[290859Z.OH 05/04/96]
UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 004077/01
ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO DCM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9)
VZCZC
RR RUHQHQE RUMTFS RUEHPF RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUHQHQB
RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUFAIIA RUHVAAA RUEADWW RUEHC
DE RUEHBK #4077/01 029 **
ZNR UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASSIFIED
R 290859Z JAN 93 CHRGE: CJTF 01/29/93
FM CJTF-FA LET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GEB
TO RUHQHQE/CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF:5EB
INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE//CJTF-FA DET THREE// : NONE
RUEHPF / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTFFA DET FOUR// DISTR: CJTF
RUEKJCS / JOINT STAFF WASHDC//OCJS-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/EAP//
BT
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 04077
UNCLASSIFIED 0044 JAN 93
DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: SRV ORAL HISTORY, INTERVIEW WITH NGUYEN VAN BON
REF: PET 1, JTFFA MSG 200341Z JAN 93
1. REEF WAS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY
JTFFA SPECIAL ASSISTANT, MR G.E. BELL, IN VIETNAM DURING
THE PERIOD 6 TO 18 JAN 93. PARA 1B OF REF REFERS T0 MR
NGUYEN VAN BON, THE WARTIME PROVINCE PARTY SECRETARY OF
THUA THIEN-HUE, WHO WAS INTERVIEWED IN HUE CITY ON 11
JAN 93. THE FOLLOWING REPORT PROVIDES THE INTERVIEW
RESULTS. THE INTERVIEW WAS MONITORED BY ASSIGNED
COUNTERPART AND MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE (MND) REP,
LTC PHAM TEO, AND MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR (MOI) REP, MR
HA MINH THAN.
2. SOURCE, A 77 YEAR OLD NATIVE OF HUE CITY REGROUPED
TO THE NORTH DURING 1954 AND RETURNED TO SARAVAN
PROVINCE LAOS WHEN THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT WAS
FORMED IN 1960. SOURCE SAID HE WAS NEVER PERSONALLY
INVOLVED WITH US POW'S AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO RECALL
HAVING HEARD ABOUT ONE CAPTURED AMERICAN. SOURCE SAID
THAT SOMETIME DURING THE MID 1960'S (SOURCE NOT SURE OF
YEAR BUT BELIEVED IT WAS 1966 OR 1967), HE HEARD ABOUT
ONE US PILOT WHO WAS CAPTURED AFTER HE PARACHUTED FROM
AN AIRCRAFT INSIDE OF LAOS ADJACENT TO WESTERN QUANG TRI
PROVINCE. SOURCE HEARD THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A
RECONNAISSANCE, MISSION AND FLYING VERY LOW AT THE TIME
OF THE INCIDENT. SOURCE HEARD THE PILOT WAS TAKEN ON
ROUTE 3-45 WEST OF A LUOI (YC3899) TO A CAMP CALLED
"IANG KHE" NEAR THE PILLAGES OF A HO AND "A VAI".
UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 004077/01
L . UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 004077/01
SOURCE SAID THE CAMP WAS LOCATED IN THE AREA OF TROOP
STATION (BINH TRAM) 45. SOURCE ADDED THAT THE
DESIGNATION OF ROUTE B-45 WAS DERIVED FROM THE
DESIGNATION OF TROOP STATION 45. SOURCE RECALLED
THAT TROOP STATION 45 WAS LOCATED IN THE LANG TA
AREA OF SARAVAN PROVINCE. SOURCE SAID ROUTE B-45
TRANSVERSED A SECTION OF LAOS CALLED THE "RUNG
THONG" (I.E. PINE FOREST). ROUTE B-45 WAS A WELL
WORN TRAIL WHICH SERVED AS A COMMO-LIAISON ROUTE AND
SUPPLY CORRIDOR FROM TROOP STATION 45 IN LAOS TO THE
HUE AREA. SOURCE RECALLED THAT A WELL KNOWN AND
DIFFICULT TO NEGOTIATE RISE ALONG THE ROUTE WAS
CALLED "ZOC MEO" (I.E. MEO RISE). SOURCE HEARD THAT
THE US POW WAS NOT ABLE TO EAT FISH SAUCE INITIALLY,
BUT EVENTUALLY BECAME ACCUSTOMED TO IT. SOURCE COULD
NOT RECALL ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE
US POW.
