[200341Z.OH 06/08/96]
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ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO DCM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9)
VZCZC
00 RUHQHQE RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUHQHQB RUEKJCS RUEKJCS
RUHVAAA RUEADWW RUEHC RUEAIIA
DE RUEHBK #2546/01 020 **
ZNB UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASSIFIED
O 200341Z JAN 93 CHRGE: CJTF 01/20/93
FM CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APROV: CJTF: AG
TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE DRFTD: CJTF:CXB
INFO RUEKJCS / SECDEF WASHDC//OCJCS-PW-MIA/J5// CLEAR: NONE
RUEKJCS / SECDEF WASHDC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA// DISTR: CJTF
RUHQHQB / USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3// ORGIN OCR
RUEKJCS / USCINCPAC LO WASHDC
RUEKJCS / DIA WASHDC//POW-MIA//
RUHVAAA / CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//
RUEADWW / NSC WASHDC
RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/RAP//
RUEAIIA / CIA WASHDC//OTA/SEA/IP/DDO/EA/ICOG//
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 02546
UNCLASSIFIED 0004 JAN 93
DIA PASS IG DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: SRV ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS
1. DURING THE PERIOD 6 TO 18 JANUARY 1993, SPECIAL
ASSISTANT MR. G.E. BELL CONDUCTED ORAL HISTORY
INTERVIEWS IN HANOI, QUANG TRI, THUA THIEN-HUE AND
QUANG NAM/DA NANG. THE FOLLOWING SRV CADRE PROVIDED
INFORMATION:
A. SR COL PHAM VAN BAN AKA PHAM HAN AKA BA (3)
BAN, THE FORMER CHIEF OF THE ENEMY PROSELYTING
OFFICE, POLITICAL DEPARTMENT, SOUTH VIETNAM
LIBERATION ARMED FORCES.
B. NGUYEN VAN VAN (VANJ) AKA NGUYEN VAN BON (BOONS),
THE WARTIME PROVINCE PARTY SECRETARY OF THUA
THIEN-HUE.
C. VO NIEM (NIEEMJ) A FORMER FIELD GRADE LEVEL CADRE
OF THE ENEMY PROSELYTING OFFICE OF MILITARY REGION
TRI-THIEN.
D. LTC PHAN VAN KHUONG (KHWONG) AKA NGUYEN VAN LY
LYS), THE FORMER CHIEF OF THE ENEMY PROSELYTING
OFFICE, MILITARY REGION TRI-THIEN.
E. NGUYEN KIEU DA (DA) THE FORMER OPERATIONAL
COMMANDER OF THE DANANG CITY SPECIAL ACTION UNIT.
F. NGUYEN TAN HUNG (HUNGF), A FORMER ENEMY
PROSELYTING OFFICE CADRE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
INTERPRETER IN THE MILITARY REGION 5 CAMP FOR US POWS.
G. YEN THANH NM (NAWM) AKA HAM (5) DUA (DZWAF),
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THE WARTIME SECRETARY OF THE DANANG CITY
PARTY COMMITTEE.
2. ORAL HISTORY SESSIONS RESULTED IN THE ACQUISITION
OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THE WARTIME ORGANIZATION OF
THE ENEMY PROSELYTING APPARATUS IN HANOI, MR.
TRI-THIEN, MRS, AND THE HQ, SVNLAF (I.E. B 2). NONE OF
THE CADRE INTERVIEWED WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY
INFORMATION CONCERNING AMERICANS CURRENTLY REMAINING
IN INDOCHINA, EITHER VOLUNTARILY OR AGAINST THEIR
WILL. SOME LIMITED INFORMATION CONCERNING SPECIFIC
INCIDENTS INVOLVING U.S. PERSONNEL CAPTURED OR KIA
WAS OBTAINED AND THIS INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED
BY INDIVIDUAL, DETAILED REPORTS.
S. MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS ENCOUNTERED INCLUDED THE AGE
AND PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE INTERVIEW SUBJECTS (I.E.
DEAFNESS, GENERAL FEEBLENESS AND MEMORY LOSS) AND
THE DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING CURRENT ADDRESSES OF
FORMER CADRE DUE TO A LACK OF RECORDS. THE LOCATING OF
FORMER CADRE WAS ALSO COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT
MANY OF THEM USED A "NOM DE GUERRE" DURING WARTIME
YEARS.
