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R 051936Z JAN 94
FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEALGX/SAFE
R 031802Z JAN 94 ZYB
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO REUKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP:RSA//
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/EAP/VLC/CCS/OCS//
RRUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5//
RUHQHQB/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
RUEKJCS/USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUHVAAA/CDRUSCILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H//
RUEBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
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//N03460
SECTION 01 OF 03
THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE
BODY
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA//
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF AN ORAL
HISTORY PROJECT FIELD REPORT//
AMPN/SUBJ: INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, NGUYEN DINH TRANG//
REF/A/FAX/JTF-FA DET 2/30DEC93//AMPN/SUBJ: ENTRY NUMBER 67, LIST OF 83
INTERVIEW REQUESTS//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 6 DECEMBER 1993, A JOINT U.S./VIETNAM ORAL
HISTORY PROGRAM INTERVIEW TEAM INTERVIEWED NGUYEN DINH TRANG, A
67 YEAR OLD RESIDENT OF NUI THANH DISTRICT, QUANG NAM - DA NANG
PROVINCE. MR. TRANG IS A FORMER ENEMY PROSELYTIZING CADRE OF THE
1ST REGIMENT, 2ND PVAN DIVISON. THE TEAM MET AT THE NUI THANH
DISTRICT PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE HEADQUARTERS TO INTERVIEW MR. TRANG,
LISTED IN REFERENCE AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERING
U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION IN VIETNAM. THE U.S. CONTINGENT
CONSISTED OF TSGT RONALD D. WARD, JTF-FA ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM
COORDINATOR; AND PO2 JOHN L. HARVEY, JFT-FA ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM
VIETNAMESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONISTED OF COL LE KY,
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE; AND MR. NGUYEN VAN THANG LOI, MINISTRY OF
INTERIOR. MR. TRANG HAD NOT BEEN INTERVIEWED BY A JOINT TEAM BEFORE.
2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE, NGUYEN DINH TRANG, PROVIDED A GENERAL
OVERVIEW OF HIS CAREER WITH THE ENEMY PROSELYTIZING OFFICES OF THE
1ST REGIMENT, 2ND PAVN DIVISION AND MR5 HEADQUARTERS. HE PROVIDED
INFORMATION PROBABLY CORRELATING TO PRIORITY CASE 0728, AS WELL AS
PAGE: 0014
GENERAL INFORMATION CONCERNING PAVN EFFORTS BETWEEN 1975 AND 1977
TO RECOVER U.S. REMAINS IN MR5. MR. TRANG CLAIMED TO HAVE LIVED WITH
BOBBY GARWOOD FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AND PROVIDED THE JOINT
TEAM WITH AN OVERVIEW OF MR. GARWOOD'S ACTIVITIES AS AN MR5 ENEMY
PROSELYTIZING CADRE.
3. DETAILS.
A. AFTER FORMAL INTRODUCTIONS, COL LE KY EXPLAINED THE JOINT TEAM'S
MISSON AND TSGT WARD INVITED MR. NGUYEN DINH TRANG (NGUYEENX
DINHF TRANG) TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION HE MAY HAVE CONCERNING U.S.
SOLIDERS WHO MAY HAVE BECOME MISSING AS A RESULT OF THE WAR IN
VIETNAM. MR. TRANG PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
B. MR. TRANG JOINED THE PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM (PAVN) IN 1960. HE
WORKED AS AN ENEMY PROSELYTIZING CADRE IN THE 1ST REGIMENT, 2ND
PAVN DIVISON UNTIL THE LIBERATION OF SOUTH VIETNAM IN 1975. WHEN HE
TRANSFERRED TO MILITARY REGION (MR5) HEADQUARTERS. HE SAID THAT
AFTER 1977 HE TRANSFERRED AGAIN TO A PAVN UNIT OPERATING IN
CAMBODIA AND RETIRED IN 1986.
C. A U.S. SOLIDER WAS CAPTURED ON 12 DECEMBER 1963. HE COULD NOT
RECALL THE PRISONER'S CAPTURE OR IMPRISONMENT LOCATION, BUT DID SAY
THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS A ROAD CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER WITH THE
RANK OF CORPORAL. HAD BLOND HAIR, WHITE SKIN, AND WAS VERY YOUNG.
