[310410Z.OH 05/22/96]
ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO DCM POL SA DAO PY/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9)
VZCZC
RR RUHOHQE RUMTFS RUEHPF RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUHQHQB
RUEKJCS RUESJCS RUEAIIA RUHVAAA RUEADWW RUEHC
DF RUEHBK #2797/01 090 **
ZNR UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASSIFIED
R 310410Z MAR 93 CHRGE: CTTF 03/31/93
FM CJTF-FA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GFB
TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF:GEB
INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE//CJTF-FA DET THREE// :NONE
BUENPP / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTEFA 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/lCOG//
RUHVAAA / CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//
RUEADWW / NSC WASHDC
RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP//
BT
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BANGKOK TR 12797
UNCLASSIFIED 0130 MAR 93
DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: SRV ORAL HISTORY SR CPT NGUYEN CHI CONG
REF: DET 1, JTF-FA MSG 230355Z MAR 93
1. REF WAS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF ACTIVITIES
CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM BY JTFFA SPECIAL ASSISTANT, MR
G.E. BELL, DURING THE PERIOD 3 TO 19 MARCH 1993. PARA
2.A OF REF PERTAINS T0 SR CPT NGUYEN CHI CONG. THE
FOLLOWING REPORT PROVIDES THE DETAILS OF THE
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH SR CPT CONG.
2. SR CPT NGUYEN CHI CONG WAS INTERVIEWED IN RACH GIA
CITY, KIEN GIANG PROVINCE ON 5 MARCH 1993. 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 NGUYEN THE
CONG. REPRESENTING THE KIEN GIANG PROVINCE
PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE WERE VICE-CHAIRMAN MR TRAN LAM
CHIEF OF STAFF, MR THAI DANG THANG, AND MIA
SPECIALISTS, MR BUR QUANG LEN AND MR THAN MINH CHIEN.
5. SOURCE, A 70 TEAR OLD NATIVE OF PHONG DINH,
JOINED THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION TO FIGHT AGAINST
THE FRENCH WHEN JAPANESE FORCES WITHDREW FROM
VIETNAM AFTER WORLD WAR 11. ACCORDING TO SOURCE,
AFTER THE GENEVA AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED IN 1954, HE
REMAINED AT HOME IN PHONG DINH AND EARNED HIS
LIVING AS A FARMER. SOMETIME DURING 1963, SOURCE WAS
CONTACTED BY MEMBERS OF THE REGION COMMITTEE FOR
MILITARY REGION NINE AND TASKED TO CONSTRUCT AND
MANAGE A PRISON CAMP FOR FOREIGN POW'S. AT THAT
TIME SOURCE WAS INFORMED THAT HIS POSITION WOULD BE
THAT OF
1/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 012797/01
CAMP COMMANDER.
4. SOURCE CONSTRUCTED THE CAMP IN A MANGROVE FOREST
LOCATED IN THE U MINH HA (I.E. LOWER U MINH) IN THE
AREA OF BIEN BACH VILLAGE (NOTE: WARTIME US MAPS DO
NOT DEPICT BIEN BACH VILLAGE, BUT DO SHOW A TAN BANK
VILLAGE AT THE SAME LOCATION REFERRED TO BY SOURCE
VIC VR 997539), KIEN AN DISTRICT, KIEN GIANG
PROVINCE. (NOTE: AFTER REUNIFICATION IN 1976 THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY FOR THIS AREA WAS CHANGED
AND THE PRESENT DESIGNATION FOR THE FORMER CAMP
LOCATION IS U MINH DISTRICT, MINH HAI PROVINCE
SOURCE RECALLED THAT THE INITIAL CAMP LOCATION WAS
NEAR THE JUNCTION OF CANAL NUMBER 21 AND TRI SONG
CAI LON RIVER (VR 999534). SOURCE SAID THE CAMP WAS
DESIGNATED TG36 (I.E. TRAI GIAM 36), AND WAS
SUBORDINATE TO THE ENEMY PROSELYTING SECTION,
POLITICAL DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY REGION NINE (CUC
CHINH TRI QUAN KHU CHIN). SOURCE HEARD THAT ANOTHER
CAMP LOCATED IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA WAS DESIGNATED
TG35 AND SUBORDINATE TO THE MILITARY PROSELYTING SECTION,
POLITICAL DEPARTMENT, MR9. SOURCE HEARD CAMP TG35
HELD ONLY ARVN/GVN POW'S.