4. COOPERATION ON THE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE WAS GOOD
AND IN EACH PROVINCE VISITED THERE WAS APPARENTLY A
SERIOUS ATTEMPT TO LOCATE WARTIME CADRE FOR INTERVIEW.
ASSIGNED COUNTERPART DURING THE TRIP WAS VNOSMP MND REP,
LTC PHAM TEO. ALSO ACCOMPANYING WAS MOI REP MR. HA MINH
THAN. LTC TEO INDICATED THAT THE VIETNAMESE "WILL
CONTINUE TO WORK HARD ON THE POW/MIA ISSUE EVEN IF
PRESIDENT BUSH DOES NOT LIFT THE EMBARGO BEFORE HE
LEAVES OFFICE". THERE WAS FREQUENT REFERENCE TO THE
POSSIBLE LIFTING OF THE EMBARGO BY LOCAL CADRE
THROUGHOUT THE TRIP, BUT NO MENTION By THESE CADRE
CONCERNING THEIR WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD REGARDLESS or
WHETHER OR NOT THE EMBARGO IS LIFTED. THEY HINTED THAT
THE U.S. SIDE COULD EXPECT SOMEWHAT COOLER RESOLUTIONS
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IF THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN
THE STATUS QUO. THE VNOSMP CADRE TOOK THE TACK THAT
THEY HAD VERY LITTLE INFLUENCE OVER THE LOCAL CADRE
BUT WOULD STILL DO THEIR BEST. BOTH CENTRAL AND PROVINCE
CADRE FOUND ARCHIVAL RESEARCH TEAM (ART) 2 IN DA NANG
10 BE A SOURCE OF AMUSEMENT BECAUSE IN THEIR OPINION THERE
IS VERY LITTLE INFORMATION TO RESEARCH IN DA NANG. THE
LOCAL CADRE SAID RECORDS AND ARTIFACTS FROM MRS WERE
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 02546
HELD BT THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES SINCE THE WAR ENDED.
VNOSMP AND LOCAL CADRE WERE NOT SPECIFIC BUT MADE GENERAL
COMMENTS CONCERNING A PLAN WHERE AT SOME POINT IN THE
NEAR FUTURE THE LOCAL VETERAN'S ASSOCIATIONS WILL BE
HOLDING CONFERENCES CONCERNING VETERAN'S AFFAIRS.
INFORMATION DEVELOPED DURING THE COURSE OF THE TRIP
INDICATES THAT THE NEWLY FORMED NATIONAL VETERAN'S
ASSOCIATION OF VIETNAM IS CHAIRED BY THE FORMER CHIEF OF THE
ENEMY PROSELYTING DEPARTMENT IN HANOI, THAN VAN QUANG
AKA BAT (7) TIEN. LTC QUANG RECENTLY RETIRED AS THE DEPUTY
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE. LTC QUANG MET DURING 1992
WITH BOTH GEN VESSEY AND AS SOLOMON. ACCORDING TO THE
VNOSMP, THE NEW VETERAN'S ASSOCIlTION WILL WORK CLOSELY
WITH THE WAR INVALIDS AND SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF
THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR. THE MOI POINT OF CONTACT
WITHIN THE VNOSMP WILL BE THE NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND MOI
REP MR. PHAM DUNG.
5. CONCERNING FUTURE ACTIVITIES, THE VNOSMP MEMBERS
INDICATED THEIR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE UPCOMING
TECHNICAL MEETING (4 FEB 93) WOULD PROVIDE A FORUM TO
EVALUATE THE RESULTS OF THE 21ST JFA. THEY SAID THAT
REGARDING THE DISCREPANCY CASES, THEIR VIEW WAS THAT A
HIGH LEVEL MEETING MUST BE HELD BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN
ORDER TO RESOLVE THE STATUS OF CASES WHERE THE FATE OF
THE INDIVIDUAL IS CLEAR AND TO ALSO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HOW
TO PROCEED IN INVESTIGATING THOSE CASES WHERE THE FATE OF
THE INDIVIDUAL WAS STILL UNDETERMINED.
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