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RR RUHQHQE RUMTFS RUEHPF RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUHQHQB
RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUFAIIA RUHVAAA RUEADWW RUEHC
DE RUEHBX #9517/01 141***
ZNR UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASSIFIED
R 210942Z MAY 93 CHRG: CJTF05/21/93
FM CJTF-FA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GEB
TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF:GEB
INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIENTIANNE//CJTFFA DET THREE// : NONE
RUEHPF / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTFFA DET FOUR// DISTR: CJTF
RUEKJCS / JOINTSTAFF WASHDC//OCJCS-PW-MIA/J5// ORGIN: OCR
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RUHQHQB / USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3//
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RUEKJCS / DIA WASHDC//POW-MIA//
RUEAIIA / CIA WASHDC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/ICOG//
RUHVAAA / CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//
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RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP//
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BANGKOK TH 19517
UNCLASSIFIED MAY 93 0150
DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: SRV ORAL HISTORY, LTC NGUYEN HONG CHAU
REF: DET 1, JTF-FA MSG 230355Z MAR 93
1. REF WAS THE SUMMARY REPOIRT OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN
VIETNAM BY JTF-FA SPECIAL ASSISTANT, MR G.E. BELL, DURING
THE PERIOD 3 TO 19 MARCH 1993. PARA 2.1 OF REF REFERS TO
LTC NGUYEN HONG CHAU. THE FOLLOWING REPORT PROVIDES THE
DETAILS OF THE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH LTC CHAU. THE
INTERVIEW WAS MONITORED BYASSIGNED COUNTERPART AND
MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE (MND) REP, LTC PHAM TEO, AND
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR (MOI) REP, MR NGUYEN THE GONG.
REPRESENTING THE DONG NAI PROVINCE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE WAS
MR LUU VINH TRUONG, THE LOCAL PUBLIC SECURITY REP.
2. LTC. NGUYEN HONG CHAU, A 52 YEAR OLD NATIVE OF PEN CAT,
SONG BE, WAS INTERVIEWED IN XUAN LOC TOWN, ON 16 MARCH
1993. SOURCE SAID HE JOINED THE LONG KHANH LOCAL FORCE
UNIT IN 1956. SOURCE OPERATED AS A GUERILLA IN THE LONG
KHANH AREA UNTIL 1966 WHEN HE BECAME A REGULAR
PROVINCE MILITARY UNIT OF THE PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM
(PAVN). SOURCE SERVED AS A PAVN OFFICER UNTIL THE WAR
ENDED IN 1975 AND RETIRED WITH THE RANK OF LTC. SOURCE IS
CURRENTLY THE HEAD OF THE LOCAL VETERANS ASSOCIATION AND
RESIDES AT 94 THAN PHU STREET, XUAN AN HAMLET, XUAN LOC
TOWN, LONG KHANH DISTRICT, DONG NAI PROVINCE.
3. SOURCE'S FIRST CONTACT WITH U.S. POWS OCCURRED SHORTLY
AFTER THE BATTLE OF BINH GIA (NOTE: SOURCE WAS NOT ABLE TO
RECALL TIME FRAME BUT THE BINH GIA BATTLE OCCURRED IN LATE
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DECEMBER 1964). SOURCE RECEIVED CUSTODY OF TWO CAUCASIAN
U.S. POWS IN THE AREA OF SUOI DA STREAM (XS6393) NEAR
XUAN BAD VILLAGE "A FEW DAYS" AFTER THE BINH GIFT BATTLE.
SOURCE BELIEVES THE POWS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE CAPTURING
UNIT, BUT COULD NOT RECALL THE DESIGNATION OF THAT UNIT.
SOURCE RECALLED THAT BOTH MEN WERE IN GOOD HEALTH WITH NO
APPARENT WOUNDS OR INJURIES. BOTH MEN WORE U.S. MILITARY
UNIFORMS, AND SOURCE VAGUELY RECALLED THAT ONE HAS A LLT
AND THE OTHER HAS A CPT. SOURCE SAID IT WAS NOT HIS JOB TO
INTERROGATE THE TOW MEN AND HE DID NOT SPEAK WITH THEM.
