[181822Z.OH 06/08/96]

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RCV10606                        02:37 06/24/93

VZCZCBTO637
RR RUEHBT
DE RUHQSGG #5420 1691822
ZNR UUUUU
R 181822Z JUN 93 ZYB
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC//PW-MIA//
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/OCS/CCS/œAP/VLC//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//OCJCS/J5/PW-MIA/J3-JOD//
RUHQHQB/USCINPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
RUEKJCS/USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
RUHVAAA/CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H//
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
RUEHBT/CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH
BT
UNCLAS //N03460//
SECTION 01 OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA/J2//
AMPN/SUBJ: INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, KHUONG XUAN QUE//
REF/A/FAX/DET 2/16MAY93//
AMPN/SUBJ: LIST OF PERSONS FOR INTERVIEW - SENATOR KERRY, ENTRY

PAGE 02 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
NUMBER 7 OF 83//
RMKS/1.  BACKGROUND. ON 17 MAY 1993, A JOINT US/VIETNAM
INTERVIEW TEAM INTERVIEWED MR. KHUONG XUAN QUE, A 51-YEAR OLD
NATIVE AND CURRENT RESIDENT OF HANOI WHO WAS A CADRE OF THE ENEMY
PROSELYTING SECTION OF THE B3 FRONT FROM 1965 UNTIL 1973. THE
TEAM MET AT THE ANTE-BUILDING MEETING ROOM OF THE GOVERNMENT
GUEST HOUSE, 2 LE THACH STREET, HOAN KIEN DISTRICT, HANOI, TO
INTERVIEW SELECTED PERSONNEL, LISTED IN REFERENCE, WHO ARE
BELIEVED TO BE POTENTIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S.
PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION IN VIETNAM. THE U.S. CONTINGENT
CONSISTED OF MR. KEITH GARY FLANAGAN, DET 2 CASUALTY RESOLUTION
SPECIALIST AND PETTY OFFICER JOHN L. HARVEY, JTF-FA LINGUIST.
THE VIETNAMESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF LTC LE
KY, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE; AND MR. NGUYEN THANG LOI, MINISTRY OF
INTERIOR. ON 17  HAY 1993, LTC KY ESCORTED MR. QUE TO THE
GOVERNMENT GUEST HOUSE. MR. QUE SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN INTERVIEWED
BY JOINT TEAMS PREVIOUSLY.
2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE PROVIDED VAGUE, LIMITED INFORMATION
CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL WHO BECAME UNACCOUNTED FOR IN VIETNAM.
THE SOURCE PROVIDED ONLY GENERAL NON-SPECIFIC STATEMENTS

PAGE 03 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
CONCERNING HIS MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT THE
CONCLUSION THAT HE HAD NO SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE.
3. DETAILS.
A. AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TEAM AND ITS MISSION WAS
COMPLETE, MR. KHUONG XUAN QUE (KHWONG XUAAN QUEES), SAID THAT HE
BELIEVED HE COULD BE OF VERY LITTLE ASSISTANCE TO THE TEAM AND
COULD PROVIDE LITTLE OR NO INFORMATION WHICH MIGHT HELP RESOLVE
SPECIFIC CASES.

8. MR. FLANAGAN ASKED THE QUESTION: "SINCE THE RELEASE OF U.S.
PRISONERS IN 1973, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANY LIVE AMERICANS?"  MR. QUE
RESPONDED THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO POWS IN
VIETNAM SINCE 1973.

C. MR. FLANAGAN ASKED THE QUESTION: "SINCE THE RELEASE OF U.S.
PRISONERS IN 1973, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANY 'STAY-BEHINDS'?" MR. QUE
RESPONDED THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THE ONLY AMERICANS THAT HE HAD
BEEN AWARE OF IN VIETNAM AFTER 1973 WERE TOURISTS. IN RESPONSE TO
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, MR. QUE SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN OR MET
BOBBY GARWOOD.

