[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.
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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.
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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
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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
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