[020002Z.OH 07/28/96]
ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
R 020002Z NOV ZYB PSN 878162P32
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP:RSA//
INFO WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5// USCINC-PAC LO WASHINGTON-DC
DIA WASHINGTON DC USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/EAP/VLC/CCS/OCS//
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H//
UNCLAS //N03460//
SECTION 01 OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA/J252//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, NGUYEN NGOC CHANH//
REF/A/FAX/DET 2/30OCT93//
66
AMPN/SUBJ: ENTRY NUMBER 45[STRUCK] LIST OF 83 INTERVIEW REQUESTS//
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF AN ORAL HISTORY
PROJECT FIELD REPORT//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 13 OCTOBER 1993, THE JOINT PRIORITY CASE
INVESTIGATION TEAM (PCIT) INTERVIEWED DR. NGUYEN NGOC CHANH, A 63
YOA QUI NHON CITY, BINH DINH PROVINCE RESIDENT. DR. CHANH
CURRENTLY WORKS PART TIME IN A LOCAL DISPENSARY. HE IS FORMER
COMMANDER OF THE PAVN 2ND DIVISION'S (DIV) MEDICAL BATTALION (BN)
(AKA GK38), WHICH OPERATED IN QUANG NAM-DANANG AND QUANG NGAI
PROVINCES DURING THE WAR. THE TEAM MET IN A CONFERENCE ROOM OF
THE QUI NHON TOURIST HOTEL IN QUI NHON CITY, BINH DINH PROVINCE
TO INTERVIEW DR. CH&NH, LISTED IN REFERENCE AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE
OF INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION IN
VIETNAM. THE U.S. CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF MSGT [XXXX][XXXX]
J2(1)...INFO FOR USCINCPAC HONOLULU H(13) 00499/17/1291
J30-M(1)J3(1) 00-01-04(1) WWMCS(0) MDT(0) LRN061PCMT(0) J52(1)
J51(1) J1(-1) J032(3) J03(1) CD0(2)
RECALLED/ RTD:000-000/COPIES:0013
878162/310 1 OF MATA0062 310/03:46Z 020002Z NOV 93
[XXXX] PCIT TEAM LEADER; AND [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX]DIA ANALYST/
LINGUIST. THE VIETNAMESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONSISTED
OF LTC PHAM TEO, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE: AND MR. NGUYEN THE CONG,
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR. NGUYEN NGOC CHANH HAD BEEN INTERVIEWED BY
A JOINT TEAM BEFORE.
2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE, DR. NGUYEN NGOC CHANH, SUMMARIZED
HIS MILITARY CAREER, HIS TIME AS A SURGEON IN PAVN 1ST REGIMENT
(REGT] MEDICAL FACILITIES, AND AS COMMANDER OF THE PAVN 2ND DIV'S
GK38 HOSPITAL. HE DESCRIBED TREATING A FRENCH-SPEAKING AMERICAN, WHO
WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED, AT A 1ST REGT MEDICAL FACILITY IN 1964.
THIS INFORMATION CORRELATES TO CASE 0016, A RESOLVED CASE. IN 1967
AT A 1ST REGT MOBILE MEDICAL FACILITY, CHANH TREATED A BLACK
AMERICAN SOLDIER WHO SUBSEQUENTLY DIED AND WAS BURIED THERE.
HE COULD PROVIDE NO EXACT LOCATION FOR THE BURIAL SITE.
THIS INFORMATION POSSIBLY CORRELATES TO CASE 0728, AN UNRESOLVED
CASE. DR. CHANH CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S. PERSONNEL,
LIVING FREELY OR AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.
3. DETAILS. AFTER FORMAL INTRODUCTIONS DURING WHICH LTC PHAM
TEO EXPLAINED THE JOINT TEAM'S MISSION, THE WITNESS PROVIDED THE
FOLLOWING:
A. NGUYEN NGOC CHANH (NGUYEENX NGOCJ CHANH) SERVED AS A
SURGEON: FOR THE PAVN 1ST REGIMENT (REGT] PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF
AMERICAN FORCES IN 1964. HE WAS WITH THE 1ST REGT WHEN IT JOINED
WITH TWO NEWLY MOBILIZED REGT'S, THE 21ST AND 31ST. TO FORM THE PAVN
2ND DIV IN JUNE OR JULY OF 1968, HE WAS APPOINTED COMMANDER OF
THE 2ND DIV'S MEDICAL BN, GK38, WHERE HE SERVED UNTIL MID 1969. HE
WAS THEN SENT TO NORTH VIETNAM WHERE HE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL
TRAINING, WHEN CHANH RETURNED SOUTH IN 1972, HE TOOK OVER AS COMMANDER
OF THE 341ST DIV'S MEDICAL BN WHICH WAS LOCATED IN VINH LINH,
DISTRICT, QUANG TRI PROVINCE. HE REMAINED IN THIS POSITION THROUGH
LIBERATION IN 1975, THEN RETURNED TO UI NHON CITY, BINN DINH
PROVINCE, WHERE HE WORKED IN THE CITY'S HOSPITAL 13. CHANH
OFFICIALLY RETIRED IN 1986 BUT CONTINUES TO WORK PART TIME IN A
LOCAL COMMUNITY DISPENSARY.