5. SOURCE RECALLED THAT THE FIRST TWO AMERICAN POW'S
WERE MOVED INTO THE CAMP SOMETIME DURING 1964. HE
RECALLED THEIR NAMES AS ROWE AND PITZER (REFNOS
0022-0-01 AND 0022-0-01). ROWE AND PITZER WERE BOTH
CAUCASIANS WHO WERE CAPTURED IN THE AREA OF CA MAU.
SOURCE RECALLED THAT ROWE WAS AN ENGINEER, BUT COULD
NOT RECALL THE BRANCH OFOF SERVICE FOR PITZER.
SHORTLY! AFTER ROWE AND PITZER ARRIVED IN THE CAMP,
ANOTHER CAUCASIAN AMERICAN POW CALLED VERSACE (REFNO
0021-0-01) WAS MOVED THERE. OTHER AMERICANS WHO
ARRIVED LATER INCLUDED JOHNSON (REFNO 0033), TADIOS
(REFNO 0047), PARKS (REFNO 0042), WALKER (REFNO 0086),
JACKSON (REFNO 0384), AND A BLACK AMERICAN POW CALLED
"ROBAT" (SOURCE'S PRONUNCIATION WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN
ROBERT AND ROBART). SOURCE WAS NOT ABLE TO RECALL
ANY DETAILS CONCERNING THE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF
THE MAN CALLED "ROBAT", BUT DID VAGUELY RECALL
THAT HE WAS INITIALLY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN TRI VINH
AND LATER MOVED TO THE MR9 CAMP.
6. THE FIRST AMERICAN TO BECOME SERIOUSLY ILL WAS CPT
VERSACE. SOURCE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE MILITARY
REGION COMMITTEE (KHU UY) TO TRANSFER CPT VERSACE TO
THEIR CUSTODY. SOURCE LAST SAW CPT VERSACE WHEN HE WAS
TAKEN FROM THE CAMP BT MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY PROSELYTING
1/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 012797/01
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 BANGKOK 12797
SECTION. ALTHOUGH SOURCE DID NOT SEE CPT VERSACE
AGAIN, HE LATER HEARD THAT HE DIED DUE TO ILLNESS.
SOURCE DID NOT HEAR ABOUT THE BURIAL LOCATION.
SOURCE SPECULATED THAT CPT VERSACE WAS BURIED IN THE
AREA OF BIEN BACH VILLAGE, BECAUSE IT CONTAINED THE
ONLY SOLID GROUND IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. THE NEXT
TWO AMERICANS TO DIE DUE TO ILLNESS WERE CPT WALKER
AND THE BLACK MAN CALLED "ROBAT". BOTH MEN WERE
BURRED IN AN EARTHEN FISH TRAP, WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED
BY FORMING A CIRCULAR EARTHEN DAM WITH A LOW SPOT IN
THE CENTER FOR TRAPPING, FISH AT LOW TIDE. SOURCE
RECALLED THAT CPT WALKER WAS BURIED IN THE DAM AT
THE FRONT OF THE FISH TRAP, AND "ROBAT" WAS BURIED IN
THE DAM AT THE REAR OF THE TRAP. SOURCE SAID HE
PERSONNALY BURIED BOTH BODIES. SOURCE RECALLED THAT
THE GRAVES DUG AT THE TIME WERE APPROXIMATELY ONE
AND ONE-HALF METERS DEEP. SOURCE DID NOT RECALL ANY
MARKERS PLACED ON THE GRAVES. SOURCE DID NOT RECALL
ANT PERSONAL EFFECTS OR METAL OBJECTS (I.E. ANYTHING
METAL TO BE DETECTED BY GROUND PROBE OR METAL
DETECTOR). SOURCE WAS ASSISTED BY A STAFF MEMBER
NAMED THAI VAN QUAN (QUAAN), WHO LATER DIED.
