[120925Z.OH 06/16/96] 1/2 CM UNCLASIFIED CJTF-FADETONBA 006174-01 ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO DCM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9) VZCZZZC PR RUHQHQE RUMTFS RUEHPF RUEKJCS RUEEKJCS RUHQHQB RUMJCS RUEKJCS RUEAIIA RULVAAA RUFALWW RUEHC PF RUEHEK #6174/01 043 ** 2ND UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASIFIED BT 120925Z FEB 93 CHRGE: CJTF 02/12/93 FM CJTF-FA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GEB TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF:GEB INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIETIANE//CJTF-FAA DET THREE// : NONE RUEHPF / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTFFA DET FOUR// DISTR: CJTF RUEKJCS / JOINT STAFF WASHDC//OCJCS-PW-MIA/J5// ORGIN: OCR RUEKJCS // SECDEF WASHDC//OASD-ISAA/PW-MIA// RUHQHQB / USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3// RUEKJS / USCINCPAC LO WASHDC// RUEKJS / DIA WASHDC//POW-MIAA// RUEEAAIIA / CIA WASHDC//DEA/SEA//IB/DDO///ICOG// RULVAAA / CDRUSSACILHI HICKAAM AFB HI// RUEHC / NSC WASHDC RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS//EAP// BT UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 06174 UNCLASSIFIED 0053 FEB 1993 MA PASS TO DDO POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE SUBJ: SPV ORAL HISTORY, INTERVIEW WITH FORMER SPECIAL ACTIONS CADRE BHAM KIEU DA REF: DET 1, JTFFA MSG 200341Z JAN 93 1. REF WAS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM BY JTFFA SPECIALL ASSISTANT, MR G.E. BELL, DURING THE PERIOD 6 TO 18 JAN 93. PARA LE OF REF REFERS TO FORMER SPECIAL ACTIONS CADREE, MR PHAM KIEU DA, WHO WAS INTERVIEWED IN DANANG CITY ON 14 JAN 93. THE INTERVIEW WAS MONITORED BY ASSIGNED COUNTERPART AND MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENCE (MND) REP, LTC PHAM TFC, MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR REP, MR HA MINH THAN, QUANG NAM-DANANG PROVINCE TASK TEAM CHIEF, MAJ THAN PHUOC SAU, AND QUANG NAM-DANANG PROVINCE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS REP, MR LAM QUANG MINE. THE FOLLOWING REPORT PROVIDES THE RESULTS OF THE INTERVIEW. 2. SOURCE SAID HE JOINED THE REVOLUTION DURING THE EARLY 1960'S AND BECAME THE OPERATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE DANANG CITY SPECIAL ACTION UNIT IN 1065. SOURCE EMPEASIZED THAT HE WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN THE CAPTURE OR DETENTION OF ANY US PERSONNEL AND CITED THE BREVITY OF PIS MISSIONS, AS WELL AS THE INHERENT REQUIREMENT FOR SPEED, AS THE REASONS FOR HIS LACK OF INVOLVEMENT. DURING THE WARTIME YEARS, SOURCE RESIDED AS A LEGAL IN DANANG CITY, BUT ALSO MAINTAINED A SMALL OPERATIONAL BASE (I.E. HIDEOUT) IN A TUNNEL SYSTEM LOCATED ONLY A FEW MILES FROM THE PERIMETER OF DANANG AIRBASE. AFTER THE WAR ENDED IN 1975, SOURCE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE DANANG CITY PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE. SOURCE CURRENTLY HOLDS THE POSITION OF PERMANENT DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THIS SAME COMMITTEE. 