[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 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) J 51 (1) J1(1) J032(3) J03(1) CDO(2) RECALLED/ RTD:000-000/COPIES:0013 878214/310 1 OF MATA0064 310/04:03Z 051102Z NOV 93 CSN:HQAA00074 FOR LDMX 316/19:08Z CDR JTF-FA HON 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 878214/310 2 OF MATA0064 310/04:03Z 0511021 NOV 93 CSN:HQAA00074 FOR LDMX CDR JTF-FA HON 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. // BT 878214/310 3 0F 3 MATA0064 310J04:03Z 051102Z NOV 93 CSN:HQAA00074 FOR LDMX CDR JTF-FA HON 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) RECALLED/ RTD:000-000/COPIES:0013 878232/310 1 OF 1 MATA0065 310/04:03Z 051102Z NOV 93 CSN:HQAA00074 FOR LDMX 316/19:09Z CDR JTF-FA HON