7. WE TO ENEMY ACTIVITY IN THE AREA OF TG36 CAMP, THE
CAMP WAS MOVED FROM CANAL 21 TO CANAL 26 (VR 957567) .
AFTER ARRIVAL IN THE NEW CAMP, ANOTHER BLACK AMERICAN
POW (NOTE: POSSIBLY SGT PARKS, REFNO 0048) ALSO DIED.
SOURCE COULD NOT RECALL ANY DETAILS CONCERNING THE BURIAL.
SOURCE ALSO RECALLED THAT DURING THE TIME THE CAMP WAS
LOCATED ON CANAL 26, SEVERAL PRISONERS INCLUDING LLT ROWE
AND AN ARVN POW NAMED "RAO", MANAGED TO ESCAPE FROM THE CAMP.
AIRCRAFT CAME TO THA AREA AND A JOINT US/ARVN FORCE LED BY
MAJ SMITH AND MAJ RUNG ATTACKED ON THE GROUND,
SEARCHING FOR THE POW CAMP. DUE TO ENEMY ACTIVITY THE
CAMP WAS MOVED TO CANAL NUMBER 11 IN THE AREA BETWEEN
BIEN BACH VILLAGE AND AN BIEN VILLAGE (VR 0077) IN AN
MINH DISTRICT. (NOTE: CANAL NUMBER 11 IS NOT DEPICTED
ON AVAILABLE SHEET 5928 SERIES L607, BUT BASED ON THE
LOCATIONS OF CANALS 9 AND 10, A POSSIBLE LOCATION
FOR THE AREA REFERRED TO BY SOURCE IS VR 9275). SOURCE
RECALLED THAT SOMETIME DURING 1970 OR 1971, A US NAVY
SHIP FIRED INTO THE CAMP KILLING SEVERAL GUARDS.
ALSO DURING, THIS SAME TIME FRAME, SGT TADIOS (REFNO
0047) ALSO DIED AND WAS BURIED NEAR THE CAMP. SOURCE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE BURIAL OF SGT TADIOS, AND
THEREFORE, WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION
CONCERNING THE GRAVE. SOURCE RECALLED THAT A CADRE,
AND SOURCE'S OWN SON, WHO SERVED AS THE LEADER OF THE
PLATOON SIZED GUARD FORCE, CONDUCTED THE ACTUAL
BURIAL. SOURCE'S SON, HAI (2) THANH, WAS SUPERVISED BY
MUOI (10 ) THANH, THE DEPUTY CAMP COMMANDER. SOURCE
ONLY HEARD FROM HIS SON THAT SGT TADIOS WAS BURIED
ON SOLID GROUND, ALONG SIDE A TRAIL NEAR THE CAMP.
SOURCE RECALLED THAT SGT TADIOS ALMOST MANAGED TO REACH
SAFETY ON ONE OCCASION WHEN HE ESCAPED FROM THE CAMP,
BUT HE WAS RECAPTURED BY GUARDS ONLY A FEW HOURS
AFTER HIS ESCAPE.
E. CONCERNING US PERSONNEL WHO WERE RELEASED FROM THE
CAMP, SOURCE COULD ONLY RECALL THAT SFC JOHNSON
(0033) WAS MOVED FROM THE CAMP TO CAMBODIA. SOURCE
LATER HEARD HE WAS RELEASED TO THE US. SOURCE VAGUELY
RECALLED THAT SSG
2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FA FADETONEBA 012797/02
JACKSON (REFNO 0384) WAS ALSO MOVED TO CAMBODIA
WHERE HE TOO WAS RELEASED. SOURCE ALSO RECALLED
THAT MSG PITZER (REFNO 0022) WAS RELEASED BUT COULD
NOT RECALL ANY DETAILS.