B. THROUGHOUT CHANH'S MEDICAL CAREER, HE ONLY ENCOUNTERED 10
AMERICANS. THE FIRST AMERICAN WAS BROUGHT IN TO THE 1ST REGT'S
MEDICAL FACILITY SUFFERING FROM MALARIA SOMETIME IN 1964. CHANH
HEARD THAT THE AMERICAN WAS CAPTURED WHILE TRAVELING IN A JEEP
NEAR TAM KY (TAM KYE), VILLAGE (BT3022), TIEN PHUOC (TIEEN
PHUOCS) DISTRICT, QUANG-NAM-DANANG, PROVINCE. THE AMERICAN WAS
ON A DIET OF NOURISHING FOOD AND SOON RECOVERED.
C. CHANH COULD ONLY RECALL THAT THE AMERICAN WAS A CAUCASIAN WHO
WAS CONVERSANT IN FRENCH. DURING THE AMERICAN'S MONTH-LONG STAY
AT THE DISPENSARY, CHANH, WHO ALSO SPEAKS FRENCH, HELD A NUMBER
OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRISONER. AFTER FULLY RECOVERING, THE
AMERICAN WAS GIVEN A NEW SET OF CLOTHES, A STRAW HAT, AND TAKEN
TO PHUOC-NG0C (PHWOCS NGOCJ) VILLAGE (UNLOCATED), DIEN PHUOC
DISTRICT, WHERE HE WAS RELEASED NEAR THE PHUOC NGOC
878162/310 2 OF MATA0062 310/01:46Z 020002Z NOV 93
MILITARY CAMP.
D. SOMETIME DURING HID TO LATE 1967, PRIOR TO THE 1968 TET
OFFENSIVE, CHANH MET A SECOND AMERICAN WHO HAD RECEIVED A SEVERE
SHRAPNEL WOUND TO THE ABDOMEN. AT THAT TIME, CHANH COMMANDED A
MOBILE MEDICAL COMPANY WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE 1-ST REGT INTO COMBAT.
CHANH HEARD THE AMERICAN HAD BEEN PART OF A LARGE CONTINGENT OF U.S.
TROOPS WHICH HAD BEEN AIRLIFTED INTO AN AREA ON HON DAU MOUNTAIN
(NUIS HONF ZAAUF - UNLOCATED) ABOUT ONE-HALF KILOMETER FROM THE 1ST
REGT'S HQ.
E. THE AMERICAN WAS BROUGHT IN DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
CHANH'S SURGICAL TEAM OPERATED ON HIM UNTIL WELL AFTER DARK. LATER
THAT EVENING, THE AMERICAN BRIEFLY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, THEN
DIED DURING THE NIGHT. CHANH COULD ONLY RECALL THAT THE AMERICAN
WAS BLACK, YOUNG AND VERY ATHLETIC LOOKING, APPROXIMATELY 1.7
METERS TALL, WITH A MEDIUM BUILD.
F. THE AMERICAN'S BODY WAS TURNED OVER TO THE POLICY BRANCH
OF THE REGIMENT'S POLITICAL SECTION FOR BURIAL. CHANH WAS
UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE BURIAL BUT ASSUMED THE
STANDARD PROCEDURES, WHICH INCLUDED A SKETCH INDICATING THE GRAVE
SITE LOCATION, WERE FOLLOWED. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT GRAVE SITE
SKETCHES, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER RECORDS, WERE LATER
DESTROYED. ON THE SAME DAY, THE U.S. SOLDIER WAS BURIED, CHANH'S
UNIT ACCOMPANIED THE 1ST REGT'S RETREAT AND HE NEVER RETURNED TO
THIS AREA. HE COULD PROVIDE NO EXACT INFORMATION ON THE LOCATION
OF THE MOBILE MEDICAL FACILITY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE
AMERICAN WAS THE ONLY PATIENT WHO DIED AND WAS BURIED WHILE THE
MEDICAL TEAM WAS IN THAT LOCATION.
G. HON DAU MOUNTAIN ACTED AS A SANCTUARY FOR THE 1ST REGT
DURING THIS PERIOD, WITH UNITS DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. U.S.
FORCES DID NOT MAINTAIN A CONSTANT PRESENCE IN THE AREA BUT, FROM
TIME TO TIME, RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT DETECTED ACTIVITY AND CALLED
IN AIR OR ARTILLERY STRIKES. THESE STRIKES WOULD NORMALLY BE
FOLLOWED UP BY U.S. TROOP INSERTIONS OR B-52 STRIKES.