D. CONCERNING WARTIME REPORTING ON U.S. PRISONERS WHO DIED IN
CAPTIVITY OR PRISONERS WHO  DIED WHILE BEING EVACUATED TO THE

PAGE  04 RUHQSGG5420  UNCLAS
NORTH, MR. QUE SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANY U.S. PRISONERS WHO
WERE WOUNDED AT THE TIME OF CAPTURE AND DIED BEFORE REACHING THE
HOLDING LOCATIONS IN THE B3 FRONT AREA. MR. QUE SAID THAT ONLY
FIELD MEDICAL PERSONNEL WOULD HAVE INFORMATION ON CAPTIVES WHO
DIED DURING TREATMENT.  MR. QUE SAID THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOME
U.S. PRISONERS WHO DIED ENROUTE TO A HOLDING LOCATION BUT HE DID
NOT KNOW Of ANY. WHEN ASKED IF HE REMEMBERED THE NAME DELONG,
MR. QUE SAID THAT HE HAD ONLY HEARD THE NAME BUT HE DID NOT
REMEMBER ANY OTHER DETAILS. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT KNOW
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF DELONG'S DEATH.

E. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE RECALLED ONE U.S. PRISONER, WILLIAM
SMITH, WHO DIED WHILE ON THE ROUTE TO NORTH VIETNAM MR. QUE SAID
THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, NO OTHER PRISONERS FROM HIS CAMP DIED ON THE
WAY NORTH. MR. QUE ALSO SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER THE NAMES OF
ANY OF THE OTHER PRISONERS IN THE CAMP. IN EXPLAINING THIS, MR. QUE
SAID THAT IN THE COURSE OF HIS DUTIES, HE WENT IN AND OUT OF THE
CAMPS RATHER QUICKLY. MR. QUE SAID HE WOULD ESCORT OTHER
VIETNAMESE PERSONNEL INTO THE CAMPS AND THEN BACK OUT QUICKLY.
MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY OF THE NAMES OF ANY OF
THE PERSONNEL HE ESCORTED TO THE CAMPS OR ANY OF

PAGE 05 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
THE UNITS, TO WHICH THEY WERE ASSIGNED. THESE VIETNAMESE
PERSONNEL CAME FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF UNITS AND LOCATIONS. MR.
QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT RECALL ANY OTHERS BY NAME EXCEPT FOR ONE
OF THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL, DR. LE CAO DAI WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF
HOSPITAL V211.

F. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE REMEMBERED MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE
DEATH OF WILLIAM SMITH. MR. QUE SAID THAT SMITH WAS IN A GROUP OF
PRISONERS GOING NORTH WHEN HE DIED. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT
REMEMBER HOW MANY PRISONERS WERE IN THE GROUP. BUT HE BELIEVED THAT
ALL OF THE OTHERS ARRIVED IN HANOI AND WERE REPATRIATED IN 1973.
MR. QUE THEN RECALLED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR WHO WAS AN ADVISOR;
ONE HELICOPTER PILOT, A CAPTAIN NAMED MCMURRAY WHO HAD BLACK
HAIR; ONE BLACK MAN, A WARRANT OFFICER OF SMALL, SLIGHT BUILD,
APPROXIMATELY  1.62 OR 1.63 METERS TALL, AND WILLIAM SMITH MR.
QU DESCRIBED SMITH AS 1.7 METERS TALL, 19 OR 20 YEARS OF AGE,
WITH THE RANK OF PRIVATE OR PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. MR. QUE SAID
THAT SMITH WAS VERY WEAK BEFORE HE SET OUT ON THE ROAD WITH THIS
GROUP. MR. QUE SAID THAT SMITH WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN CARRIED
ON A STRETCHER, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE MEN
TO BEAR HIM ON A STRETCHER WITHOUT EXPOSING THEMSELVES

