[0856-71.CM 02/25/96] [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 revelatin 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: CB, KOMPONG CHHNANG Province 8. REPORT NUMBER: 6 029 0856 71 2. SUBJECT: (U) US PW Sighting 9. DATE OF REPORT: 9 Aug 71 (handwritten-W31437) 10.NO. OF PAGES: 4 3. ISC NUMBER: 723.600 11.REFERENCES: DIRM: 1Q16, 6G3 BRIGHT LIGHT 4. DATE OF INFORMATION: Jan 71 12. ORIGINATOR: US Element, CMIC, USMACV 5. PLACE AND DATE OF ACQ: FANK, PHNOM PENH, CB 28 Ju 71 13. PREPARED BY: GEORGE C. WHITEHEAD SP5, USA 6. EVALUATION: SOURCE F INFORMATION 6 7. SOURCE: Returnee Interrogation 14. APPROVING AUTHORITY: (SIGNED) PAUL G. SPERO LTC, USA Dir, US Elm, CMIC 15. SUMMARY (C) This report contains information regarding the sighting of a US PW in a KHMER ROUGE prison camp, including the location and date of the sighting, limited circumstanceds of capture, description of the prisoner, and limited information regarding the treatment of the prisoner. THIS IS A BRIGHT LIGHT REPORT. MACV FOR JPRC. 1. (C) Background Information: a. Name: SOK THON, CMIC C-3740 b. Rank: None (KHMER ROUGE) c. Position and Unit of Assignment: Messenger; 1st Group, D-44 (NVA unit, echelon unknown), 120th (NVA unit, echelon unknown) d. DPOB: 1951; PHUH THIA Village, SROK BARAY District, KOMPONG THOM Province, CAMBODIA 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, CHUM SOK, living, Mother, TUY VOAN, living f. Circumstances of Return. On 6 Jul 71, Source rallied to the District Office, BAREBAU District, KOMPONG CHHNANG Province, CAMBODIA, because he was tired of the difficult living conditions and increased combat activity of his unit. He brought no weapons or documents. g. Significant Activities. Source attended school at his POB for three years, from 1960 to 1963, after which he sold ice cream at his POB. Source joined the KHMER ROUGE after being recruited and entered his unit on 17 Jun 70. He was assigned to the Raid Group (further designation unknown) subordinate to KOMPONG CHHNANG Province, located near KRA SANG DOH LOENG Village, SROK TUK PHOS District, KOMPONG CHHNANG Province, CAMBODIA. Source took eight months basic combat training with this unit, after which he was assigned to an unknown combat element of the 120th Unit (NVA, echelon and subordination unknown), in Feb 71, as a porter. In Apr 71, Source was assigned as a porter to the 19th Unit (echelon unknown), subordinate to the 120th Unit (echelon and subordination unknown). This unit was located in SRA JA NEAK (sic) District, KOMPONG SPEU Province, CAMBODIA. Source was assigned to the prison camp (designation unknown) located near KRA SANG DOH LOENG Village, SROK TUK PHOS District, KOMPONG CHHNANG Province, CAMBODIA, as a guard for one week in May 71. He was then assigned as a messenger to the 1st Group, D44 (NVA unit, echelon unknown), 120th (NVA unit, echelon and further subordination unknown). This unit operated throughout KOMPONG CHHNANG Province. Source remained in this unit until he rallied on 6 Jul 70. h. Additional References: CMIC PW/Rallier Exploitation Guide; Map: Joint Operations Graphic (ground) AMS Series 1501, Sheet MC48-6, Edition III dtd (unk), Scale 1:250,000 2. US PW Sighting: a. Circumstances of Sighting. While Source was engaged in basic training he was assigned as a temporary guard for a period of approximately ten days in mid-Jan 71, at a KHMER ROUGE prison camp located at (vic VU275200) near KRA SANG DOH LOENG Village, SROK TUK PHOS District, KOMPONG CHHNANG Province. Source's duty was to bring food and water to the interrogators and their prisoners during interrogations. Source say a US journalist being interrogated for approximately two hours. The interrogations was conducted by two KHMER ROUGE interrogators, one of whom spoke good English. After this interrogation, Source did not see the prisoner again, but heard about him from the other guards on several occasions. When Source's unit left this area in Feb 71, the US PW was still in the camp according to another member of Source's unit who had acted as a guard at the camp just prior to Source's reassignment. b. Capture Data. The Journalist was captured in the vicinity of Route 4 in Jan 71, by an unidentified NVA unit. He was turned over Page 3 of 4 to the KHMER ROUGE prison camp for internment (NFI). No other prisoners accompanied the journalist to the camp. c. Description of PW: (1) Name: Unknown (2) Occupation: Journalist (unknown agency) (3) Nationality, US (4) Height: Approximately six feet (5) Weight: Approximately 180 lbs (6) Color Hair: Brown (7) Color Eyes: Unknown (8) Race: Caucasian (9) Complexion: Fair, clear skin, hairy arms and chest (10) Hair: Approximately four inches in length, worn parted on the left side, neatly combed, reached to the collar in back; thick, dark moustache (11) Scars: None visible (12) Tattoos: None visible (13) Build: Medium (14) Age: Approximately 32 years (15) Glasses: The PW wore eyeglasses with gold wire frames and round lenses (16) Jewelry: Rings unknown; the PW wore a gold metal wrist watch with a large face and three knobs and a silver watch band (17) Clothing: The PW wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt, a black sport coat, a black tie, and dark green trousers. (18) Shoes: PW wore black leather shoes (type unknown) (19) Physical Condition: The journalist had been shot in the left forearm; the bullet passed through the arm without breaking any bones. The wound had been treated and the prisoner was in good health. (20) Equipment: The prisoner carried a blue, plastic briefcase (12 inches x 18 inches x 3 inches), and a black, plastic tape recorder (manufacture and model unknown). No cameras were seen by Source. Page 4 of 4 d. Treatment of the PW. The US PW was segregated from the majority of the other prisoners in this camp. He and two ARVN officers were housed separately in a large house by themselves. These men were given special diets, and the US PW was given one chicken per day in addition to his regular diet of rice and vegetables. No further information regarding the treatment of the prisoner was available, as the Source had no access to the house where the prisoner was kept. The prisoner seemed to be in good mental and physical condition and did not appear to be suffering (NFI). (U) COMMENTS: Source was cooperative during the interrogation and control questioning revealed no discrepancies in his response. Source had very little understanding of the organization of the units he belonged to, and seemed to pay very little attention to his work. Source seemed of lower than average intelligence. For information concerning the prison camp, see CMIC IR No 6 0855 71. [Distributed through the P.O.W. Network]