SOURCE SAID NEITHER OF THE TWO MEN COULD SPEAK VIETNAMESE AND
NO ONE IN HIS GROUP COULD SPEAK ENGLISH. SOURCE AND HIS
ESCORT GROUP TOOK THE TWO AMERICANS THROUGH DENSE JUNGLE
TO NATIONAL ROUTE 1 (QLL) WHERE THE GROUP CROSSED IN THE
AREA SOUTH OF THO VUC (XUAN TWO) VILLAGE. ONE OF THE
AMERICANS HAS SO WEAK HE HAD TO BE CARRIED BYTHE ESCORT
TEAM. THE GROUP CONTINUED NORTH AND CROSSED NATIONAL ROUTE
20 (QL20) IN TAN PHU (DINH QUAN) DISTRICT. SOURCE THEN
TURNED CUSTODY OF THE TWO POWS OVER TO AN ESCORT TEAM FROM
THE HQ OF THE SOUTH VIETNAM LIBERATION ARMY FORCES
(SCNLAF), AKA "MIEN". SOURCE RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO XUAN
LOC AND DID NOT SEE OR HEAR ABOUT THE TWO AMERICANS AGAIN.
SOURCE WAS NOTABLE TO RECALL THE IDENTITIES OF ANY OF THE
MEN ASSIGNED TO THE POW ESCORT TEAM FROM THE HQ SVNLAF.
SOURCE HAS NOT ABLE TO RECALL ANY OFTHE CADRE WHO
WERE ASSIGNED TO HIS TEAM. SOURCE BELIEVES THAT NONE OF
THEM SURVIVED THE WAR. SOURCE SAID THE ROUTE EAST OF XUAN
LOG USED TO EVACUATE THE TWO MEN HAS A COMMO-LIAISON ROUE
OF THE IONG KHANH LOCAL FORCES. HE SAID THE PLTEFERRET
ROUTE HAS WEST OF XUAN LOC BECAUSE ONLY ONE MAJOR HIGHWAY
(QIL) HAS CROSSED. THE PREFERRED ROUTE PASSED CRY GAO
VILLAGE, WEST OF QL20, AND CONTINUED INTO WAR
ZONE "D".
4. SOURCE'S SECOND ENCOUNTER WITH U.S. POWS OCCURRED
SOMETIME DURING THE MIS-1960'S WLIEN ONE U.S CAUCASIAN
BECAME LOST ON QLL. SOURCE BELIEVES THE MAN HAS EN ROUTE
TO BASECAMP 4 (YT 6211) OF THE ARVN 18TH INF DIV WHEN HE
BECAME DISORIENTED AND "TOOK A WRONG TURN ONTO QLL IN THE
DIRECTION OF PHAN THIET". (I.E. TURNED EAST AT THE ROAD
JUNCTION (YT 6308) OF HIGHWAY 1 AND 333). SOURCE RECALLED
THAT THE AMERICAN HAS CAPTURED BY A TAX COLLECTION UNIT
WHICH NORMALLY OPERATED ON QLL EAST OFF THE ROAD JUNCTION
GOING IN TO BASECAMP 4. SOURCE RECALLED THAT THE AMERICAN
HAS TALL WITH BLONDE HAIR AND NOT WOUNDED OR INJURED. THE
MAN WAS NOT CARRYING ANY WEAPON AT THE TIME OF HIS
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CAPTURE. THE TAX COLLECTION UNIT TURNED THE AMERICAN OVER
TO THE CUSTODY OF THE LONG KHANH PROVINCE MILITARY
PROSELYTING SECTION. THE MAN WAS HELD FOR TWO DAYS NEAR
XUAN LOC TOWN BUT NOT INTERROGATED BECAUSE NO ONE COULD
SPEAK ENGLISH AND THE AMERICAN COULD NOT SPEAK VIETNAMESE.
THE AMERICAN WAS ESCORTED BY MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL FORCE
UNIT NORTH OF MAY TAO (MAAY TAOF) MOUNTAIN (YS 7491)
THROUGH TRANG TAOS) (YT 7213) AND GIA HUYNH (YT
7715), AND THEN ALONG A SUPPLY CORRIDIR PARALLELING THE LA
NGA RIVER. AFTER CROSSING QL20 IN THE TAN PHU DISTRICT, HTE
ESCORT UNIT CAMPED FOR THE NIGHT, AND WHILE THE GUARDS
WERE SLEEPING THE MAN ESCAPED. SOOURCE DID NOT OBSERVE OR
HEAR ABOUTTHE MAN AGAIN, AND DOES NOT WHAT HAPPENED TO
HIM.