9. CONCERNING THE BURIAL LOCATIONS OF US PERSONNEL WHO
DIED IN CAPTIVITY, SOURCE SAID HE BELIEVES HE CAN STILL
LOCATE THE GENERAL AREA OF THE GRAVES OF THE MAN CALLED
"ROBAT" AND CPT WALKER. SOURCE SAID THAT SINCE TRAVEL
WOULD BE PRIMARILY BY BOAT, AND HIS HEALTH PERMITTING HE
CAN GUIDE A US TEAM TO THE SITE. SOURCE SAID HIS SON
HAI THANH IS IN EXCELLENT HEALTH AND WILL BE READY TO
ACCOMPANY THE TEAM. SOURCE SAID BE HAS NOT HAD RECENT
CONTACT WITH THE FORMER DEPUTY CAMP COMMANDER MUOI THINH,
BUT PROVINCE COMMITTEE OFFICIALS PRESENT SAID THEY HAVE
MET WITH HIM IN CAN THO, AND THEY BELIEVE HE CAN ALSO BE
LOCATED TO ACCOMPANY JOINT TEAM TO THE SITES. SOURCE
SAID THE PRESENCE OF BOTH HAI THANR AND MUOI THANH WILL BE
CRUCIAL TO LOCATING THE GRAVES OF SGT PARKS AND SSG TADIOS
AT THE FORMER CAMP SITES AT CANALS 26 AND 11. SHORTLY
AFTER VISITING THE BIEN BACH AREA ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO,
2/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 012797/02
SOURCE HEARD THAT THE OFFICIALS OF MINN HAI PROVINCE RECOVERED
THE REMAINS OF ONE BLACK US POW, AFTER A SECOND ATTEMPT AT
EXCAVATION. SOURCE DID NOT HEAR ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS
CONCERNING THE CAMP LOCATION OR IDENTITY OF THE US POW WHOSE
REMAINS WERE REPORTEDLY RECOVERED. KIEN GIANG PROVINCE
OFFICIALS SAID THEY ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT AN EFFORT TO
RECOVER THE REMAINS OF THE AMERICANS WHO DIED IN CAPTIVITY,
BUT IF THE US SIDE PREFERS, THEY CAN COORDINATE THE
RECOVERY EFFORT WITH THE MINH HAI PROVINCE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE,
SINCE THE FORMER CAMP SITES ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED WITHIN THEIR
ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY. SA INFORMED THE LOCAL OFFICIALS THAT HE
WILL REPORT THE INFORMATION TO HIS SUPERIORS TO ENABLE THEM TO
DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH THE VIETNAMESE OFFICE. FOR SEEKING
MISSING PERSONNEL (VNOSMP) AND DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF
FUTURE ACTION CONCERNING THE REMAINS OF CPT VERSACE, SOURCE
SAID HE HAS NOT ABLE TO RECALL THE NAME OF A POTENTIAL WITNESS TO
ASSIST IN LOCATING THE BURIAL SITE. ASSIGNED COUNTERPART, LTC
PHAM TEO, INDICATED HE WILL ATTEMPT TO LOCATE FORMER
MEMBERS OF THE REGION 9 COMMITTEE TO OBTAIN THE IDENTITY AND
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS OF A WITNESS.