H. WITH REGARD TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND PERSONNEL
ASSIGNED TO THE 1 ST REGT'S MOBILE SURGICAL TEAM, CHANH STATED THE
POLITICAL OFFICER, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF BURIALS, WAS THANH (THANNJ)
(NFI). HE VAGUELY RECALLED THAT THANH WAS ORIGINALLY FROM QUANG
NAM-DANANG PROVINCE BUT HE HAD NOT BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE FORMER
POLITICAL OFFICER SINCE MID-1968. CHANH
//
BT
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ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
UNCLAS //N03460//
FINAL SECTION OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA/J252//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, NGUYEN NGOC CHANH/
RMKS/
ESTIMATED THAT IF STILL ALIVE,THANH WOULD NOW BE APPROXIMATELY
60 YOA. HE WAS UNABLE TO NAME ANYONE ELSE WHO WORKED
IN THE UNIT'S POLITICAL SECTION. THE COMMANDER OF THE 1ST REGT
DURING THIS PERIOD WAS NGUYEN CHON (TELEGRAPHIC SPELLING UNKNOWN),
AND THE REGIMENT'S POLITICAL OFFICER WAS TUNG (TUNGF). HE HAD NO
CURRENT INFORMATION ON EITHER OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. THE DIVISION'S
MAIN MEDICAL FACILITY, GK38, WAS LOCATED WELL BEHIND THE FRONT
LINES, AWAY FROM WHERE CHANH'S UNIT NORMALLY OPERATED. HIS TEAM
TREATED SERIOUSLY WOUNDED TROOPS FIRST, THEN HAD THEM TRANSPORTED
TO GK38.
I. WHEN CHANH TOOK OVER AS COMMANDER OF THE 2ND DIV'S GK38
HOSPITAL, HE REPLACED NGUYEN KIM TU (NGUYEENX KIM TWJ), WHO
TRANSFERRED TO MR5. TWO OTHER DOCTORS ON THE GK38 STAFF WERE
NGUYEN HUU NG0 (NGUYEENX HWUX NGOO) AND PHAN (NFI). CHANH WAS
UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT WHEREABOUTS OR
STATUS OF EITHER OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.
J. AT NO TIME DURING HIS TENURE AS THE COMMANDER OF GK38 WERE
AMERICANS BROUGHT IN FOR TREATMENT HE FELT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THE
DIVISION'S MEDICAL BN WOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED UPON TO TREAT
AMERICANS CAPTURED IN COMBAT, SINCE THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE
FACILITY WAS CONVALESCENCE. CHANH CONSIDERED IT MUCH MORE LIKELY
THAT FRONT LINE SURGICAL TEAMS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A POSITION TO
TREAT SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AMERICANS, AND ONLY PW'S CAPTURED NEAR
DIVISION HQ WOULD HAVE RECEIVED TREATMENT AT GK38.
K. CHANH WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON PERSONNEL WHO
WORKED FOR THE MOBILE SURGICAL TEAMS FROM THœ DIVISION'S OTHER TWO
REGIMENT'S, THE 21ST AND 31ST. HE ADMITTED THAT HE HAD MET A FEW OF
THESE INDIVIDUALS AT PERIODIC CONFERENCES DURING THE WAR BUT NEVER
BECAME VERY WELL ACQUAINTED WITH ANY OF THEM.
4. CORRELATIONS TO PW/MIA CASES. NGUYEN NGOC CHANH'S STATEMENTS
J2(1) ...INFO FOR USCINCPAC HONOLULU H(13) 00499/17/1291
J30-M(1) J3(1) 00-01-04(1) WWMCS(O) MDT(0) LRN061PCMT(0) J52(1 )
JS1(1) J1(-1) J032(3) J03(1) CDO(2)
RECALLED/ RTD :000-000/COPIES: 0013
878163/310 1 OF MATA0063 310/03:46Z 0200027 NOV 93
CONCERNING THE BLACK AMERICAN PRISONER POSSIBLY CORRELATE TO CASE
0728 BASED ON GENERAL TIME FRAME, PROVINCE AND GENERAL AREA OF
LOSS, GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS, AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE
PRISONER TO INCLUDE HIS WOUND.
5. POTENTIAL LEADS. NONE.
6. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE.
7. COMMENTS.
A. DR. CHANH WAS COOPERATIVE AND EAGER TO ASSIST THE PCIT IN
ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THIS CASE. HIS ANSWERS WERE SPONTANEOUS AND
HE WAS VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE INTERVIEWER. AT NO TIME DURING THE
INTERVIEW DID HE APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN COACHED OR OTHERWISE PREPARED
FOR THE INTERVIEW. ASSESS THIS SOURCE'S RELIABILITY TO BE GOOD.
B. REQUEST THE VNOSMP MAKE NGUYEN NGOC CHANH AVAILABLE FOR
RE-INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.//
BT
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