BECAUSE THERE WERE NO SPECIALIZED HOLDING FACILITIES FOR PRISONERS IN
THE SOUTH, THIS PW WAS HELD IN AN OPERATIONAL MILITARY CAMP. AFTER
SIX MONTHS OF CAPTIVITY, THE PW BEGAN TO WEAKEN AND WAS RELEASED.
D. BOBBY GARWOOD, REFERRED TO BY MR. TRANG AS "BOB" AND "NGUYEN
CHIEN DAU" (NGUYEENX CHIEENS DAAUS), LIVED WITH MR. TRANG FOR
APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS. HE FIRST MET MR. GARWOOD IN 1966 AFTER MR.
GARWOOD "SURRENDERED". MR. TRANG EMPHASIZED THAT THEY MET ON A
DAILY BASIS. MR. GARWOOD COULD COOK ALMOST AS WELL AS A
VIETNAMESE COOK AND HAD WRITTEN HIM A LETTER FROM THE U.S.
SOMETIME AFTER 1978. IN THE BEGINNING, MR. MR. GARWOOD COULD NOT
SPEAK VIETNAMESE, BUT HE LEARNED. MR. TRANG RECALLED THAT BEFORE
JOINING THE PAVN, MR. GARWOOD HAD BEEN A DRIVER IN THE U.S. 3RD
MARINE DIVISION WITH THE RANK OF CORPORAL.
(1) MR. GARWOOD WORKED FOR THE MR5 ENEMY PROSELYTIZING OFFICE
(EPO) UNTIL HE WENT TO THE NORTH IN 1971. HE WAS AS MUCH A PAVN
MEMBER AS THE VIETNAMESE SOLIDERS WERE; HE WORE A PAVN UNIFORM,
CARRIED AN "AK" TYPE WEAPON, WENT ON MILITARY OPERATIONS, AND WAS A
COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBER. MR. GARWOOD BECAME A VALUABLE
PROPAGANDA TOOL, WRITING PAMPHLETS, AND AT TIMES TRAVELING NEAR
U.S. CAMPS TO USE LOUDSPEAKER TO PROPAGANDIZE U.S. FORCES. NORMALLY
MR. GARWOOD WAS FREE TO TRAVEL ALONE, BUT WHENEVER HE TRAVELED
CLOSE TO THE U.S. CAMPS, HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY PAVN SOLIDERS, FOR
SAFETY. MR. TRANG ALSO EXPLAINED THAT MR. GARWOOD DID NOT HAVE A
RANK WHILE WORKING IN THE SOUTH. IN THE SOUTH, IT WAS AN INDIVIDUAL'S
POSITION WHICH GAVE HIM AUTHORITY, NOT RANK. RANKS WERE ONLY USED
IN NORTH VIETNAM IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE WAR.
(2) CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF TRAVELING DONE BY MR. GARWOOD AND
HIS DUTIES, WHICH INCLUDED ASKING U.S. PRISONERS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
STATUS OF U.S. FORCES AND THEIR FAMILIES,MR. TRANG OPINED, HE SHOULD
BE ABLE TO GIVE THE GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS FOR MANY
INCIDENTS (SEE PARA 7C). MR. TRANG LATER SAID THAT MR. GARWOOD HAD
MET WITH ONLY A FEW PRISONERS. MR. GARWOOD DID NOT ENGAGE U.S.
FORCES IN COMBAT AND WAS NEVER WOUNDED IN COMBAT, HOWEVER HE
WAS SLIGHTLY WOUNDED ONCE IN 1968 OR 69 BY U.S. BOMBING. HE HAD ALSO
HEARD THAT MR. GARWOOD WAS HURT ONCE IN 1966 WHEN A U.S. PW, A
SERGEANT, STRUCK HIM IN THE BACK. WHEN ASKED IF MR. GARWOOD EVER
HAD BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY A BLACK FRIEND OR ANY OTHER AMERICANS, MR.
