[090712Z.OH 06/16/96]
ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
R 090712Z NOV 93 ZYB PSN 896168P38
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/OCS/CCS/EAP/VLC//
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5//
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
DIA WASHINGTON DC
CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB -HI//TAPC-PED-H//
UNCLAS //N03460//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CDR JTF-FA/J2//
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPTION OF AN ORAL HISTORY
PROJECT FIELD REPORT//
SUBJ/INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, NGUYEN VAN CHAU//
REF/A/FAX/DET 2/060CT93//
AMPN/SUBJ/ENTRY NUMBER 68, LIST OF 83 INTERVIEW REQUESTS//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 9 SEPTEMBER 1993, THE JOINT- PRIORITY CASE
INVESTIGATION TEAM (PCIT) INTERVIEWED NGUYEN VAN CHAU, A 54 YOA
DANANG CITY RESIDENT. MR. CHAU IS CURRENTLY RETIRED, FORMERLY A
MEDIC AT THE PAVN 2ND DIVISIONS'S (DIV) GK38 HOSPITAL, WHICH OPERATED
IN QUANG NAM-DANANG AND QUANG NGAI PROVINCES. THE TEAM MET IN A
CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE SONG HAN HOTEL IN DANANG CITY TO INTERVIEW MR.
CHAU, 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 CONSISTED OF LTC PHAM TEO, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE;
AND NGUYEN THE CONG, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR. NGUYEN VAN CHAU HAD NOT
BEEN INTERVIEWED BY A JOINT TEAM BEFORE-
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2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE. NGUYEN VAN CHAU, PROVIDED CREDIBLE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON HIS MILITARY CAREER AND HIS ACTIVITIES AS A
MEDIC AT THE PAVN 2ND DIV'S MEDICAL BATTALION (AKA GK38) IN QUANG
NAM-DANANG PROVINCE. SPECIFICALLY. HE RECOUNTED AN INCIDENT IN WHICH
A U.S. PRISONER OF WAR (PW) RECEIVED TREATMENT 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 OR
AGAINST THEIR WILL, IN VIETNAM SINCE 1973.
3. DETAILS.
A. NGUYEN VAN CHAU (NGUYEENX VAWN CHAAU) BEGAN HIS MILITARY CAREER
IN 1964, SERVING AS A CORPSMAN FOR THE 2ND COMPANY, 60TH BATTALION,
1ST REGIMENT. PAVN 2ND DIV. IN 1965, AFTER RECEIVING ADDITIONAL MEDICAL
TRAINING. HE WAS ASSIGNED THE 2ND DIV'S GK38 DISPENSARY AS A MEDIC. IN
MAY 1967, CHAU ATTENDED THE 2ND DIV'S MEDICAL TECHNICIAN SCHOOL AND
THEN RETURNED TO GK38. SOMETIME IN 1968, HE RECEIVED SIX MONTHS OF
ADDITIONAL TRAINING AS A PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT AND WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO
AN ARTILLERY BATTALION SUBORDINATE
TO THE 2ND DIV. IN 1970, CHAU WAS SENT TO NORTH VIETNAM TO RECOVER
FROM TRAUMATIC STRESS BROUGHT ON BY THE WAR AND HE DID NOT RETURN TO
THE SOUTH UNTIL AFTER 1975. HE IS CURRENTLY RETIRED AND IS ACTIVE IN
THE LOCAL WAR VETERAN'S ASSOCIATION.
B. SOMETIME IN LATE 1966 OR EARLY 1967, WHILE WORKING AS A MEDIC
AT THE GK38 DISPENSARY. CHAU RECALLED AN AMERICAN PW WHO WAS BROUGHT IN
FOR TREATMENT. THE AMERICAN WAS A TALL. THIN. CAUCASIAN, AND
APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 21 YOA. CHAU WAS UNABLE TO RECALL THE PW'S HAIR
COLOR OR ANY DISTINGUISHING SCARS OR TATTOOS. THE AMERICAN HAD SUFFERED
A SLIGHT WOUND TO THE LOWER LEG AND WAS AMBULATORY WHEN HE ARRIVED AT
THE DISPENSARY.
