[0006-71.CM 02/28/96]
[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 0006 71
2. SUBJECT: (U) PW Sighting in BO 9. DATE OF REPORT: 7 Jan 72
TRACH District, QUANG BINH (handwritten-W32922)
Province, NVN
10. NO. OF PAGES: 4
3. ISC NUMBER: 723.600 11.REFERENCES: DIRM: 6G1, 6G3
SICR: D-7CX-49018,
D-6C2-26423
4. DATE OF INFORMATION: Apr 70 12. ORIGINATOR: US Element, CMIC, USMACV
5. PLACE AND DATE OF ACQ: CMIC, SAIGON, VS
13. PREPARED BY: CHARLES S. ASHLEY
PFC, USA
6. EVALUATION: SOURCE F INFORMATION 6
7. SOURCE: PW Interrogation 14. APPROVING AUTHORITY: (SIGNED)
LAVERN A. GUSTFSON
MAJ, USA
Actingg Dir, US Elm, CMIC
15. SUMMARY
(C) This report contains information concerning the sighting
of five US PW in BO TRACH District, QUANG BINH Province, NVN, to
include the circumstances of sighting, description of PW, and time
of sighting. THIS IS A BRIGHT LIGHT REPORT. MACV FOR JPRC.
1. (C) Background Information:
a. Name: TA NGOC TUNG (TAV, NGOCV TUNGL), CMIC 0419-71
b. Rank: SGT
c. Position and Unit of Assignment: Plat Ldr; 1st Plat, 1st Co,
13th Sapper Bn
d. DPOB: 1940; MINH THO Hamlet, MINH LOC Village, HAU LOC
District, THANH HOA 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 4
e. Parents' Names: Father, TA VAN TUNG (TAV, VEAN TUNGV), living;
Mother, HOANG THI BUOM (HOANGL, THIV BUOWMS), living
f. Circumstances of Capture. Source was captured on 21 Sep 71, while
returning to his unit's base camp at BA DEN Mountain, TAY NINH Province, RVN.
The 13th Sapper Battalion had attacked the TRONG LON Airfield during which
time Source was wounded. Due to his wounds, Source did not accompany the
battalion on its withdrawal. He was only able to walk slowly back to his
camp, and while returning, he was captured by an unknown ARVN element.
g. Significant Activities. In 1954, Source began three years of
schooling at the MINH LOC Village School in MINH LOC Village, HAU LOC
District, THANH HOA Province, NVN. After quitting school, he helped his
family on their farm. Source was married in 1959 and moved to EN Hamlet, CAM
THANH Village, CAM THUY District, THANH HOA Province, NVN. Source was drafted
in Feb 68, and was given basic training by the reconnaissance company of the
HONG VU Regiment (location unknown). From Set 68 to Mar 69, the members of
Source's unit alternated between one day of training and one day of aiding the
populace with crop production. In May 69, Source was transferred to the C-1
Sapper Company, D-206 Sapper Battalion, 305th Division (aka Sapper High
Command). The 305th Division was located in THACH THAT District, HA TAY
Province, NVN. While with this unit, Source received training in sapper
techniques. On 26 Mar 70, the entire D-206 Sapper Battalion (aka 2213th Infil
Gp) began infiltration south vis LAOS and CAMBODIA. Source was continually
plagued by relapses of malaria while infiltrating, and hospitalization caused
him to be separated from his infiltration group. The last stop before
rejoining his original infiltration group was the C-26 Company (subordination
unknown) located in PHUONG HO Village, KOMPONG CHAM Province, CAMBODIA. The
C-26 Company was responsible for sending personnel who had become sick or lost
while on infiltration south to their designated unit. Source was with the
C-26 Company from Dec 70 to Mar 71, when he was reassigned to the headquarters
of the 13th Sapper Battalion. Upon arrival at the unit's headquarters in May
71, Source was made platoon leader of a combat platoon. On 19 Sep 71, the
three companies of the 13th Sapper Battalion attacked the TRONG LON Airfield,
TAY NINH Province. Source was captured while returning to his base camp on 21
Sep 71.