PAGE 06 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
UNNECESSARILY. MR. QUE RECALLED THAT SMITH SUFFERED FROM  DIARRHEA
CONTINUOUSLY AND COULD NOT TRAVEL WELL. MR. QUE SAID THAT HIS
PERSONNEL USED A GREAT DEAL OF MEDICATIONS IN TREATING  SMITH TO NO
AVAIL. MR. QUE SAID THAT ONE DAY IN A SECTION OF THE KONTUM REGION
NEAR THE LAO BORDER, SMITH ASKED TO RELIEVE HIMSELF. MR. QUE  SAID
THAT A SHORT TIME  LATER, SMITH  FELL DOWN, AND LANDED IN A STREAM.
MR. QUE SAID THAT SMITH INJURED HIMSELF DURING THE FALL AND DIED OF
HIS INJURIES ON THE SPOT. MR. QUE SAID THAT TWO OR THREE OF THE U.S.
PRISONERS IN THE GROUP ALSO WITNESSED THE EVENT AND SAW SMITH DIE.
MR. QUE THEN CLARIFIED THAT HE WAS RELATING THE STORY AS HE HEARD IT
AFTER THE FACT. MR. QUE SAID HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY MEMBERS OF THE
VIETNAMESE  TEAM WHICH LED THE AMERICANS NORTH. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE
DID NOT KNOW HOW ANYONE COULD LOCATE THE GRAVE SITE. MR. QUE DID SAY
THAT HE REMEMBERED  HEARING THAT SMITH  WAS BURIED ALONGSIDE A
MOUNTAINSIDE  STREAM, BUT HE WOULD NOT HAZARD A GUESS AS TO THE
LOCATION OF THE BURIAL. MR. QUE RECALLED THAT SMITH DIED SOMETIME
DURING THE RAINY SEASON.

S. MR. QUE RECALLED THAT NORMALLY THERE WERE ONLY FOUR OR
//

BT

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RCV10607                        01:40 06/24/93

VZCZCBTO638
RR RUEHBT
DE RUHQSGG #5421  1 691822
ZNR UUUUU
R 181822Z JUN 93 ZYB
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC//PW-MIA//
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP/VLC//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGT ON DC//OCJCS/J5/PW-MIA/J3-JOD//
RUHQHQB/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
RUEKJCS/USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG
RUHVAAA/CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
RUEHBJ/CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH
BT
UNCLAS //N03460//
FINAL SECTION OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA/J2//
RMKS/
FIVE U.S. PRISONERS IN A HOLDING CAMP AT ANY GIVEN TINE. MR. QUE
SAID THAT THERE WERE RECORDS SUCH AS DEATH CERTIFICATES FOR BOTH

PAGE 02 RUHQSGG5421  UNCLAS
AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE PRISONERS, BUT HE WOULD NOT KNOW WHERE TO
LOOK FOR SUCH RECORDS TODAY. MR. QUE SAID THAT FOR EACH CASE,
WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF DEATH, WHOEVER THE WITNESSES WERE,
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE WITNESSES WERE DOCTORS, CAMP PERSONNEL,
GUARDS, OR EVEN U.S. PRISONERS, THE WITNESSES WERE REQUIRED TO
PRODUCE A STATEMENT CONCERNING THE DEATH. A STATEMENT WAS
REQUIRED REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF WITNESSES.

H. AFTER RECALLING THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF SMITH,
MR. QUE SAID THAT HE VAGUELY RECALLED HEARSAY OF THE DEATHS OF DELONG
AND OLSEN "BETTY". MR. QUE SAID THAT HE HAD NO DETAILS OF
THESE TWO DEATHS.

I. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY OF THE CAMP
DESIGNATORS OR DISTRICT DESIGNATORS FOR THE AREAS WHERE HE WAS
STATIONED IN THE B3 FRONT REGION. MR. QUE SAID HE DID NOT
REMEMBER HOW TO LOCATE ANY OF THE ENCAMPMENTS AND EXPLAINED THAT
ALL ACCESSES TO THE CAMPS WERE BY SHORT, POINT-TO-POINT, LOCAL
ROUTES DIRECTED BY LOCAL INHABITANTS. MR. QUE ADDED THAT EVEN
CAMP PERSONNEL FREQUENTLY GOT LOST. MR. QUE SAID THAT CAMP
CAMOUFLAGE TECHNIQUES WERE EXCELLENT AND MADE CAMPS DIFFICULT TO
FIND.

PAGE 03 RUHQSGG5421  UNCLAS
J. ON 17 MAY 93, WITH NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AT HAND FOR
MR. QUE, THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM AGREED TO DISCONTINUE THIS
INTERVIEW. BOTH THE US AND SRV MEMBERS CONFERRED ON ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BEFORE  CONCLUDING THIS
INTERVIEW.
4. POTENTIAL LEADS OBTAINED DURING THE INTERVIEW. MR. QUE SAID
THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHERS WHO SHOULD KNOW MUCH MORE THAN HE
ABOUT THE FATES OF U.S. SERVICEMEN.