5. SOURCE'S THIRD INVOLVEMENT WITH U.S. POWS ALSO OCCURRED
DURING THE MID 1960'S, BUTAFTER THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED
ABOVE WHERE THE AMERICAN PRISONER ESCAPED. SOURCE RECALLED
THAT ONE CAUCASIAN AMERICAN POW WAS CAPTURED IN PA RIA AND
TRANSFERRED TO THE CUSTODY OF THE LONG KHANH LOCAL FORCES.
SOURCE DISPATCHED AN ESCORT TEAM TO TAKE CUSTODY OF THE
MAN IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING NOTIFIED. SOURCE DID NOT
ACCOMPANY THE TEAM, AND THEREFORE, DID NOT PERSONALLY
OBSERVE THE AMERICAN PRISONER. THE ESCORT TEAM MOVED THE
MAN FROM THE TRANSFER POINT THROUGH TRANG TAO (YT 7213),
GIA HUYNH (YT 7715), AND THEN ACROSS QL20 WHERE THEY
TRANSFERRED HIM TO THE CUSTODY OF AN ESCORT TEAM FROM THE
HQ, SVNLAF. SOURCE HEARD FROM THE LOCAL ESCORT TEAM THAT
THE MAN WAS IN GOOD HEALTH WITH NO WOUNDS OR INJURIES.
SOURCE HEARD THATTHE MAN COULD NOT SPEAK VIETNAMESE.
ACCORDING TO SOURCE, ALL MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ESCORT TEAM
ARE DECEASED AND THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL WITNESSES TO THIS
CAPTURE AVAILABLE IN LONG KHANH.
6. EXCEPT FOR THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED ABOVE, SOURCE HAS
NO KNOWLEDGE OF U.S. PERSONNEL WHO WERE KILLED OR
CAPTURED. SOURCE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY AMERICANS
REMAINING IN VIETNAM. SOURCE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF CRASH
SITES OR GRAVE SITES.
7. COMMENTS:
A. SOURCE WAS GENERALLY COOPERATIVE BUT RELUCTANT TO
EXPAND ON THE CAPTURE INCIDENTS REPORTED ABOVE. SOURCE
EVADED MOST QUESTIONS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY OTHER POTENTIAL
WITNESSES. SOURCE DID STATE THATTWO FORMER MEMBERS OF THE
LONG KHANH MILITARY PROSELYTING SECTION, MR BAY (7) VI
(VIJ), AND MR SAU (6) TAN (TAMF) ARE NOW RETIRED AND
RESIDING IN PA RIFT, THUS PROVIDING AT LEAST TWO POTENTIAL
WITNESSES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE THIRD
CAPTURE INCIDENT (PARA 5 ABOVE). SA BELIEVES THAT DUE TO
THE FACT THAT SOURCE HAS A "LEGAL" DURING THE WAR, HE IS
SECURITY CONSCIOUS, AND THEREFORE, RELUCTANT TO IDENTIFY
WITNESSES PRIOR APPROVAL FROM HIGHER AUTHORITIES.
SA ALSO BELIEVES THAT THIS ATTITUDE WOULD HAVE BEEN A
DESIRED CHARACTERISTIC FOR SELECTION OF A COVERT CADRE
PERFORMING COMMO-LIAISON DUTIES IN AN AREA WITH A
RELATIVELY HEAVY CONCENTRATION OF GVN FORCES. SINCE THE
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TWO POTENTIAL WITNESSES IDENTIFIED BYSOURCE (BAY VI AND
SAIL TAN), ARE FORMER MILITARY PROSELYTING CADRE, THEY MOST
LIKELY SERVED CONCURRENTLY ON THE PROVINCE SECURITY
COMMITTEE AND CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE ATLEAST AS SECURITY
CONCIOUS AS SOURCE.