10. WHEN ASKED CONCERNING HIS KNOWLEDGE OF ADDITIONAL
INCIDENTS INVOLVING US PERSONNEL, SOURCE SAID HE RECALLED
THAT SOMETIME DURING THE WAR YEARS IN KlEN GIANG PROVINCE,
LOCAL RESIDENTS DISCOVERED THE REMAINS OF AN AMERICAN
SOLDIER. SOURCE SAID HE COULD NOT RECALL ANY DETAILS, BUT
RECALLED RECALLED THAT THE VILLAGERS TURNED THE REMAINS IN
TO US FORCES AND WERE REWARDED WITH AN ELECTRIC POWER
GENERATOR FOR THEIR VILLAGE. SOURCE SAID HE RECALLED ONE
OTHER INCIDENT WHERE LOCAL RESIDENTS DISCOVERED THE
REMAINS OF AN AMERICAN PILOT WHOSE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN BEN
THE DURING 1967. HE SAID LOCALS FOUND THE REMAINS WHILE
EXCAVATING THE FOUNDATION FOR A NEW HOUSE. SOURCE SAID THE
VILLAGERS WERE CONTACTED BY OFFICIALS FROM THE PROVINCE
WHO CAME TO TAKE CUSTODY OF THE REMAINS. (NOTE: SA
CONFERRED WITH COUNTERPART, LTC TEO, REGARDING THESE
REMAINS AND DETERMINED THAT THE REMAINS REFERRED TO BY
SOURCE HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPATRIATED T0 THE US; REFNO
0545, HYDE, MICHAEL L.). SOURCE IS NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER
INCIDENTS INVOLVING US PERSONNEL. SOURCE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE
OF ANY US PERSONNEL REMAINING IN VIETNAM.
I. COMMENTS:
A. SOURCE WAS COOPERATIVE AND GENERALLY PROVIDED HIS
INFORMATION IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD MANNER. SOURCE DID
HOWEVER, POLITELY DEFLECT QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE
IDENTITIES OF CADRE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO THE REGION 3
COMMITTEE AND THE GENERAL COMPOSITION OF MILITARY REGION
9, SA GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT SOURCE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE
AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ONLY THE IDENTITIES OF THE CADRE
REPORTED ABOVE. SA WAS CAUTIONED BY THE PROVINCE VICE-
CHAIRMAN IN ADVANCE THAT SOURCE WAS IN POOR HEALTH AND
COULD NOT UNDERGO LONG INTERVIEW SESSIONS. SOURCE ADVISED
THAT HE SUFFERS PROM HYPERTENSION AND SOURCE CONSUMED A
VARIETY OF MEDICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. DURING A MID-
DAY BREAK SA INVITED EVERYONE PRESENT TO LUNCH, BUT THE
3/4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONERA 012797/03
4 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 012797/03
VICE-CHAIRMAN ADVISED SOURCE BE SHOULD NOT ATTEND DUE TO HIS
HEALTH CONDITION.
B. OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCE COMMITTEE WERE VERY
COOPERATIVE AND INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RAPID
RESOLUTION OF THE MIA ISSUE. THE VICE-CFAIRMAN SAID THAT
IN HIS OPINION, THE US SIDE SHOULD CONSIDER THE MATTER
RESOLVED IN THE CONTEXT OF REMAINING BILATERAL ISSUES
CURRENTLY BLOCKING A NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN
THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE VICE-CHAIRMAN SAID THE TWO SIDES
CAN CONTINUE T0 RESOLVE THE CASES OF AMERICANS STILL NOT
ACCOUNTED FOR ON A ROUTINE BASIS. LTC TEO ADDED HIS
OBSERVATION MADE DURING A SIGHT-SEEING TRIP TO PEARL
HARBOR THAT OVER 2000 US PERSONNEL ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED
FOR IN PEARL HARBOR, WHICH IS LOCATED ONLY A FEW
KILOMETERS FROM THE HQ OF THE JTF-FA. THE VICE-CHAIRMAN
ASKED SA TO PASS ON THE APPRECIATION OF THE PEOPLE OF
KIEN GIANG TO THE USG FOR A USG SPONSORED HEALTH PROJECT
RECENTLY INITIATED IN THEIR PROVINCE. HE SAID SUCH
PROJECTS WILL PLAY A LARGE PART IN HEALING THE WOUNDS
OF WAR. LOCAL OFFICIALS INDICATED THEY WERE PLEASED TO
HAVE
UNCLAS SECTION 04 OF 04 BANGKOK TH 12797
A US OFFICIAL VISIT THEIR PROVINCE AND OFFERED
THEIR ASSISTANCE FOB ANY FUTURE EFFORTS IN
THEIR PROVINCE.
BT
#2797
NNNN
4/4 UNCLASSIFIEDCJTF-FADETONEBA 012797/04