h. Additional References: CMIC PW/Rallier Exploitation Guide;
MACV/JPRC Photographs of Missing and Captured Personnel in SEA Album, dtd 12
Sep 71; MACV/IDHS PW/MIA/CPT Biographic File; Map: VIETNAM, AMS Series L7014,
Sheet 6343 III, Edition 3, dtd 1968, Scale 1:50,000
2. PW Sighting in BO BRACH District, QUANG BINH Province, NVN. This
report is based on SICR D-7CX-49018 (Prisoner of War Intelligence) and SICR
D-7C2-26423 (POW Information, VN):
Page 3 of 4
a. Circumstances of Sighting. In Apr 70, Source was assigned to the C-1
Sapper Co, D-206 Sapper Bn, 305th Div. At the time of the PW sighting in Apr
70, Source was leaving Commo-liaison Station 3 (vic XD627634), BO TRACH
District, QUANG BING Province, NVN. He was beginning infiltration to the RVN
and, as he was marching out of Commo-liaison Station 3, Source passed five PW
escorted by two guards armed with AK-47s. Source viewed the PW for less than
a minute from a distance of less than five meters. He did not talk to any of
the PW or the guards.
b. Description of PW. Due to the short time Source was able to view the
PW, Source was unable to give a very detailed description of them. Source
assumed that all five PW were American. There were three Caucasian and two
Negro PW. The three Caucasian PW all had blonde hair and blue eyes (sic).
All five PW were unshaven. None of the PW wore glasses. One of the
Caucasian's was wearing a gold watch with a gold batch band on his left arm
(NFI). Source could not judge the height or weight of the PW. He did
however, describe all 5 PW as very large and muscular. Source could not judge
the age of the PW because it was the first time he had ever seen any
Americans; therefore, Source would not even try to estimate their ages.
(Interrogators' Note: Source overestimated interrogators age by nine years.)
Source observed no tattoos, birthmarks, or other physical characteristics on
any of the PW.
(1) Clothing Worn by PW. All five PW were wearing green fatigues.
There were no name plates, unit designations, or any type of patches on the
fatigues. There was no rank on the collar, shoulder, or sleeves of the
fatigues, and Source could see no military insignia of any type on any of the
fatigues. Source could not give a description of the footwear of the PW.
Source believed that the fatigue uniform worn by the PW was the type given to
PW on the B-3 Liberation Front, CAMBODIA.
b. Description of Fatigues Worn by PW. The fatigues were not of the
loose fitting jungle type with the large pockets, but instead were similar to
the type of fatigues worn by US Army personnel within CONUS.
(2) Physical Condition of the PW. All PW appeared to be in good
health and had no visible wounds. They appeared to be calm, but seemed to
look very depressed. It appeared to Source that the PW had not been
mistreated in any way.
c. Capture Data. Source did not know the location of capture for the
PW. When Source saw them, they were passing through Commo-liaison Station 3
(vic XD627634), and seemed to be coming form the direction of Commo-liaison
Station 4; therefore, Source assumed that the PW were being brought to NVN by
way of the 559th Infiltration Route.
Page 4 of 4
d. Biographical Correlation and Photo Identification. Source could not
identify any of the PW from photographs. Source was shown the MACV/JPRC
Photographs of Missing and Captured Personnel in SEA Album, dtd 12 Sep 71, but
did not recognize any of them. Due to the unknown names and location and date
of capture, it was impossible to make a correlation between capture data and
the MACV/IDHS PW/MIA/CPT Biographical File, dtd 16 Jul 71.
(U) COMMENTS: Source was cooperative throughout the interrogation and
volunteered information on occasion. He was administered the Cross-Cultural
IQ Test and scored Average (19). His responses to control questions revealed
no attempt at deception. This report partially satisfies the requirements of
SICR D-7CX-49018 and SICR D-6C2-36423.
[Distributed through the P.O.W. Network]