[231628.OH 06/09/96] UNCLASSIFIED PAGE:0001 INQUIRE=DOC19D ITEM NO=00232112 ENVELOPE CDSN = LGX833 MCN = 92267/28545 TOR = 922671625 RTTUZYUW RUEKJCS1967 2671628-UUUU--RUEALGX. ZNR UUUUU HEADER R 231628Z SEP 92 FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC INFO RUCGDEF/NATS PENTAGON WASHINGTON DC RUCQVAB/USCINCSOC INTEL OPS CEN MACDILL AFB FL RUEALGX/SAFE R 231221Z SEP 92 FM CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH TO RUHQHQE/CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI INFO RUHQHQB/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3// RUEKJCS/USCINCPAC LO WASHDC// RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC//J5 PW-MIA/J3-JOD/CJCS PA-J// RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA/DDI/C31// RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC//POW-MIA/DOF/DOF-3// RUHVAAA/CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H// RUEADWW/NSC WASHDC RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP// RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC//OEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG// RUETIAA/DIRNSA FT GEO MEADE MD//B51/DCN//P-S// RUEADWD/DA WASHDC//DAMO-ODO-AOC/DAMI-FII// RUEACMC/CMC WASHDC//MNP-LO/INT// RUEAHQA/HQUSAF WASHDC//IN// RUENAAA/CNO WASHDC//OP-092/DNI// RUCJAAA/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//J3// RHHMMCY/JICPAC HONOLULU HI//OIO// RUEAHOF/CDRPERSCOM ALEX VA//TAPC-PED-P// RUEACNP/COMNAVMILPER WASHDC//N64DD// RHWRMPC/AFMPC RANDOLPH AFB TX//DPMCA// BT CONTROLS UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 43338 UNCLASSIFIED 0324 SEP 92 DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE /*********** THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE ************/ BODY SUBJ: 19TH JOINT FIELD ACTIVITY IN VIETNAM: ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE CASE 1242 REF: CJTFFA DET ONE 190522Z SEP 92 1. REF IS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF THE l9TH JOINT FIELD UNCLASSIFIED PAGE:0002 ACTIVITY CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM 20 AUG - 17 SEP 92. PARAGRAPH 20 OF REF NOTES THE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT OF IEL TO OBTAIN INFORMATION THAT COULD BE CORRELATED TO CASE 1242. 2. ON 8 SEP 92 LTC CHU OF VNOSMP INFORMED IEL THAT IN THE COURSE OF HIS PREPARATIONS FOR JOINT INVESTIGATION OF CASE 1242 HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION WHICH COULD BE CORRELATED TO THE CASE IN LOC YEN (LOOCJ YEEN) VILLAGE, HUONG KHE DISTRICT, HA TINH PROVINCE, THE VILLAGE IN WHICH THE COORDINATES ASSOCIATED IN U.S. RECORDS WITH CASE 1242 ARE LOCATED. 3. ON 9 SEP THE TEAM TRAVELLED TO HUONG KHE DISTRICT, TO SEE IF INFORMATION ON THIS CASE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL. AT THE DISTRICT MILITARY HEADQUARTERS (WF 74020985) THE TEAM WAS RECEIVED BY A DELEGATION OF CIVIL AND MILITARY OFFICIALS, INCLUDING NGUYEN XUAN THAI (XUAAN THAIS), DEPUTY DISTRICT CHAIRMAN; DANG CHAU (DAWNG QUANG CHAAU), CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR; AND MAJORS NGUYEN DINH PHUC (DINH PHUCS, THAN DINH TA (DINHF TAS), AND NGUYEN TRONG THE (TRONGJ THEER), ALL OF WHOM WERE IDENTIFIED TO THE TEAM AS DEPUTY MILITARY COMMANDERS. THESE OFFICIALS WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE NO INFORMATION CONCERNING CASE 1242. THEY DID, HOWEVER, EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN THE WORK OF THE TEAM, AND, AT THEIR REQUEST, THE TEAM LEFT A LIST OF UNRESOLVED CASES WHICH, ACCORDING TO U.S. RECORDS, TOOK PLACE IN HUONG KHE DISTRICT. 4. BOTH LTC CHU AND THE DISTRICT OFFICIALS STRESSED THAT LOC YEN VILLAGE IS LOCATED IN THE VICINITY OF THE MOUNTAIN OF THE SAME NAME, AND IS VERY DIFFICULT OF ACCESS. IN LIGHT OF THE REPORT OF LTC CHU AND THE PROBLEMATIC NATURE OF THE COORDINATES IN THE CASE FILE (SEE COMMENT), THE TEAM DECIDED NOT TO VISIT LOC YEN VILLAGE. 5. IT APPEARS THAT CASE 1242 DID NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE AREA SUGGESTED BY THE COORDINATES IN THE CASE FILE. THE TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT DURING A FUTURE JOINT ACTIVITY IN HA TINH PROVINCE THE INVESTIGATORS LOOK INTO ENTRIES 1305 AND 1306 OF THE MR-4 DOCUMENT, WHICH INDICATE THAT AN A-4 AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN BY THE 8TH BN ON 1 AUG 68. ENTRY 1305 NOTES THAT THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT 1400 HOURS ON "NHAT LE MOUNTAIN," HA TINH PROVINCE, AND THAT THE PILOT WAS RESCUED. ENTRY 1306 PROVIDES A TIME OF 1555 FOR THE INCIDENT, AND INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE COAST OF THINH LOC VILLAGE. THIS INFORMATION MAY CORRELATE TO CASE 1242. (NOTES: THE HUONG KHE DISTRICT OFFICIALS WERE UNAWARE OF ANY MOUNTAIN BEARING THE NAME "NHAT LE" IN HA TINH PROVINCE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE:0003 "NHAT LE.. IS WELL KNOWN BOTH TO JOINT TEAM MEMBERS AND THE HUONG KHE OFFICIALS AS THE ESTUARY ON WHICH THE TOWN OF DONG HOI, IN QUANG BINH PROVINCE IS LOCATED. THINH LOC IS A COASTAL VILLAGE IN CAN LOC DISTRICT, THE DISTRICT LYING BETWEEN NGHI XUAN AND THACH HA DISTRICTS, JUST NORTH OF HA TINH CITY. 6. COMMENT: THE CRASH SITE OF THIS AIRCRAFT IS NOT KNOWN. THE COORDINATES CONTAINED IN THE CASE FILE ARE THE ESTIMATED LOCATION OF THE LAST KNOWN RADIO CONTACT /****** BEGINNING OF SECTION 002 ******/ WITH THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE 1242 AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTY, THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE FLIGHT WERE NOT AWARE OF THE ABSENCE OF THIS AIRCRAFT UNTIL IT FAILED TO MAKE A RENDEZVOUS ON THE WAY BACK TO THE FLEET. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, SHOULD INVESTIGATION OF THE MR-4 DOCUMENT ENTRIES FAIL TO PROVIDE ANSWERS, IT APPEARS THAT THE ONLY WAY INFORMATION CONCERNING THE FATE OF THIS AIRCRAFT MAY BE OBTAINED IS BY SYSTEMATIC GEOGRAPHIC SEARCH. AD BT #1968 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED