[081122Z.OH 07/28/96] ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE ROUTINE R 081122Z DEC 93 ZYB PSN 013615P16 FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2// TO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP: RSA// INFO WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/EAP/VLC/CCS/OCS// JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5// DIA WASHINGTON DC USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M// USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG// RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA// CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H// ***THIS IS A 2 PART MSG COLLATED BY MDU*** NCLAS //N03460// U 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, PHUNG THI TAI// REF/A/FAX/DET 2/01DEC93// AMPN/ENTRY NUMBER 77, LIST OF 83 INTERVIEW REQUESTS// REF/B/CJTFFA DET ONE/270426ZJUL93// AMPN/24TH JFA (DRI) CASE 0381// RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 10 NOVEMBER 1993, A JOINT U.S./VIETNAM ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM INTERVIEW TEAM INTERVIEWED MS. PHUNG THI TAI, AN 80-YEAR-OLD DIEN NGOC VILLAGE, DIEN BAN DISTRICT, QUANG NAM - DANANG PROVINCE RESIDENT. THE TEAM MET AT THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE HEADQUARTERS, DIEN NGOC VILLAGE, DIEN BAN DISTRICT. QUANG NAM - DANANG PROVINCE. TO INTERVIEW MS. TAI, LISTED IN REFERENCE AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S. 013615/344 1 OF 5 081122Z DEC 93 CDR JTF-FA HON PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION IN VIETNAM THE U.S. CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF MR.[XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], DET 2, JOINT TASK FORCE- FULL ACCOUNTING (JTF-FA) CASUALTY RESOLUTION SPECIALIST; TSGT [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], JTF-FA ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM COORDINATOR; AND P02 [XXXX][XXXX][XXXX], JTF-FA ANALYST/LINGUIST. THE VIETNAMESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF COL LE KY. MINISTRY OF DEFENSE; MR. NGUYEN VAN THANG LOI, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR; MR. VO XUAN. QUANG NAM - DANANG PROVINCIAL REPRESENTATIVE; MR VO VAN BINH AND NGUYEN VAN HUNG, DIEN BAN DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES; AND MR. HUYNH DUC NGHIEP AND HUYNH THANH HUONG. DIEN NGOC VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES. MS. TAI WAS PREVIOUSLY INTERVIEWED DURING THE 24TH SERIES OF JOINT FIELD ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM FROM 24 JUN - 20 JUL 93. THE 24TH JFA REPORT OF INTERVIEW IS CONTAINED IN REF B. 2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE, PHUNG THI TAI, PROVIDED LIMITED INFORMATION CONCERNING THE DEATH OF A CAUCASIAN U.S. MARINE IN DIEN BAN DISTRICT, QUANG NAM PROVINCE. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MS. TAI CORRELATES TO CASE 0381. MS. TAI PROVIDED NO NEW INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CASE. SHE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY OTHER U.S. LOSS INCIDENTS. 