TRANG SAID HE HAD NOT.
E. MR. TRANG RECALLED SEEING A WOUNDED U.S. SERGEANT AT THE 1ST
REGIMENT'S MOBILE SURGICAL UNIT DURING THE DRY SEASON OF 1966
FOLLOWING A BATTLE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE VE RIVER (VER) (BS6255).
NOT VERY TALL OR HEAVY, AND FULLY CLOTHED. THE SERGEANT HAD BEEN
WOUNDED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS BELLY AND HAD A BULLET REMOVED BY A
DOCTOR NAMED CHANH. MR. TRANG RECALLED THAT THE PW HAD WANTED
THE BULLET AS A SOUVENIR. THE PW DIED FIVE DAYS AFTER THE OPERATION
AND WAS BURIED AT THE MOBILE SURGICAL UNIT. THE MOBILE SURGICAL
UNIT WAS 500 TO 600 METERS FROM THE END OF A STREAM NEAR HO CA (HOOS
CAR) (BS603575), HAN DUNG HAMLET, NGHIA HANH DISTRICT. MR. TRANG,
WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE BURIAL, DID NOT KNOW IF THERE WERE
ALSO PAVN SOLIDER'S GRAVES LOCATED IN THIS AREA, BUT HE SAID THAT IT
WAS POSSIBLE DUE TO A NUMBER OF PAVN KILLED IN THE BATTLE. AT THIS
TIME THE 1ST REGIMENT'S HEADQUARTERS WAS LOCATED ON A MOUNTAIN
"ABOVE" HO CA (SEE PARA7D). WHEN ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE
LOCATIONS OF DAU MOUNTAIN (NUIS ZAUUF) AND HOSPITAL B25, MR. TRANG
SAID THAT DAU MOUNTAIN WAS NEAR HANH THEIN (BS6154) IN QUANG NGAI
PROVINCE AND HE HAS NEVER HEARD OF HOSPITAL B25. (MAPS
//
/BEGINNING OF SECTION 002/
RMKS/
USED: SERIES L7014, EDITION 3-DMA, SHEET 6738-1 AND PEOPLE'S ARMY OF
VIETNAM MAP SECTION 49, SERIAL U.T.M. 6738.)
F. IN JUNE OR JULY OF 1967 MR. TRANG HEARD A REPORT THAT TWELVE U.S.
SOLIDERS OF THE 3RD DIVISION WERE CAPTURED IN THE HIEP DUC (AT9024)
AREA, QUANG NGAI PROVINCE. TWO OF THE TWELVE WERE SERIOUSLY
WOUNDED AND DIED AFTER THEIR CAPTURE, BUT THE OTHERS WERE TURNED
OVER TO ENEMY PROSELYTIZING PERSONNEL. THE TWO DEAD SOLIDERS WERE
BURIED NEAR NGO BA TU (NGOO BA TUS) (UNLOCATED). MR TRANG HAD NO
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. (MAP USED: SERIES L7014,
EDITION 1-AMS, SHEET 6640-3.)
G. DURING A BATTLE BETWEEN THE 1ST PAVN REGIMENT AND U.S. 3RD
DIVISION FORCES IN 1968 OR 69 NEAR A FACTORY IN AN TAY (AT9126), HIEP DUC,
A TWO-HOUR CEASE FIRE WAS CALLED SO THAT U.S. FORCES COULD EXTRACT
THEIR DEAD BODIES AND WOUNDED FROM THE BATTLEFIELD. NOT ALL OF THE
BODIES WERE RECOVERED, ACCORDING TO MR. TRANG. HE HAD NO FURTHER
INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ICIDENT. (MAP USED: SERIES L7014, EDITION 1-
AMS, SHEET 6640-3.)
H. MR5 HEADQUATERS HAD ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY HANDLING OF ALL
PWS IN THE MR. WHEN A PW WAS CAPTURED THE SITUATION WAS REPORTED
VERBALLY FROM THE UNIT INVOLVED THROUGH THE DISTRICT AND
POVINCIAL MILITARY AUTHORITY TO MR5 HEADQUARTERS. MR5 THEN
REPORTED THE CAPTURE TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S MINISTRY OF
DEFENCE (MOD). THE PROVINCIAL MILITARY AUTHORITY ALSO REPORTED TO
THE MR IN WRITING.
