[200341Z.OH 06/08/96] LB l/2 UNCLASSIFIED CJTFFADET0NEBAN 002546/01 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// BT 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), LB 1/2 UNCLASSIFIED CJTFFADETONEBAN 002546/01 LB 1/2 UNCLASSIFIED CJTFFADETONEBAN 002546/01 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. BT #25546 NNNN 2/2 UNCLASSIFIED CJTFFADETONEBAN 002546/02