[051102Z.OH 07/28/96]
ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
R 051102Z NOV 93 ZYB PSN 87821 4P30
FM CDR JTFFA HONOLULU HI//JZ/J
TO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP:RSA//
INFO WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5// DIA WASHINGTON DC
USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/EAP/YLC/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//
AMPN/SUBJ: INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, NGUYEN KIM TU//
REF/A/PAX/DET 2/290CT93//
AMPN/ENTRY NUMBER 68, LIST OF 83 INTERVIEW REQUESTS//
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF AN ORAL
HISTORY PROJECT FIELD REPORT//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 9 OCTOBER 1993, THE JOINT PRIORITY CASE
INVESTIGATION TEAM (PCIT) INTERVIEWED DR. NGUYEN KIN TU, A 66 YOA
NHA TRANG CITY, KHANH HOA PROVINCE, RESIDENT. DR. TU IS FORMER
COMMANDER Of THE PAVN 2ND DIVISION'S (DIV) GK38 HOSPITAL, WHICH
OPERATED IN QUANG NAM-DANANG AND QUANG NGAI PROVINCES DURING THE
WAR. THE TEAM MET IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE VIEN DONG HOTEL,
NHA TRANG CITY, TO INTERVIEW DR. TU, 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][XXXX], PCIT TEAM LEADER; AND [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX] DIA
ANALYST/LINGUIST. THE VIETNAMESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT
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CONSISTED OF LTC PHAM TEO, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE; AND NGUYEN THE CONG,
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR. NGUYEN KIM TU HAD NOT BEEN INTERVIEWED BY A
JOINT TEAM BEFORE.
2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE, NGUYEN KIM TU. PROVIDED CREDIBLE
BACKROUND INFORMATION ON HIS MILITARY CAREER AND HIS ACTIVITIES AT
THE PAVN 2ND DIV'S MEDICAL BATTALION (AKA GK38) IN QUANG NAM-DANANG
PROVINCE. SPECIFICALLY, HE RECOUNTED AN INCIDENT IN WHICH HE
TREATED A U.S. PRISONER Of WAR (PW) AT GK38. THIS INFORMATION
CORRELATES TO CASE 0678-1-02. A RESOLVED CASE. HE NEITHER
ENCOUNTERED NOR HEARD OF ANY OTHER U.S. PRISONERS DURING THE WAR.
DR. TU CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S. PERSONNEL, LIVING FREELY OF
AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.
3. DETAILS.
A. NGUYEN KIM TU (NGUYEENX KIN TWJ), A NATIVE OF NGHE AN
PROVINCE, ATTAINED THE POSITION OF SURGEON SECOND CLASS GRADUATING
FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL IN NORTH VIETNAM IN 1964. HE ASSUMED COMMAND OF
THE PAVN 2ND DIV'S GK38 MEDICAL BATTALION IN OCTOBER 1965. AT THAT
TIME, GK38 WAS LOCATED IN BA GIA DISTRICT OF QUANG NGAI PROVINCE. IN
NOVEMBER OF 1969, TU WAS REASSIGNED TO THE C17 HOSPITAL WHICH SERVED
ALL OF MILITARY REGION 5. IN 1972, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A SPECIAL UNIT
DESIGNATED THE "7 NOVEMBER DIV", WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL 1973, WHEN
THE PARIS PEACE ACCORDS WERE SIGNED. TU THEN RETURNED TO NORTH
VIETNAM TO STUDY FOR HIS SURGEON FIRST CLASS DEGREE. IN FEBRUARY
1975. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO PAVN GROUP 773 WHICH WAS THEN OPERATING
ALONG THE VIETNAM-CAMBODIA BORDER. IN JULY 1975, TU WAS REASSIGNED
TO PAVN FRONT 579, WHICH WOULD LATER CONDUCT OPERATIONS IN THE
VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, LAO TRI-BORDER AREA. HE LATER HELD A NUMBER
OF OTHER POSITIONS IN THE MILITARY MEDICAL CAREER FIELD BEFORE
RETIRING IN 1990.
B. DURING HIS TENURE AS COMMANDER OF GK38, THE HOSPITAL
TREATED A LARGE VOLUME OF PATIENTS COMPRISED MAINLY OF MEMBERS OF
THE PAVN 2ND DIV. TO RECALLED THAT OCCASIONALLY REPUBLIC OF
VIETNAM PW'S WERE ALSO BROUGHT IN FOR TREATMENT BUT HE COULD ONLY
RECALL ONE INSTANCE IN WHICH AN AMERICAN PRISONER RECEIVED
TREATMENT THERE. THIS PW CAME TO GK38 SHORTLY AFTER THE TET
OFFENSIVE. IN FEBRUARY 1968. BY THIS TIME. THE HOSPITAL WAS
SITUATED NEAR THE THANH RIVER IN TIEM PHUOC-DISTRICT, QUANG
NAM-DANANG PROVINCE.