I. WOUNDED PWS RECEIVED TRAETMENT FOR THEIR WOUNDS, AND AT TIMES
WERE RELEASED TO U.S. CONTROL. U.S. SOLIDERS ALSO DIED WHILE BEING
TREATED FOR THEIR WOUNDS, BUT MR. TRANG WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY
REPORTING PROCEDURES CONCERNING THESE DEATHS DURING THE WAR.
J. FOLLOWING THE LIBERATION OF SOUTH VIETNAM IN 1975 THE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT ORDERED THE RECOVERY OF ALL U.S. REMAINS IN MR5. MR.
TRANG COULD NOT RECALL WHICH AGENCY HAD ORGANIZED THE RECOVERY
EFFORT, BUT SAID THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY THE ENEMY PROSELYTIZING
DEPARTMENT (EPD) OF THE MOD. MR. TRANG TRANSFERRED TO THE MR5 EPO
TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EFFORT. BECAUSE THERE WERE NO LISTS, SKETCHES,
OR MAPS MADE DURING THE WAR DOCUMENTING THE GRAVE LOCATIONS,
ANYONE KNOWING OF A U.S. SOLIDER'S GRAVE WAS ORDERED TO REPORT
THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND TO MR5. THE INDIVIDUAL WOULD THEN
LEAD MR5 REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GRAVE SITE FOR EXCAVATION. ALL OF
THE RECOVERED REMAINS WERE SENT TO THE MR HEADQUARTERS AT NHA
TRANG FOR TRANSFER TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. DURING THESE
OPERATIONS, MR TRANG WORKED WITH EIGHT INDIVIDUALS FROM BINH DINH,
QUANG NGAI AND QUANG NAM PROVINCE MILITARY COMMANDS. HE COULD
REMEMBER ONLY SEVEN; MR. NGUYEN TUNG, MR. VO CUC TIEN, MR. NGO
TRUNG TINH, MR. DA, MR. PHUONG, MR. THANH, AND MR PHOC. MR TRANG DID
NOT KNOW THE NAME OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE WHO
RECEIVED REMAINS FROM MR5, NOR COULD HE REMEMBER HOW MANY SETS
OF REMAINS HAD BEEN SENT TO MR5 HEADQUARTERS. AT THE TIME OF
RECOVERY, PICTURES WERE NOT TAKEN OF THE REMAINS.
K. MR. TRANG RECALLED THAT A WEST GERMAN WAS CAPTURED IN 1968.
THIS PW WAS SENT TO NORTH VIETNAM. HE HAD NO FURTHER INFORMATION
REGARDING THIS INCIDENT.
L. WITH NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR TRANG, THE JOINT TEAM AGREED
TO CONCLUDE THIS INTERVIEW.
4. CORRELATIONS TO EXISTING POW/MIA CASES.
A. MR. TRANG'S COMMENTS CONCERNING THE INCIDENT IN PARA 3C WERE
TOO VAGUE TO DRAW TENTATIVE FIELD CORRELATION. HOWEVER, IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT HE IS CONFUSING ELEMENTS OF CASE 0010 OR 0013 WITH CASE
0016.
B. THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED IN PARA 3E PROBABLY CORRELATES TO CASE
0728 BASED ON THE GENERAL INCIDENT LOCATION, AND GENERAL
DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL ASSOCIATED WITH CASE 0728.
5. POTENTIAL LEADS.
A. BOBBY GARWOOD (CASE 0155). MR. TRANG CLAIMED THAT MR. GARWOOD
SHOULD HAVE INFORMATION RELATING TO CASED IN KHAM DUC AND HIEP
DUC DISTRICTS.