3. SOURCE SAID THAT ACCORDING TO HIS RECOLLECTION,
ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO US POW'S WERE THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ENEMY PROSELYTING ELEMENT OF
TRI THIEN MILITARY REGION (MR). SOURCE RECALLED THAT
THE ELEMENT WAS CALLED "DICH VAN QUAN KHU" (I.E.
MILITARY REGION ENEMY PROSELYTING). SOURCE VAGUELY
RECALLED THAT THE ENEMY PROSELYTING ELEMENT WAS
HEADQUARTERED IN THE AREA OF XOM SON DIEN" (XOMS SOWN
DDIEENJ) AND XOM CUU SY" (XOMS CUWR SYR) HAMLETS,
AND NEAR NAM GIAO (YD 7618). SOURCE RECALLED THAT A
PAVN MAJ (NAME NOT RECALLED) AND NATIVE OF HA TINH
PROVINCE WHO WAS A CADRE OF THE ENEMY PROSELYTING
ELEMENT, WAS KILLED DURING A BOMBING ATTACK BY US
AIRCRAFT AT NAM GIAO.
4. SOURCE SAID THAT WHEN HE RETURNED FROM NORTH VIETNAM
TO SARAVAN LAOS HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE PROVINCE
PARTY SECRETARY FOR THUA THIEN-HUE PROVINCE (BI THU TINH
UY). THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPARATUS DURING WARTIME WAS
LOCATED INSIDE LAOS AND ACTUALLY THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE
ADMINISTRATIONS, WITH THE THUA THIEN-HUE PROVINCE.
ADMINISTRATION BEHIND LOCATED WITHIN ANOTHER
ADMINISTRATIVE APPARATUS CALLED THE MOUNTAINOUS
REGION FRONT" (MAT THAN MIEN NUJ). SOURCE EXPLAINED THIS
ARRANGEMENT BY SAYING THAT HIS ADMINISTRATION WAS
AN ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY ADMINISTERING TERRITORY
OCCUPIED BY THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (RVN) BY REMOTE
CONTROL, WHILE THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION FRONT ACTUALLY
ADMINISTERED THE TERRITORY IN WHICH THEIR ADMINISTRATION
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OK' 02 BANGKOK TH 04077
WAS PHYSICALLY LOCATED. THE PARTY SECRETARY OF THE
MOUNTAINOUS REGION FRONT WAS MR LE HANH (HANHJ), WHO
SOURCE RECALLED IS NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN QUANG TRI
PROVINCE. SOURCE BELIEVES MR HANH IS MORE QUALIFIED THAN
HE TO DISCUSS US POW'S HELD BY VIETNAMESE FORCES INSIDE
LAOS DURING THE WAR.
5. WHEN ASKED CONCERNING OTHER CADRE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE INFORMATION CONCERNING US POW/MIA, SOURCE
PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING NAMES: MR GIAI, THE FORMER HEAD OF
THE PROVINCE PARTY COMMITTEE MILITARY PROSELYTING
SECTION (HAN LINH VAN TINH UY), NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN
HUE CITY Mk THU (LNU) AKA THU MEO MIENG (I.E. TWISTED
MOUTH THU), WHO WAS WOUNDED IN THE MOUTH DURING THE
WAR. MR. THU WAS ALSO ASSIGNED TO THE MILITARY
PROSELYTING SECTION OF THE PROVINCE PARTY COMMITTEE. HE
IS NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN HUE CITY. SOURCE SAID THAT
ALTHOUGH MR GIAI AND MR THU WERE ASSIGNED TO THE
MILITARY PROSELYTING SECTION OF THE PROVINCE PARTY
RATHER THAN THE TRI THIEN MR ENEMY PROSELYTING SECTION,
THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD SOME CONTACT WITH US PERSONNEL
DURING THE WAR. PAVN MC THU (LNU), THE FORMER CHIEF OF
STAFF FOR TRI THIEN MR, NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN THE TRI
LOC AREA NEAR THE MANG CA AIRFIELD (YD742230), INSIDE THE
CITADEL OF HUE CITY. SR COL BUI KHAC TOAN (TOANF), THE
FORMER DEPUTY OPERATIONS OFFICER (TRO LY TAC CHIEN) FOR
TRI THIEN MR, NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN HUE CITY. SR COL
NGUYEN TRONG DANH (ZANH) THE FORMER OPERATIONS OFFICER
FOR TRI THIEN MR, NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN HUE CITY.
