[230355Z.OH 06/07/96] ORIGIN INFO DCM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9) VZ CZC RR RUHQHQE RUMTFS RUFHPF RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUHQHQB RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUEAIIA RUHVAAA RUEADWW RUEHC DE RUEHBK #1585/01 082 ** ZNR UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASSIFIED R 230355Z MAR 93 CHRGE: CJTF 03/23/93 FM JTF-FA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GEB TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF: GEB INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE//CJTF-FA DET THREE// :NONE RUEHPF / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTFFA DET FOUR// DISTR: CJTF RUEKJCS / JOINT STAFF 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 / CDHUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI// RUEADWW / NSC WASHDC RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/RAP// BT UNCLAS SECTION O1 OF 04 BANGKOK TH 11585 UNCLASSIFIED 0064 MAR 93 DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE SUBJ: JTFFA SPECIAL ASSISTANT TRIP TO VIETNAM 1. JTFFA SPECIAL ASSISTANT, MR G.E. BELL VISITED THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SRV) DURING THE PERIOD 3 TO 19 MARCH 1993. ASSIGNED COUNTERPART FOR THE TRIP WAS MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE (MND) REP AND VIETNAMESE OFFICE FOR SEEKING MISSING PERSONNEL (VNOSMP) DEPUTY DIRECTOR, LTC PRAM TEO. ALSO ACCOMPANYING WAS MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR REP, MR NGUYEN THE CONG. THE FOLLOWING REPORT PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED. 2. ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS: A. FORMER MILITARY REGION NINE POW CAMP (TG36) COMMANDER SR CPT NGUYEN CHI CONG: SOURCE PROVIDED FIRSTHAND INFORMATION CONCERNING NINE US POWS, INCLUDING ONE ESCAPEE (REFNO 0022 ROWE) THREE RELEASEES (0022 PITZER, 0033 JOHNSON, 0384 JACKSON), AND FIVE DIED-IN CAPTIVITY (0021 VERSACE, 0048 PARKS, 0047 TADIOS, 0086 WALKER, AND ONE BLACK AMERICAN POW TRANSFERRED FROM TO THE MR9 CAMP FROM TRA VINH WHO SOURCE COULD ONLY IDENTIFY AS "ROBAT" ). SOURCE ALSO PROVIDED GENERAL LOCATION INFORMATION CONCERNING FOUR DIC BURIAL SITES, AND THE IDENTITIES/CURRENT WHEREABOUTS OF CADRE WHO WERE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE BURIAL OF THESE FOUR DIC'S. SOURCE WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BURIAL OF THE FIFTH DIC (0021 VERSACE), BECAUSE HE WAS TRANSFERRED BY SOURCE TO THE MR9 PARTY COMMITTEE (KHU UY), IN THE CUSTODY OF THE MILITARY PROSELYTING SECTION (TG35), PRIOR TO HIS REPORTED DEATH (NOTE: 1/4 UNCLASSIFIEDCJTF-FADETONEBA 011585/01 TECHNICAL MEETING TALKING POINTS REGARDING THE REPORTED ADDITIONAL WITNESSES AND DIC BURIAL SITES WILL BE FORWARDED SEPARATELY). -B. FORMER ENEMY PROSELYTING OFFICE (EPO) POLICY SECTION CHIEF, MR BUI THANH NGON: SOURCE PROVIDED LIMITED INFORMATION CONCERNING THE WARTIME ORGANIZATION OF THE EPO, SVNLAF. SOURCE CLAIMED NO FIRSTHAND CONTACT WITH US POWS PRIOR TO "OPERATION HOMECOMING", DUE T0 HIS HIGH POSITION. SOURCE ALSO PROVIDED IDENTITIES/CURRENT LOCATIONS OF ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW. (NOTE: SA RECOGNIZED SOURCE AS SR COL BUI VAN THANH, THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT (PRO) DELEGATION FOR OPERATION HOMECOMING, WHO WORKED WITH SA IN HANOI DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH 1973) -C. FORMER EPO POLICY OFFICE DEPUTY CHIEF, LTC HUYNH KHAC CHIEU, AKA BAY (7) CA: SOURCE CLAIMED KNOWLEDGE OF THREE POLITBURO DIRECTED WARTIME POW SWAPS WHICH OCCURRED PRIOR TO OPERATION HOMECOMING. SOURCE ALSO CLAIMED KNOWLEDGE OF ONE US DESERTER (NOLAN) AND TWO RELEASEES (0234 RAMSEY AND 1169 SCHRUMP). SOURCE PROVIDED THE IDENTITIES/CURRENT LOCATIONS OF OTHERS POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW. -D. FORMER EPO CHIEF, MG VO VAN THOI:SOURCF PROVIDED LIMITED INFORMATION CONCERNING THE WARTIME EPO ORGANIZATION AND THE IDENTITIES/CURRENT LOCATIONS OF ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW. SOURCE VOLUNTEERED TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH FORMER POW CAMP CADRE IN ORDER TO LOCATE THE GRAVES OF US PERSONNEL WHO DIED IN CAPTIVITY. SOURCE REPORTED WARTIME SERVICE IN LAOS IN CONJUNCTION WITH HIS DUTIES AS THE CHIEF OF THE MILITARY PROSELYTING SECTION OF THE NATIONAL REUNIFICATION COMMITTEE, 0F WHICH VO DONG GIANG (NOTE: REAL NAME PRAM BA) HAS THE GENERAL SECRETARY. (NOTE: TECHNICAL MEETING TALKING POINTS ADDRESSING MC THOI'S OFFER TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH PERTINENT WARTIME CADRE WILL BE FORWARDED SEPARATELY). -E. FORMER EPO DEPUTY POLICY SECTION CHIEF PWAM PHI LONG, AKA SAU (6) PWI LONG: SOURCE PROVIDED INFORMATION CONCERNING THE WARTIME ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTHERN EPO AND CAMP SYSTEM. SOURCE ALSO PROVIDED THE IDENTITIES AND CURRENT LOCATIONS OF ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES FOR UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 04 BANGKOK TH 11595 INTERVIEW. -F. FORMER COMMANDER OF INTER-CAMP A , MR TRUONG HUYNH MAO, AKA TU (4) TRUONG, AKA TU (4) MAO: SOURCE SAID HE HAS INTERVIEWED PREVIOUSLY BY A US ELEMENT IN HO CHI MINH CITY DURING 1992 AND HAD NOTHING FURTHER CONCERNING US POWS TO ADD. SOURCE SAID INTER-CAMP A HAS LOCATED IN TRY NINH PROVINCE SOUTH OF KATUM AND ABOUT ONE KM FROM THE BO TUC BRIDGE DURING THE WAR. SOURCE DID PROVIDE THE IDENTITIES OF ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW. SOURCE HAS EVASIVE CONCERNING HIS POST-75 DUTIES, AND WHEN SA INDICATED THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE SUGGESTED MR MAO'S EMPLOYMENT WITH THE INFORMATION AND CULTURE OFFICE COLLOCATED WITH THE HOI OFFICE ON DONG KHOI STREET IN HO CHI MINH CITY, HE WOULD ONLY SAY THAT HE WAS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO THE MILITARY PROSELYTING OFFICE. -G. FORMER EPO POLICY SECTION CADRE NGUYEN DAU, AKA BAI (7) DAU: SOURCE REPORTED THE PRESENCE OF FOUR US POWS IN A CAMP DESIGNATED INTER-TEAM (LIEN DOI) "B" FROM 1967 TO 1969. SOURCE SAID HE HAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CRIMINAL I INVESTIGATION SECTION IN MID-1369, AND THE FOUR US POWS WERE LEFT IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPUTY POLITICAL OFFICER. SOURCE ALSO PROVIDED THE IDENTITIES/CURRENT LOCATION OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW. -H. FORMER EPO CADRE SR COL NGUYEN GONG TRUNG: SOURCE REPORTED THE BURIAL OF ONE AMERICAN KIA (NOTE: POSS REFNO 0032 TALLEY) DURING A FIREFIGHT WHICH OCCURRED IN THE AREA VEST OF LOC NINH BRIDGE (XT 3963) DURING LATE 1963. SOURCE ALSO REPORTED THE CAPTURE 0F THREE AMERICANS DURING THE BATTLE OF BINH GIA IN DECEMBER 1354 (NOTE: REFNOS 0049 BENNETT AND CRAFTS AND 0050 COOK). SOURCE SAID AN ARTIST, MR HUYNH PHUONG DONG, MAT HAVE PAINTED PORTRAITS OF THE CAPTURED AMERICANS. ACCORDING TO SOURCE, MR DONG WILL BE DEPARTING VIETNAM FOR THE US SHORTLY ON A CULTURAL TOUR. SOURCE ALSO REPORTED THE CAPTURE OF A US SOLDIER NORTH OF LOC NINH IN BINH LONG PROVINCE DURING 1967. THE WOUNDED AMERICAN WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE K42 HOSPITAL OF THE HQ, SVNLAF, AKA MIEN. SOURCE DESCRIBED THE MAN AS A TALL CAUCASIAN FROM THE LOLST AIRBORNE DIV. SOURCE ALSO REPORTED THE CAPTURE OF A CAUCASIAN AMERICAN MEMBER OF THE US LLTH ACR VEST OF QUAN LOI, BINH LONG DURING 1969. SOURCE SAID THE WOUNDED SOLDIER WAS TRANSFERRED BY THE VC 9TH DIV TO THE K71 HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS TREATED AND LATER SWAPPED AT THE VIETNAM-CAMBODIA BORDER FOR COMMUNIST PRISONER "NGUYEN QUANG VUNG" DURING 1972. SOURCE ALSO PROVIDED THE IDENTITIES/CURRENT LOCATIONS OF ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW CANDIDATES. I. FORMER LONG KHANH PROVINCE MILITARY PROSELYTING CADRE NGUYEN HONG CHAU, AKA THAN CHAU: SOURCE PROVIDED FIRSTHAND INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CAPTURE OF TWO AMERICANS DURING THE BATTLE OF BINH GIFT IN 1954. BOTH 2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 011585/02 2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONFBA 011585-02 AMERICANS WERE MOVED ALONG A COMMO-LIAISON ROUTE ACROSS QL20 AND TURNED OVER TO HIGHER AUTHORITIES. SOURCE ALSO REPORTED THE CAPTURE OF ONE AMERICAN WHO BECOME LOST WHILE WALKING ON QLL IN THE AREA OF THE FORMER ARVN 18TH DIV BASECAMP 4 NEAR XUAN LOC SOMETIME DURING THE MID-1960'S. THE MAN HAS EVACUATED ACROSS QL20, BUT SOURCE BEARD THE MAN ESCAPED BEFORE HE COULD BE TURNED OVER TO HIGHER AUTHORITIES. SOURCE REPORTED THAT ONE OTHER US POW CAPTURED IN THE SA RIFT AREA WAS ALSO EVACUATED ACROSS QL20, ALSO DURING THE MID-1960'S, BUT SOURCE DID NOT HEAR ABOUT THE DISPOSITION OF TEE MAN. SOURCE ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION CONCERNING EVACUATION ROUTES FOR US POWS AND THE IDENTITIES/CURRENT LOCATIONS OF ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW CANDIDATES. -J. THE FORMER DAC LAC PROVINCE PARTY COMMITTEE SECRETARY, MR NGUYEN KHAC TINH: SOURCE PROVIDED LIMITED INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CAPTURE OF ONE AMERICAN FEMALE AND TWO MALE PERSONNEL FROM THE BUON EA ANA LEPROSARIUM DURING 1552; (NOTE: REFNO 0011 VIETTI, GERBER, AND MITCHELL). SOURCE PROVIDED THE NAMES AND 2/4 UNCLASSIFIEDCJTF-FADETONEPA 015585/02 {THIS DOCUMENT WAS RECEIVED INCOMPLETE}