A. MR. QUE RECALLED DR. LE CAO DAI, FORMER DIRECTOR OF
HOSPITAL V211, WHO SHOULD HAVE INFORMATION ON PRISONERS WHO
RECEIVED MEDICAL TREATMENT.

B. MR. QUE RECOMMENDED THAT THE TEAM ASK SOMEONE WHO WORKED
IN THE CAMP ABOUT DELONG'S FATE. AS AN EXAMPLE, MR. QUE SAID THAT
MR. NGUYEN PHOI COULD POSSIBLY HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS MATTER

C. MR.  QUE SAID THAT THE ONE PERSON WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN ALL
THE DETAILS ABOUT DELONG WAS MR. DUONG HONG. MR. QUE THEN SAID
THAT HONG HAD BEEN FLUENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH AND HAD WORKED
CLOSELY WITH U.S. PRISONERS. MR. QUE SAID THAT HONG
HIMSELF HAD BECOME AN MIA IN EITHER 1972 OR 1972. MR. QUE SAID

PAGE 04 RUHQSGG5421 UNCLAS
THAT HE AND OTHERS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE HONG'S  GRAVE.

5. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE. THIS SOURCE BROUGHT NO RECORDS
NOTEBOOKS, DIARIES, OR ANY MATERIAL EVIDENCE CONTEMPORARY TO
THE WARTIME ERA WHICH COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY UNACCOUNTED
FOR U.S. PERSONNEL. THIS SOURCE SAID THAT HE HAD NO MATERIAL
EVIDENCE, NOTES, RECORDS, OR DIARIES FROM THE WARTIME.

6. RECOMMEND FUTURE ACTIONS.

A. RECOMMEND THAT THIS SOURCE BE REINTERVIEWED AT A LATER
DATE ONLY AFTER MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR LEADS CAN BE
DEVELOPED.

B. REQUEST THE VNOSMP ALLOW THE U.S. ACCESS TO THIS SOURCE FOR
POTENTIAL FUTURE INTERVIEW IN THE EVENT THAT SIGNIFICANT SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS ARE DEEMED NECESSARY.

7. PERTINENT LOCATION OR DATA CHANGES: NONE.

8. COMMENTS

A. AFTER THIS INTERVIEW, THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM
ASSESSED ALL POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL LEADS PROVIDED BY THE SOURCE.
THE CONSENSUS OF TEAM MEMBERS WAS THAT CONTINUATION OF THIS
INTERVIEW OR AN ATTEMPT TO RE-INTERVIEW THIS SOURCE WOULD DEPEND
ON SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS WHICH SHOULD BE ASKED PERTAINING TO

PAGE 05 RUHQSGG5421 UNCLAS

SPECIFIC INCIDENTS OR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO
FINDING NEW WITNESSES OR DISCOVERING CONTEMPORARY DOCUMENTATION WITH
DETAILS ON SPECIFIC CASES.

B. THIS SOURCE SPOKE ENGLISH BUT HE DID NOT ENGAGE IN ANY SIDE
CONVERSATIONS WITH CRS BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER THE INTERVIEW.
THE SOURCE SEEMED TO VIEW QUESTIONS FIELDED BY CRS WITH
AMUSEMENT. THE SOURCE WAS MORE ANIMATED THAN ANY OF THE OTHER
SOURCES INTERVIEWED IN HANOI, USED A WIDER VARIETY OF GESTURES,
AND WAS VERY ANIMATED WHILE APPEARING TO TRY TO APPEAR SUBDUED IN
HIS RESPONSES. AS THE INTERVIEW PROGRESSED, THE SOURCE TENDED TO
CONTRADICT EARLIER STATEMENTS, OR EMBELLISH EARLIER STATEMENTS,
POSSIBLE AS HE REMEMBERED MORE DETAILS THAT HE DID NOT RECALL
DURING EARLIER QUESTIONS FIELDED BY CRS.//
BT
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