B. SA'S INTERVIEW WITH SOURCE WAS ARRANGED BY THE VNOSMP
(LTC PHAM DUNG) BASED ON A REQUEST FOR INTERVIEW OF MR
"TRAN CHAU". ALTHOUGH THE ACCOMPANYING VNOSMP MEMBERS (TFO
ANI GONG) ASSURED SA THAT MR THAN CHAU AND LTC NGUYEN HONG
CHAU ARE THE SAME PERSON, SA IS NOT CONVINCED. THE
INTERVIEW WITH LTSCHAU, ALTHOUGH NOT SPONTANEOUS, WAS
OBVIOUSLY CONDUCTED WITH LITTLE ADVANCED NOTICE. DURING THE
APPROACH PHASE OF THE INTERVIEW, LTC CHAU GAVE THE
IMPRESSION THAT NOT ONLY HAD HE NEVER USED THE COVER NAME
"THAN CHAU", HE ACTUALLY DID NOT KNOW A CADRE WITH THAT
NAME. HOWEVER, AFTER BEING PROMPTED BY LTC TEO AND MR
GONG, HE UNENTHUSIASTICALLY NODDED HIS HEAD IN AGREEMENT
THAT HE USED THE COVER NAME "TRAN CHAU". SINCE THE
REPORTED ENEMY PROSELYTING CADRE "TRAN CHAU" IS SAID TO BE
ANATIVE OF PHUOC TUY (BA RIA), WHICH IS ON THE SEACOAST,
AND THE NAME "THAN CHAU" MEANS "PEARL", SA BELIEVES LTC
CHAU, A NATIVE OF BEN CAT IN SONG BE PROVINCE, IS NOT A
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LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR THIS NOMME-TE-GUERRRE. ADDITIONALLY,
SINCE SOURCE DID NOT REVEALL A HINT OF RECOGNITION
CONCERNING THE NAME, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE REAL "TRAN
CHAU" HAVING PERFORMED SENSITIVE DUTIES IS INCREASED.
THEREFORE, ATTHE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY, SA INTENDS TO
PRESS HIS COUNTERPARTS FOR FURTHER EFFORTS IN LOCATING THE
CADRE "TRAN CHAU".
C. ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT EVASIVE, LTC CHAU DID EXHIBIT A
CERTAIN AURA OF VERISIMILITUDE IN RELATING HIS ACCOUNT. HE
GAVE THE IMPRESSION HE WAS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO DEALING WITH
FOREIGNERS AND WAS INITIALLY ALOOF FROM THE PROCEEDINGS.
AS THE INTERVIEW PROGRESSED, HE BECAME MORE RELAXED AND
GAVE THE IMPRESSIONHE ENJOYED THE EXCHANGE. DURING THE
TERMINATION PHRASE, LTC CHAU GAVE A PREPARED SPEECH
CONCERNING THE DEVASTATION CAUSED BY THE WAR AND INDICATED
HE HAD ONE SON KIA. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE GRAVE OF HIS
FATHER HAS BULLDOZED BY U.S. FORCES. SA BELIEVES THAT LTC
CHAU GAVE HIS SPEECH AS THE HEAD OF THE LOCAL VETERANS
ASSOCIATION, AND BASED ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE PARTY
HIERARCHY.TO INSURE THAT THE SRV GOVERNMENT DOES NOT
PERCEIVE US AS BEING INSENSITIVE, AND TO APPRISE THEM THAT
SUCH POINTS DO NOT GO UNREPORTED. SA HAS PROPOSED AS
APPROPRIATE TALKING POINT FOR THE NEXT TECHNOLOGICAL MEETING.
PRIOR TO SA'S DEPARTURE SOURCE ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH THE
U.S. FORCES CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DESTRUCTION IN THE AREA,
THE LOCAL RESIDENTS DID NOT HARBOR RESENTMENT AGAINST THEM
LIKE THEY DID THE AUSTRALIANS. SOURCE SAID DURING
ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE AUSTRALIANS "THEY KILLED EVERYTHING".
D. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SOURCE IN PARA 3 ABOVE
CORRELATES TO CASES 0049 AND 0050. SOURCE REPORTED
ESCORTING ONLY TWO U.S. POWS FROM AN AREA 15 TO 20 KM
NORTH OF WHERE THE BATTLE OCCURRED, AND THREEE AMERICANS
WERE ACTUALLY CAPTURED (COOK, BENNETT, AND CRAFTS). CPT
COOK JOINED PFC CRAFTS AND SGT BENNETT ON THE THIRD DAY
FOLLOWING HIS CAPTURE. THE THREE WERE HELD FOR FIVE MONTHS
IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA WHERE SOURCE SAID HE RECEIVED
CUSTODY OF THE TWO U.S.PRISONERS. SOURCE BELIEVES HE TOOK
CUSTODY OF THE PRISONERS "A FEW DAYS" AFTER THE BATTLE OF
BINH GIA. IN COMPARING SOURCE'S ACCOUNT WITH INFORMATION
IN U.S. FILES, HE IS APPARENTLY IS MISTAKEN CONCERNING THE
AMOUNT OF TIME THAT ELAPSED BETWEEN THE BATTLE AND WHEN HE
RECEIVED CUSTODY, OR THE DETENTION LOCATION IN U.S. FILES
IS INACCURATE. SOURCE DESCRIBED THE TWO POWS AS A CPT NAD
A LLT, WHILE THE ACTUAL INK OF THE THREE POWS CAPTURED AT
BINH GIFTHAS ONE CPT (COOK), ONE SGT (BENNETT), AND ONE
PFC (CRAFTS). THIS ANOMALY POSSIBLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO
THE FACT THAT THE THREE POWS COULD NOT SPEAK VIETNAMESE
AND NO ONE IN THE ESCORT TEAM COULD SPEAK ENGLISH. IF THE
DETENTION LOCATION IN THE U.S IS INCORRECT, IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT SOURCE RECEIVED CUSTODY OF SGT BENNETT AND
PFC CRAFTS, AND CAPT COOK JOINED THEM AFTER THEY WERE MOVED
ACROSS QL20. IF THE DETENTION LOCATION IN U.S. FILES IS
CORRECT, SOURCE IS OFF ON HIS TIME ESTIMATE, AND HE
RECEIVED CUSTODY OF CAPT COOK AND PFC CRAFTS AFTER SGT
BENNETT DIED IN THE CAMP DUE TO MALARIA.
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E. DURING THE ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH SR COL NGUYEN
GONG TRUNG (SEE PET 1, JTF-FA MSG 281036Z APR 93), HE
STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE LST REGT CAPTURED THREE U.S.
POWS AT BINH GIFT, HE RADIOED TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE FOR
SOUTH VIETNAM (COSVN) TO INFORM THE HQ CONCERNING THE
CAPTURE. HE SAID THAT A FEW DAYS LATER, COSVN SENT AN
ESCORT TEAM TO TAKE CUSTODY OF THE THREE POWS AND EVACUATE
THEM FROM THE AREA. DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF LTC CHAU TO
THE CAPTURE POINT, THIS WOULD SEEM TO MEAN THAT HE
ACTUALLY WORKED FOR A COMMO-LIAISON UNIT OF COSVN. SA
RECALLS THAT THE UNIT MOST OFTEN PERFORMING COMMO-LAISION
DUTIES IN THE DONG NAI-UL-LONG KHANH-WAR ZONE "D" AREA HAS
THE DONG NAI BN COMMANDER BY MAJ UT HIEP (KIA AT TAN
UYEN/U-1 JAN 68. THIS UNIT HAS LATER UPGRADED TO BECOME
THE 274TH NVA REGT. SINCE PFC CRAFTS HAS RELEASED TO U.S.
CONTROL, THE IMPORTANT FUTURE ACTION REMAINING FOR THESE
TWO CASES IS LOCATING THE GRAVES OF SGT BENNETT AND CPT
COOK, AND RECOVERING THEIR REMAINS. SINCE CPT COOK HAS
EVENTUALLY MOVED TO A CAMP IN TRY NINH WHERE HE REPORTEDLY
DIED DUE TO ILLNESS, WITNESSES IN LONG KHANH AND RA RIGT
ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE.
