILMING THE ATTACK ON DONG XOAI (DOONGF XOAIF)
YT080755.) HE SAID A TOTAL OF THREE TWO-MAN TEAMS CONSISTING OF A
CAMERAMAN AND AN ASSISTANT WERE ASSIGNED TO FILM THE ATTACK. MR.
KHAC RECALLED THE ATTACK WAS ON AN ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
(ARVN) BASE WHERE AMERICAN ADVISORS  WERE ASSIGNED. DURING THIS
BATTLE~ HE SAID, ONE DEAD AMERICAN AIRCRAFT PILOT WAS FILMED. THE
PILOT, HE RECALLED,  WAS PROBABLY AN A-37 PILOT, DUE TO HIS JET
AIRCRAFT'S SMALL SIZE AND STRAIGHT WINGS. MR. KHAC STRESSED THAT
THIS WAS THE ONLY DEAD AMERICAN FILMED DURING THE BATTLE AND THERE
SHOULD BE A COPY OF

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THIS FILM IN THE FILM DOCUMENTARY LIBRARY (VIEENJ TWF LIEEUJ
PHIM) IN HANOI. THE FILM IS TITLED DONG XOAI IN FLAMES (DOONGF
XOAIF CHAIS LWAR). MR. KHAC ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS NOT A MEMBER
OF THE FILM CREW WHO FILMED THE DEAD AMERICAN PILOT, BUT HE
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR EDITING AND FINISHING THE FILM. MR. KHAC
SAID THAT HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY COPIES OF THIS FILM IN THE
SOUTH.

D. MR. KHAC SAID HE FILMED THE BATTLE OF BAU BANG (BAAUF
BAWNGF) (UNLOCATED) IN TAY NINH PROVINCE DURING 1966 OR 1967.
HE  RECALLED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS COMBAT
AGAINST  THE U.S. 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION. MANY AMERICANS DIED
IN THE  BATTLE, HE SAID, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO FILM THE DEAD.
MR. KHAC  STATED ANOTHER FILM TAKEN IN TAY NINH PROVINCE WAS
CALLED THE  SUOI DA (SUOOIS DAS) BATTLE OF VICTORY AT TAY
NINH. HE BELIEVES  THE AMERCIANS CALLED THIS BATTLE OPERATION
"ATTENBOROUGH". THE  BATTLE, HE RECALLED, WAS BETWEEN THE 9TH
PEOPLE'S ARMY (PAVN)  DIVISION AND THE U.S. 1ST INFANTRY
DIVISION. DURING THE BATTLE,  HE SAID, ONE OR TWO DEAD
AMERICANS WERE FILMED, AND HE HIMSELF  WAS WOUNDED.

E. MR. KHAC RECALLED ANOTHER FILM, ALSO CALLED "VICTORY AT
TAY NINH". HE WAS NOT A PARTICIPANT IN THIS BATTLE, BUT
ANOTHER  PHOTOGRAPHER NAMED HONG SON (HOONGF SOWN) WAS. MR.
KHAC  RECALLED THAT THE AMERICANS CALLED THIS BATTLE
"JUNCTION CITY".  HE SAID THAT MANY AMERCIANS WERE KILLED IN
THIS BATTLE. BUT  NONE WERE FILMED. HOWEVER, THERE WAS MUCH
FOOTAGE OF BURNED AND  WRECKED AMERICAN EQUIPMENT. MR. KHAC
STATED THAT DURING THE  BATTLE THE AMERICANS CAPTURED ALL OF
THE FILMS WHICH WERE  STORED IN A BUNKER. HE RECALLED THAT
MANY OF HIS UNIT'S AND THE  MILITARY FILM OFFICE'S ORIGINAL
WORKS WERE TAKEN, BUT DOES NOT  KNOW HOW MANY HAD ALREADY
BEEN COPIED AND SENT TO HANOI.

F. MR. KHAC RECALLED THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE BRITISH
BROADCASTING CORPORATION (BBC) BOUGHT MUCH OF THE
EXISTING  FILM FOR USE IN THE TELEVISION SERIES "VIETNAM,
A TELEVISION  HISTORY".

G. IN RESPONSE TO THE INTERVIEWER'S QUERY, MR. KHAC
CLAIMED THAT SINCE 1973, HE HAD NEVER SEEN OR KNOWN OF
AMERICANS LIVING, FREELY OR AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN
VIETNAM.

H. WITH NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. KHAC, THE JOINT
TEAM AGREED TO CONCLUDE THE INTERVIEW.

4. CORRELATIONS TO EXSISTING POW/MIA CASES. //

MSGID/GENADMIN/CDR JTF-FA/J223//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, PHAM
KHAC//

RMKS/

A. ALTHOUGH THE PCIT INTERVIEWED MR. KHAC WHILE INVESTIGATING
CASE 0096, HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE U.S. LOSS INCIDENTS ABOVE
CANNOT BE CORRELATED TO CASE 0096 OR ANY OTHER CASES AT THIS TIME.

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5. POTENTIAL LEADS. MR. KHAC PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING LEADS:

A. TRUONG THANH HI (TRWONG THANH HIR) WAS HIS COUNTERPART
IN THE MILITARY FILM OFFICE. MR. HI IS NOW CHAIRMAN OF
THE HOC MON (HOCS MOON) VETERAN'S ASSOCIATION. MR. HI WAS
INTERVIEWED BY THE PCIT WHILE INVESTIGATING CASE 0096 ON
21 JULY IN HO CHI MINH CITY.