C. MEMBERS OF A COMBAT UNIT SUBORDINATE TO THE PAVN 2ND DIV
ACCOMPANIED THE PRISONER TO THE DISPENSARY. BUT CHAU WAS UNABLE TO
IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC UNIT. ALTHOUGH HE WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AMERICAN'S CAPTURE. CHAU ASSUMED THAT THE PW HAD
BELONGED TO AN AMERICAN INFANTRY UNIT- CHAU DID NOT DIRECTLY PARTICIPATE
IN TREATING THIS PW. SO HE WAS UNABLE TO RECALL WHICH LEG HAD BEEN
INJURED OR THE SEVERITY OF THE WOUND. HE NEVER LEARNED THE IDENTITY OF
THE AMERICAN AND WAS UNABLE TO RECALL THE NAME OF ANYONE WHO WAS
DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN HIS TREATMENT.
D. DURING HIS STAY AT GK38, THE AMERICAN WAS KEPT SECLUDED FROM
OTHER PATIENTS. FOLLOWING HIS TREATMENT, IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO POST AN
ARMED GUARD ON HIM SINCE HE WAS UNABLE TO WALK. ADDITIONALLY. THE
DISPENSARY MAINTAINED A TWENTY-FOUR HOUR PERIMETER SECURITY NETWORK
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CHAU RECALLED OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GK38 MEDICAL STAFF PRESENT DURING
THE AMERICAN'S STAY AS FOLLOWS: NGUYEN KIM TU (NGUYEENX KIM TWJ), THE
DISPENSARY COMMANDER; LE HONG SON (LEE HOONGF SOWN), THE DISPENSARY'S
POLITICAL OFFICER; AND HIEU (HIEEUR) (NFI) A PHYSICIAN. CHAU INDICATED
THAT TU IS RETIRED AND CURRENTLY LIVES IN DANANG. SON, ALSO RETIRED.
IS LIVING SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTH. CHAU WAS UNAWARE OF HIEU'S CURRENT
WHEREABOUTS AND STATUS.
E. APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS FOLLOWING THE AMERICAN'S ARRIVAL, CHAU
LEFT THE DISPENSARY TO ATTEND A THREE MONTH MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
COURSE. WHEN HE RETURNED TO GK38, THE AMERICAN WAS NO LONGER THERE.
CHAU HEARD THE PW HAD BEEN TURNED OVER TO HIGHER HEADQUARTERS. BUT
CHAU WAS UNABLE TO ELABORATE ON THIS POINT. HE HELD NO INFORMATION
REGARDING THE SUBSEQUENT FATE OF THIS AMERICAN AND KNEW OF NO OTHER
INCIDENT INVOLVING AMERICAN PW'S. CHAU CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S.
PERSONNEL LIVING, EITHER FREELY OR AGAINST THEIR WILL IN VIETNAM
SINCE 1973.
4. CORRELATIONS TO PW/MIA CASES NGUYEN VAN CHAU'S STATEMENTS CORRELATE
TO CASE 0678-1-02 BASED ON GENERAL TIME FRAME AND GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY
TO INCIDENT LOCATION- HIS STATEMENTS ALSO CORROBORATE WELL WITH OTHER
WITNESSES WITH INFORMATION ON CASE 0678-1-02 (NGUYEN KIM TU -
INTERVIEWED BY THE PCIT ON 9 OCT 93; NGUYEN VAN HIEU - INTERVIEWED BY
AN ORAL HISTORY TEAM ON 12 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.
A. CHAU WAS COOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW HE ANSWERED ALL
QUESTIONS WITHIN THE REALM OF HIS KNOWLEDGE. AT NO TIME DID HE GIVE
INDICATIONS THAT HE HAD BEEN PREBRIEFED OR OTHERWISE PREPARED FOR THE
INTERVIEW. ASSESS THIS SOURCE'S RELIABILITY TO BE GOOD.
B. REQUEST THE VNOSMP MAKE NGUYEN VAN CHAU AVAILABLE FOR
REINTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.//
BT
DLVR:CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI(1)...ORIG
J2(1)...INFO FOR USCINCPAC HONOLULU H(12) 00499/17/129l
J30-M(1) J3(1) 00-01-04(1) WWMCS(0) MDT(0) LRN061PCMT(0) J52(1)
J51(1) Jl(l) J032(3) J03(1) CDO(1)
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