(NOTE: SOURCE RECENTLY HEARD THAT A SR COL DANH DIED IN
HUE CITY, BUT SOURCE IS NOT SURE WHETHER THE REPORTED
DECEDENT AND SR COL NGUYEN TRONG DANH MENTIONED BY HIM
ARE THE SAME PERSON). MR LE DANH (ZANH) (POSSIBLY LE NGOC
DANH), THE FORMER DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR (PHO BAN
CHU NHIEM) OF THE TRI THIEN MR POLITICAL SECTION, NOW
RETIRED AND RESIDING IN QUANG TRI. SOURCE HEARD THAT MR
DANH WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED, AS THE HEAD OF THE VIETNAM
WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION IN QUANG TRI.
6. WHEN ASKED FOR HIS OPINION AS TO WHAT IMMEDIATE ACTION
US INVESTIGATIONS MIGHT TAKE TO OBTAIN LEADS CONCERNING
US PERSONNEL STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR IN THE THUA THIEN-HUE
PROVINCE AREA, SOURCE SUGGESTED THAT THEY GO TO WESTERN
THUA THIEN AND QUANG TRI PROVINCES. SOURCE OPINED THAT
LOCAL OFFICIALS OF HUONG HOA DISTRICT IN QUANG TRI, AND A
LUOI DISTHICT OF THUA THIEN-HUE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
AT LEAST SOME INFORMATION OF INTEREST. SOURCE SAID HE COULD
NOT RECALL THE NAMES OF CADRE IN QUANG TBI, BUT DID SUGGEST
THAT US INVESTIGATORS CONTACT LTC KHOA (KHOAS), THE
DISTRICT MILITARY COMMANDER, AND LTC TI LE (LEE), THE
FORMER DISTRICT PUBLIC SECURITY CHIEFIN A LUOI DISTRICT.
ACCORDING TO SOURCE, BOTH LTC KHOA AND LTC LE WERE
ASSIGNED TO THE A LUOI AREA DURING THE WAR.
7. COMMENT
UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-EADETONEBA 004077/02
A. ALTHOUGH SOURCE WAS NOT UNCOOPERATIVE, HE WAS
VERY IMPATIENT AND CONSTANTLY ASKED IF SA WAS FINISHED
WITH THE INTERVIEW SOURCE CONSTANTLY EMPHASIZED HIS
ROLE AS A PARTY OFFICIAL, BATHER THAN A MILITARY MEMBER.
AT TIMES SOURCE WAS ACTUALLY JOCULAR IN THIS REGARD
CAUSING THE MND REP, LTC TEO, TO APPEAR SOMEWHAT UNEASY.
SA GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT SOURCE PROBABLY KNOWS FAR
MORE THAN HE REVEALED BUT BELIEVES HE SHOULD PASS ON THE
NAMES OR OTHER POTENTIAL WITNESSES WITH SIMILAR KNOWLEDGE
DUE TO SOURCE'S COMMUNIST PARTY AFFILIATION. SA MADE
NO ATTEMPT TO PREVENT SOURCE FROM TAKING THIS TACK
AND BELIEVES THE NAMES PROVIDED BY SOURCE WILL
RESULT IN ADDITIONAL, MORE CASE SPECIFIC LEADS.
E. SOURCE APPEARED TO BE IN UNUSUALLY GOOD HEALTH,
CONSIDERING HIS AGE AND JUNGLE ENVIRONMENT LIFE STYLE
THROUGHOUT THE WAR YEARS. LTC TEO DID ADVISE HOWEVER,
THAT SOURCE. SUFFERS FROM HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND UNABLE
TO WITHSTAND LONG INTERVIEW SESSIONS. SOURCE WAS NOT
CONDUCIVE TO MAP TRACKING AND CLAIMED BAD VISION.
#4077
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UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONE8A 004077/02