B. A DR. CHANH, WHO REPORTEDLY REMOVED A BULLET FROM THE U.S. PW
DESCRIBED IN PARA 3E. DR. NGUYEN NGOC CHANH (NGUYEENX NGOCJ CHANH)
HAS BEEN INTERVIEWED IN JOINT TEAM'S SEVERAL TIMES.
C. THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WERE IDENTIFIED BY MR. TRANG AS
PARTICIPANTS IN THE MR5 U.S. REMAINS RECOVERY EFFORT. ALL OF THESE
POTENTIAL LEADS ARE REPORTEDLY LIVING IN DA NANG CITY, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF MR. PHOC.
(1) MR. NGUYEN TUNG (NGUYEENX TUNGF)
(2) MR. VO CUC TIEN (VOX CUCS TIEEN)
(3) MR. NGO TRUNG TINH (NGOO TRUNGF TINHF)
(4) MR. DA (ZAJ)
(5) MR. PHUONG (PHWONG)
(6) MR. THANH (THANH)
(7) MR. PHOC (PHOWCS) MR. PHOC IS REPORTEDLY LIVING IN THANH HOA
PROVINCE.
7. COMMENTS.
A. MR TRANG EXPRESSED HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION BETWEEN
THE U.S. AND VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENTS, AND STATED THAT HE HOPES THE
INFORMATION HE PROVIDED TO THE TEAM CAN BE USEFULTO THE JOINT TEAM.
B. MR. TRANG WAS IN POOR HEALTH AT THE TIME OF INTERVIEW. HE WAS
NOT ABLE TO HEAR WELL; HAD BEEN SICK FOR SEVERAL DAYS, AND BECAME
EASILY CONFUSED. HE ALSO SAID THAT BECAUSE THE WAR WAS A LONG TIME
AGO HE HAS FORGOTTEN MANY DETAILS OF THE EVENTS DESCRIBED. MR.
TRANG'S RECALL OF DATES AND YEARS APPEARED TO BE LACKING. ALTHOUGH
HE APPEARED TO MAKE A GENUINE EFFORT TO GIVE THE JOINT TEAM
ACCURATE DATES AND TIME FRAMES OF EVENTS, HE OFTEN PAUSED AND
APPEARED UNSURE OF HIMSELF.
C. MR TRANG CITED KHAM DUC AND HIEP DUC AS SPECIFIC AREA WHERE MR.
GARWOOD MAY HAVE CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE. THE ONLY SPECIFIC
INFORMATION MR. TRANG PROVIDED CONCERNING MR. GARWOOD'S
INTERACTION WITH U.S. PWS WAS THAT MR. GARWOOD HAD INTERVIEWED
TWO U.S. PRISONERS FROM THE 5TH U.S. DIVISION IN MR4. ACCORDING TO MR.
//
/ ******BEGINNING OF SECTION 003******/
RMKS/
TRANG, BOTH OF THE PWS WERE LATER RETURNED TO U.S. CONTROL.
D. THE ONLY TWO MOUNTAINS "ABOVE" HO CA ARE DAU TUONG (BS5959) AND
BAN CO (BS6158).
E. DURING THE INTERVIEW MR. TRANG WAS SHOWN A PICTURE TAKEN IN 1968
OF A U.S. PRISONER BEING INTERROGATED IN THE DA NANG AREA. MR. TRANG
CLAIMED NOT TO RECOGNIZE ANYONE IN THE PICTURE, ONCE STATING THAT IT
WAS POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS ONE OF THOSE PICTURED. (PICTURE TAKEN FROM
PAGE 123, VOLUMW 1 THE BOOK "THE 2ND DIVISION" (DA NANG PUBLISHING
HOUSE, 1989)).
F. THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM CONFERRED ON THE QUESTIONS TO BE
ASKED DURING THIS INTERVIEW. TEAM MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE NEED TO
REINTERVIEW THIS SUBJECT WOULD DEPEND ON WHETHER FURTHER
QUESTIONS FOR MR. TRANG ARISE DURING THE COURSE OF THE ORAL HISTORY
INTERVIEW TEAM'S FUTURE WORK. SHOULD MR. TANG'S HEALTH
[NOTE: INCOMPLETE]