HOWEVER, SINCE INFORMATION IN U.S. FILES INDICATES THAT
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UNCLAS SECTION 04 OF 04 BANGKOK TH 19517
SGT BENNETT DIED WHILE BEING HELD IN A DETENTION CAMP
LOCATED ONLY TWO KM FROM THE SITE OF THE BATTLE, THE TWO
FORMER MILITARY PROSELYTING CADRE MENTIONED BY SOURCE (MR
BAY VI AND MR SAU TAM) MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
CONCERNING THE LOCATION OF SGT BENNETT'S GRAVE. SA
RECOMMENDS THAT BOTH OF THESE MEN BE CONTACTED IN BA RIFT
TOWN (I.E. CALLED BA RIA TOWN BY FRENCH FR\COMMUNIST
ADMINISTRATION, PHUOC LE BY GVN, AND CURRENTLY CHAU
THANH BY THE SRV, YS 3761) BY THE NEXT INVESTIGATION
ELEMENT WORKING IN THE AREA DURING A FUTURE JOINT FIELD
ACTIVITY.
F. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SOURCE IS PARA 4 ABOVE
PROBABLY CORRELATES TO CASE 0163 (DODD). U.S. FILES SHOW
THE INCIDENT SITE FOR THIS CASE AS YT 5906 (SUOI CAT
HAMLET). A RALLIER SAID HE OBSERVED A U.S. POW IN TRA LU
HAMLET (YS 7094) AND THE MAN HAD BEEN CAPTURED IN SUOI
CAT. THIS REPORT WAS CORRELATED TO MR. DODD. U.S. FILES
SHOW THE LAST KNOWN LOCATION FOR CASE 0163 AS YT 400300.
BASED ON THE ROUNDED COORDINATES THIS IS PROBABLY AN
APPROXIMATE LOCATION OBTAINED FROM MR DODD DURING HIS
DEBRIEFING. THIS LOCATION IS IN THE SAME AREA WHERE SOURCE
REPORTED THATHIS PERSONNEL EVACUATED THE AMERICAN WHEN HE
MANAGED TO ESCAPE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A RESOLVED CASE, IT
NEVERTHELESS PROVIDES AN INDICATION THAT SOURCE MAY BE
REPORTING TRUTHFULLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE LOCATION WHERE THE
RALLIER SAID HE OBSERVED AN AMERICAN POW (TRA LU, YS 7094)
IS NEAR SUOI DA (YS 6393) WHERE SOURCE SAID HE RECEIVED
CUSTODY OF THE TWO U.S. POWS CAPTURED DURING THE BATTLE OF
BINH GIA. THIS MAY BE AN INDICATION THAT THIS AREA WAS
USED AS A TEMPORARY DETENTION SITE FOR U.S. PERSONNEL
CAPTURED IN THE AREA, PENDING EVACUATION TO COSVN OR THE
HQQ, SVNLAF, THE SECONDARY ROAD THROUGH THE AREA, (ROUTE
330) RUNS NORTH TO GIFT HUYNH VILLAGE, WHICH HAS BEEN
MENTIONED BY SOURCE AS BEING ON THE EVACUATION ROUTE. ANY
DETENTION CAMP LOCATED IN THE TRA LU-SUOI 'A AREA MAY BE
GERMANE TO THE INVESTIGATIONS OF OTHER CASES IN THE AREA
SUCH AS 1273, 1375, AND 1494. SOURCE INDICATED THAT THERE
WERE AT LEAST TWO ROUTES FOR EVACUATING POWS THROUGH THE
XUAN LOC AREA, ONE WEST OF XUAN LOC AND ANOTHER TO THE
EAST. THIS PROBABLY ACCOUNTS FOR THE MENTION IN U.S. CASE
FILES OF A DETENTION SITE WEST OF THE ONE REPORTED ABOVE.
THIS SITE HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS BEING LOCATED ON SUOI CA
STREAM (YS2681), BUT MAY BE A REFERENCE TO SUOI CA HAMLET
(YS 4294). BOTH LOCATIONS HAVE REFUGEE REPORTS INDICATING
REMAINS WERE DISCOVERED THERE AFTER THE WAR ENDED. IN U.S.
CASE FILES THE SUOI CA LOCATION HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN
CONJUNCTION WITH CASES 0180 AND 1365.
G. THE LIMITED HEARSAY INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SOURCE IN
PARA 5 ABOVE IS INSUFFICIENT FOR CORRELATION TO ANY CASE
MENTIONED BY SOURCE, MR BAY VI AND MR SAU TAM, MAY BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS
INCIDENT.
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