[210942Z.OH 06/16/96] LB 1/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 091517/01 ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO ICM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9) VZCZC 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 RUEKJCS / SECDEF WASHDC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA// RUHQHQB / USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3// RUEKJCS / USCINCPAC LO WASHDC// RUEKJCS / DIA WASHDC//POW-MIA// RUEAIIA / CIA WASHDC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/ICOG// RUHVAAA / CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI// RUEADWW / NSC WASHDC RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP// BT 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 LB 1/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/01 LB 1/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/01 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 LB 1/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA O19517/01 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 2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/02 2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/02 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 2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTFA-FADETONEBA 019517/02 UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 04 BANGKOK TH 19517 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. 3/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FAEDTONEBA 019517/03 3/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FAEDTONEBA 019517/03 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 3/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/03 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. BT 4/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/04 4/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/04 #9517 NNNN 4/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 019517/04