C. TU DESCRIBED THE AMERICAN AS CAUCASIAN, APPROXIMATELY
26-27 YOA, WITH A SLENDER BUILD. THE AMERICAN HAD SUSTAINED A
MINOR BULLET WOUND WHICH ENTERED THE FLESHY AREA OF THE WAIST AND
EXITED THE UPPER BUTTOCKS REGION. ALTHOUGH TU PERSONALLY TREATED
THIS AMERICAN'S WOUND, HE WAS UNABLE TO RECALL ANY OTHER
DISTINGUISHING FEATURE WITH REGARD TO HIS APPEARANCE.
D. THE AMERICAN WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS AND
WAS THEN TURNED OVER TO SOLDIERS FROM AN UNIDENTIFIED UNIT. DURING
HIS STAY. THE AMERICAN FILLED OUT A MEDICAL TREATMENT REPORT IN
WHICH HE INDICATED THAT HIS HOME STATE WAS PUERTO RICO. TU WAS
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UNABLE TO RECALL ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS REGARDING THIS REPORT OTHER
THAN IT REFERRED TO THE AMERICAN AS A PW. HE DID NOT KNOW WHO HAD
RECEIVED THE REPORT OR IF RECORDS SUCH AS THIS SURVIVED THE WAR.
E. DURING THE AMERICAN'S STAY AT GK38, THE FACILITY RELOCATED
CONSTANTLY. THIS WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE U.S. HAD USED DEFOLIANTS
THROUGHOUT THE AREA WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO CONCEAL THE HOSPITAL'S
LOCATION. DESPITE THIS, TU STATED IT WAS UNECESSARY TO POST A GUARD
DIRECTLY ON THE PW DUE TO HIS WEAKENED CONDITION AND ALSO BECAUSE OF
THE TIGHT SECURITY IN AND AROUND THE FACILITY. OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE
HAD CONTACT WITH THE AMERICAN DURING HIS STAY INCLUDED RUOU (RWOUJ),
80 (BOOJ), AND NAM (NAM) WHO SERVED AS NURSES DURING THAT PERIOD,
THE HOSPITAL'S DEPUTY COMMANDER, NGUYEN VAN HIEU (NGUYEENX
VAWN-HIEEUJ)s AND THE HOSPITAL'S POLITICAL OFFICER, HAI (HAIR). TU
BELIEVED THAT THE NURSES WERE ALL ORIGINALLY FROM QUANG NAM-DANANG,
BUT HE HAD NOT MAINTAINED CONTACT WITH ANY OF THEM THEREFORE HE COULD
NOT OFFER INFORMATION--AS TO THEIR CURRENT LOCATION-OR STATUS. HE
ESTIMATED THAT, IF STILL ALIVE, THEY WOULD ALL BE APPROXIMATELY 5O
YOA. TU WAS ALSO UNAWARE OF THE CURRENT LOCATION OF EITHER HIEU OR
HAI.
F. TU POSSESSED NO KNOWLEDGE WITH REGARD TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OR LOCATION OF THE AMERICAN'S CAPTURE OR HIS SUBSEQUENT FATE AFTER
LEAVING THE HOSPITAL. HE VAGUELY RECALLED HEARING RUMORS THAT THE
AMERICAN HAS A PILOT, BUT HE QUESTIONED THE ACCURACY OF THIS
INFORMATION. HE CLAIMED THAT, ASIDE FROM THIS SINGLE INDIVIDUAL, NO
OTHER AMERICANS RECEIVED TREATMENT AT GK38 WHILE HE WAS ASSIGNED
THERE. FINALLY, NGUYEN VAN TU CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S.
PERSONNEL, LIVING FREELY OR AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE
1973.
4. CORRELATIONS TO PW/MIA CASES. NGUYEN KIM TU'S STATEMENT
CORRELATES TO CASE 0678-1-02 BASED ON GENERAL TIME FRAME, GEOGRAPHIC
PROXIMITY TO INCIDENT LOCATION,AND THE PRISONERS PROBABLE ETHNIC
BACKGROUND. HIS STATEMENTS ALSO CORROBORATE HELL WITH OTHER
WITNESSES' INFORMATION ON CASE 0678-1-02 (NGUYEN VAN CHAU -
INTERVIEWED BY THE PCIT ON 9 SEP 93; NGUYEN VAN HIEU INTERVIEWED BY
AN ORAL HISTORY TEAM ON 1:2 SEP 93; AND NGUYEN HONG SON -
INTERVIEWED BY AN ORAL HISTORY TEAM ON 20 SEP 93).
5. POTENTIAL LEADS: NONE.
6. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE.
7. COMMENTS.
//
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ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
UNCLAS //NO3460
FINAL SECTION OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA//
RMKS/
A. DR. NGUYEN KIM TU OFFERED HIS STATEMENTS IN-A
STRAIGHTFORWARD, RELAXED MANNER WITH NO SIGN OF COACHING OR
SCRIPTING ASSESS THIS SOURCE'S RELIABILITY TO BE GOOD.
B. REQUEST THE VNOSMP HAKE NGUYEN KIM TO AVAILABLE FOR RE-
INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.//
BT
12(1) INFO FOR USCINCPAC HONOLULU H(13) 00499/17/1291
J30-H(1) J3(1) 00-01-04(1) WWMCS(0) MDT(0) LRN061PCMT(0) J52(1)
J51(1) J1 (1) J032(3) J03(1) CDO(2)
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