3. SOURCE SAID HE PLANNED, AND IN SOME CASES EXECUTED, ATTACKS ON US FORCES IN THE DANANG AREA. BEGINNING AT THE TIME US FORCES BEGAN TO ARRIVE IN LARGE NUMBERS. SOURCE'S TARGETS INCLUDED THE O. K. HOTEL/BOQ (NOTE: CURRENTLY THE BACH DANG HOTEL AKA MILITARY REGION 5 GUEST HOUSE WHERE ARCHIVAL RESEARCH TEAM 2 IS BILLETED). THE NON NUOC AIRFIELD, THE DANANG AIRFIELD. A US ARTILLERY UNIT IN THANH VINH VILLAGE NORTHEAST OF DANANG AIRFIELD. A US ARMORED UNIT IN CAM BINH VILLAGE NEAR THE HOA CAM TRAINING CENTER, AND THE LIEN CHIEU POL FARM LOCATED ON ROUTE 1 AT THIS SOUTH END OF HAI VAN PASS. SOURCE SAID NONE OF THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN THE CAPTURE OF A LIVE AMERICAN. SOURCE RECALLED THAT THE DANANG SPECIAL ACTION FORCES, HAD AN AVERAGE WARTIME STRENGTH OF APPROXIMATLY 1800 PERSONNEL. APPROXIMATELY 400 OF THOSE PERSONNEL WERE CAPTURED BY US/ARVN FORCES, INCLUDING MR LE DO WHO PLACED EXPLOSIVES IN THE O.K. HOTEL. 4. SOURCE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE CAPTURE OR DETENTION OF ANY US PERSONNEL, HE DID OBSERVE AN AMERICAN POW ON ONE OCCASSION. SOMETIME DURING THE LATE 1960'S WHILE SOURCE EN ROUTE FROM DANANG TO THE MRS HQ IN THE HIEP DUC AREA (AT9024), HE OBSERVED ONEE MALE CAUASIAN MOVING ALONG A TRAIL WITH A COMMUNIST UNIT. SOURCE PASSED BY THE GROUP WHILE ON A TRAIL IN DEEP JUNGLE AND CLAIMED TO BE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SIGHTING. SOURCE COULD ONLY RECALL THAT THE CAUCASIAN WAS WEARING BLACK PAJAMAS AND CARRYING A RIFLE. SOURCE HEARD THAT THE CAUCASIAN HAD VOLUNTEERED TO WORK WITH COMMUNIST FORCES. SOURCE COULD NOT RECALL THE DESIGNATION OF THE UNIT. (NOTE: ALTHOUGH SOURCE WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUCASIAN, VNOSMP AND LOCAL CADRE PRESENT DURING THE INTERVIEW WERE UNANIMOUSS IN THEIR OPINION THAT THE CAUCASIAAN WAS REFNO 0155). SOURCE SAID THAT DURING THE WAR YEARS HE OBSERVED AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO RECALL ANY DETAILS. SOURCE WAS CERTAIN HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY REMAINS OR GRAVES ASSOCIATED WITH US PERSONNEL. SOURCE CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY AMERICANS REMAINING IN INDOCHINA. 1/2 CM UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONBEA 006174/01 UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 06174 SOURCE CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY AMERICANS WHO WERE MOVED TO THIRD COUNTRIES. 5. COMMENT: SOURCE WAS COOPERATIVE AND CORDIAL, BUT RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS THE WARTIME APPARATUS OF MRS DURING THIS LIMITED CONTACT. ALTHOUGH SOURCE READILY ADMITTED HE PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS RESULTING IN NUMEROUS US KIA. HE INSISTED HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING US POW'S. SOURCE'S ATTITUDE AND PRESENT POSITION IN THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION PLACE HIM IN A POSITION TO PROVIDE VALUABLE ASSISTANCE BY PRESSING LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR MORE CONCRETE COOPERATION IN WORKING WITH US TEAMS. SINCE THE DEGREE OF COOPERATION IN DANANG IS CURRENTLY SUPERIOR TO THAT OF OTHER AREAS, SOURCE MAY HAVE ALREADY HAD SOME IMPACT IN THIS REGARD. BT #6174 NNNN 2/2 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 006174/02