3. DETAILS. AFTER FORMAL INTRODUCTIONS. COL LE KY EXPLAINED THE JOINT TEAM'S MISSION AND MR. [XXXX] ASKED MS. PHUNG THI TAI (PHONGF THIJ TAIF) TO SHARE HER KNOWLEDGE OF U.S. SERVICEMEN LOST AS A RESULT OF THE WAR IN VIETNAM. MS. TAI,UNSURE OF THE YEAR AND MONTH OF THESE EVENTS. PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: A. MS. TAI FIRST SAW TWO U.S. MARINES AT THE HOME OF MR. HUONG KIM (HWONG KIMF). SHE LATER WITNESSED THE SERVICEMEN BEING TAKEN TO THE HOME OF MR. NGUYEN HUU LUONG (NGUYEENX HWUX LWONG) BY MS. NGUYEN THI LUONG (NGUYEENX THIJ LWONG). WHILE AT THE HOME OF MR. LUONG THE TWO U.S. SERVICEMEN MET MS. HUYNH THI DAN (HUYNH THIJ ZAAN), MS. HUYNH THI HOAN (HUYNHF THIJ MOAN), AND MS. LE THI LAN (LEE THIJ LAAN). ONE OF THE TWO U.S. SOLDIERS THEN RETURNED TO THE MARINE CAMP. WHILE THE OTHER WAS LED BY MS. DAN, MS MOAN. AND MS. LAN TO THE HOME OF MS. HUYNH THI HAI (HUYNHF THIJ HAIR). MS. TAI COULD ONLY RECALL THAT THIS U.S, SOLDIER HAD WHITE SKIN. WHILE THE U.S. MARINE WAS INSIDE THE HOME OF MS HAI THE DIEN NGOC VILLAGE GUERRILLAS SURROUNDED THE HOUSE, INTENDING TO CAPTURE HIM ALIVE. REALIZING HIS SITUATION, THE U.S. SOLDIER ATTEMPTED TO FLEE THE HOME WHILE FIRING A PISTOL. MR. NGUYEN HUU DUOC (NGUYEENX HWUX DWOCJ), COMMANDER OF THE VILLAGE GUERRILLAS' THEN SHOT THE U.S. SOLDIER OUTSIDE THE HOME. KILLING HIM. MS. 013615/344 2 OF 5 081122Z DEC 93 CDR JTF-FA HON TAI SAID THAT SHE DID NOT WITNESS THE SHOOTING, AND WAS IN FACT A LONG DISTANCE AWAY FROM MS. HAI'S HOUSE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BUT DID HEAR THE GUN SHOTS AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 HOURS. SHE LATER LEARNED THE DETAILS OF THE SHOOTING FROM MS. HAI. B. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOOTING, OUT OF FEAR OF U.S. RETALIATION FOR THE KILLING, THE AMERICAN'S BODY WAS MOVED TO AN AREA BETWEEN THE HAMLETS OF DIEN NGOC (BT0764) AND DIEN VINH (UNLOCATED), DIEN BAN DISTRICT, BY THE DIEN NGOC HAMLET GUERRILLAS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE BODY WAS BURIED BY DIEN VINH HAMLET GUERRILLAS AT AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. MS. TAI DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE MOVEMENT OR BURIAL OF THE AMERICAN'S BODY AND COULD NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC LOCATION FOR THE GRAVE. BUT SAID THAT MS. PHUNG THI LONG (PHUNG THIJ LONG) PARTICIPATED IN THE BURIAL AND WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA ABOUT THE GRAVE LOCATION. LOCAL OFFICIALS TOLD THE JOINT TEAM THAT DIEN VINH HAMLET IS NOW PART OF DIEN NGOC VILLAGE. C. SHORTLY AFTER THE SHOOTING. U.S. AND REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM FORCES CAME INTO THE AREA LOOKING FOR THE MISSING U.S. SOLDIER. DURING THE SEARCH, WHICH LASTED THREE DAYS, SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM THE VILLAGE WERE TAKEN AWAY FOR QUESTIONING. MS. NGUYEN THI LUONG AND MS. HUYNH THI NGHIEP (HUYNHF THIJ NGHIEEPJ) WERE AMONG THOSE TAKEN FOR QUESTIONING. ACCORDING TO MS. TAI, NONE OF THOSE ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE SHOOTING, MOVEMENT OF THE BODY, OR BURIAL, WERE QUESTIONED. D. MS. TAI WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER U.S. LOSS INCIDENTS. E. WITH NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR PHUNG THI TAI, THE JOINT TEAM AGREED TO CONCLUDE THE INTERVIEW. T 4. CORRELATIONS TO EXISTING POW/MIA CASES. THE EVENTS DESCRIBED BY MS. TAI ARE CONSISTENT WITH INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE 24TH JFA INVESTIGATION OF CASE 0381. REF B. 5. POTENTIAL LEADS. A. MS HUYNH THI DAN (HUYNHF THIJ ZAAN) AKA HONG (HOONGF) WAS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LED THE AMERICAN TO THE HOME OF MS. HAI AND WAS TH PRESENT DURING THE SHOOTING OF THE AMERICAN SHE IS REPORTEDLY LIVING PR IN GIA LAI. IN B. MS. HUYNH THI HOAN (HUYNHF THIJ MOAN) WAS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LED THE AMERICAN TO THE HOME OF MS. HAI AND WAS PRESENT DURING W THE SHOOTING OF THE AMERICAN. MS. HOAN DIED LATER IN THE WAR. T C. MS. HUYNH THI HAI (HUYNHF THIJ HAI) WAS PRESENT DURINGTHE SHOOTING OF THE AMERICAN. MS. HAI IS ALSO THE INDIVIDUAL WHOTOLD MS. TAI ABOUT O THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE AMERICAN'S DEATH MS. HAI WAS INTERVIEWED T DURING THE 24TH JFA BY A CONTINGENT OF D 13615/344 3 OF 5 081122Z DEC 93 0 CDR JTF-FA HON IE4. REPORT OF INTERVIEW IS CONTAINED IN REF B. D. MS. LE THI LAN (LEE THIJ LAAN) WAS ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LED THE AMERICAN TO THE HOME OF MS. HAI AND WAS PRESENT DURING THE SHOOTING. MS. LAN WAS INTERVIEWED BY JOINT TEAMS DURING THE 17TH AND 24TH JFA'S. THE REPORT OF THIS INTERVIEW IS // MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA// RMKS/ CONTAINED IN REF B. E. MR. NGUYEN HUU DUOC (NGUYEENX HWUX DWOCJ), THEN COMMANDER OF THE DIEN NGOC HAMLET GUERRILLAS, WAS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SHOT AND KILLED THE AMERICAN. MR. DUOC DIED LATER IN THE WAR. F. MS. PHUNG THI LONG (PHUNG THIJ LONG) PARTICIPATED IN THE BURIAL OF THE AMERICAN'S BODY. MS. LONG WAS INTERVIEWED DURING THE 24TH JFA BY A CONTINGENT OF IE4. THE REPORT OF THIS INTERVIEW IS CONTAINED IN REF B. G. MS. HUYNH KHA (HUYNHF KHAS), ACCORDING TO DIEN BAN OFFICIALS. PARTICIPATED IN THE MOVEMENT OF THE AMERICAN'S BODY AND LATER WITNESSED THE BURIAL MR. KHA WAS INTERVIEWED DURING THE 24TH JFA BY A CONTINGENT OF IE4. THE REPORT OF THIS INTERVIEW IS CONTAINED IN REF B. 6. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE. THIS SOURCE BROUGHT NO RECORDS. OTEBOOKS. DIARIES. OR ANY MATERIAL EVIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH N NACCOUNTED FOR U.S. PERSONNEL. U 7. COMMENTS. A. FOR A COMPLETE REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATION OF CASE O381 SEE REF B. B. DURING THE INTERVIEW IT BECAME APPARENT THAT MS. TAI WAS IN SEVERE PAIN AND POOR HEALTH, HOWEVER SHE CONTINUED TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE JOINT TEAM, APPARENTLY AS BEST SHE COULD C. DIEN VINH HAMLET, REFERENCED IN PARA 3B, WAS ALSO REFERRED TO AS DIEN VAN (DIEN VAAN) HAMLET DURING THE INTERVIEW. D. THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM CONFERRED ON THE QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED DURING THIS INTERVIEW. THE JOINT TEAM MEMBERS AGREE THAT MS. TAI SHOULD NOT BE INTERVIEWED AGAIN DUE TO HER FAILING HEALTH.// BT 013615/344 4 OF 5 081122Z DEC 93 CDR JTF-FA HON