B. AN NHU SON (AN NHW SOWN), AKA AN SON (AN SOWN), AKA
THEP HONG (THEPS HOONGF) WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH
BATTLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY. MR. KHAC SAID THAT HE DEOES NOT KNOW
THE PRESENT  WHEREABOUTS OF MR. SON. MR. SON (THEP HONG) IS
ALSO NUMBER 62 OF REFERENCE.

C. THANH XUAN (THANH XUAAN). WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH
BATTLEFIELD PHOTGRAPHY, BUT WAS NOT AT DONG XOAI.
ACCORDING TO MR. XUAN IS NOW RETIRED AND LIVING IN CAN
THO. MR. XUAN IS ALSO NUMBER 62 OF REFERENCE.

D. TRUNG CHINH (TRUNG CHINH) WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN
BATTLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT DIED IN 1968. MR. CHINH IS
POSSIBLY LISTED AS NUMBER 62 OF REFERENCE UNDER THE NAME
TRUNG CHANH. THIS POSSIBLITY WILL BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER AS
THE SPECIAL INTERVIEW PROGRAM PROGRESSES.

E. HONG SON (HOOWGF SOWN) WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH
BATTLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY AND HAD PHOTOGRAPHED THE JUNCTION
CITY BATTLE, "VICTORY AT TAY NINH". MR. KHAC DOES NOT
KNOW THE PRESENT WHEREABOUTS OF MR. SON.

F. THE FILM "VICTORY AT BINH GIA" (BINH GIA) WAS MADE IN
1963 OR 1964 IN THE OLD BA RIA PROVINCE.

G. THE FILM "DONG XOAI" (IN FLAMES)- WAS MADE IN 1965 DURING
THE ATTACK ON DONG XOAI AND CONTAINS FOOTAGE OF ONE DEAD
AMERICAN A-37 PILOT KILLED DURING THIS ATTACK. MR. KHAC SAID
THAT THIS FILM SHOULD BE IN THE HANOI FILM DOCUMENTARY LIBRARY
(SEE PARA 7.E.)

H. THE FILM THE "SUOI DA (SUOOIS DAS) BATTLE", ALSO
CALLED "VICTORY IN TAY NINH" CONTAINS FOOTAGE OF ONE OR TWO
DEAD U.S. SERVICEMEN.

I. THE TELEVISION SERIES "VIETNAM, A TELEVISION HISTORY".

6. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE. THIS SOURCE BROUGHT NO
RECORDS, NOTEBOOKS, DIARIES, OR ANY MATERIAL EVIDENCE
ASSOCIATED WITH UNACCOUNTED FOR U.S. PERSONNEL.

7. COMMENTS.

A. THE PCIT INTERVIEWED PHAM KHAC PURSUANT TO PCIT
TASKING DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO CASE 0096. SINCE MR.
KHAC IS LISTED IN REFERENCE AS A DESIRED ORAL HISTORY
INTERVIEW SUBJECT, THE PCIT AND ORAL HISTORY TEAMS
COORDINATED LINES OF QUESTIONING PRIOR TO THIS INTERVIEW TO
MORE EFFECTIVELY FULFILL BOTH PCIT AND ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.

B. AT THE TIME OF THIS INTERVIEW, MR. KHAC WAS RECOVERING

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FROM A NEAR FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, WHICH INCLUDED A BROKEN
LEG AND FRACTURED SKULL. HE ALSO HAS RECENTLY UNDERGONE
BRAIN SURGERY TO REMOVE A BLOOD CLOT. MR. KHAC WAS WEAK AND
TIRED EASILY DURING THE INTERVIEW.

C. DURING THIS INTERVIEW MR. KHAC REFERENCED TWO
DIFFERENT FILMS CALLED "VICTORY IN TAY NINH", ONE OF WHICH
HE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NAME "SUOI DA BATTLE", AMERICAN NAME
OPERATION "ATTENBOROUGH", AND THE FILMING OF AT LEAST ONE
DEAD AMERICAN. THE OTHER, HE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMERICAN
NAME "JUNCTION CITY"  AND THE FILMING OF BURNED OUT AND
WRECKED AMERICAN EQUIPMENT. THE SOURCE WAS NOT AN ENGLISH
SPEAKER. HIS PRONUNCIATION OF "ATTENBOROUGH" AND "JUNCTION
CITY" ARE REPORTED PHONETICALLY.

D. DETACHMENT 2, JTF-FA, RECORDS SHOW THAT FROM SEPTEMBER
TO NOVEMBER 1966 THE U.S. 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION WAS ENGAGED
IN "OPERATION ATTLEBORO" IN WAR ZONE C (TAY NINH PROVINCE).
DURING FEBRUARY AND MAY 1967, THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION WAS
INVOLVED WITH "OPERATION JUNCTION CITY", ALSO IN WAR ZONE C.

E. THE FILM "DONG XOAI IN FLAMES" IS NOT LISTED IN THE
HANOI FILM ARCHIVES LIST OF DOCUMENTARY FILMS, PART 2
(1964-1975) HOWEVER,  THE FILM "DULY PUNISHMENTS" (SIC)
(NHWNGX DOWNF TRWNGF PHATJ DICHJ DANGS) IS LISTED AS NUMBER
22,  RECORDED AT THE DONG XOAI BATTLE BY MR. KHAC AND OTHERS
REPRESENTED IN ENTRY NUMBER 62 OF SAME.

F. REQUEST THE VNOSMP MAKE MR. KHAC AVAILABLE
FOR REINTERVIEW IF NECESSARY//

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