REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF CAUCASIAN/AMERICAN PRISONERS IN NORTH VIETNAM (WI TH COV

Created: 5/20/1977

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

tt JUL Ml

elljar, jCoaaiander, USH m '

Chief, Prisoner of War/Missing" In Action Resources and Installations. efense*

aymond Vohden, Captain,Advisor for Prisoner of War and

*issing In Action Affairs

- (International Security Office of the Secretary of Defense

FROM eputy Director, for Operations

SUBJECT . nvalidation of Information .Obtained froA

7

of_inforaation provided

Both individuals, however, have

1questioning have.established theJid not obtain referent information In thealiened or from the two fvrjncinaldescrj

(provided convincing documentationclaias to preyioijs^BnloYaen^bymilitary ant

verified. e?.

beinc processed for entrance to the

United Statesefugee. We believe that further questioning by thispractical at this rise.

4. Pndm'rytfce'e1 /cuws'tances.^tt*etermined at thishether" anyon is reliable.

'w,

s. f

- -

JAMES" D. ROSENTHAL

DIRECTOR, VIETNAM. UOS AND CAMBODIA

-; .OF EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS

; . | ** FRANF. A.VERTS '

' COORDINATOR FOR PRISONER OFMISSING IN*-ACTION MATTERS

.J OF STATE

BRUCE L. HELLER, CORIANDER, USN (R) CHIEF, PRISONER OF WAR/HISSING IN ACTION BRANCH RESOURCES AND INSTALLATIONS DIVISION DIRECTORATE FOR INTELLIGENCE (RESEARCH CENTER)

RAYMOND* VOHDEN, CAPTAIN, USH '

PRINCIPAL ADVISOR FOR PRISONER OF WAR AND

MISSING IN ACTION AFFAIRS (INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

M W.

- DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS

REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF CAUCASIAN/AMERICAN

PRISONERS IN NORTH VIETNAM

K'O HARD COPY FOLLOT5S

ATTACHED AS OFTTING FROM IXFORMATION OBTAINED

WE ARE GIVING THIS REPORT n

CCr NIO

DDI/ORPA DDl/OSR

ATTACHMENT:

REPORT a6 STATED

LASSIFIED BY SIGNER. XCDS-2

. -

SUBJECT:REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF CAUCASIAN/AMERICAN PRISONERS ORTH VIETNAM

THtSi RELEASE FROM

. t. IN5E HE WASORK DETAIL,ORMER ARMY OF TKE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (ARW)EH3 WHO- WAS CAPTURED BY PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM (PAVN) TORCES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS2 AND IMPRISONED IN THE HANOI AREA UNTIL,ROUP OF. CAUCASIAN PRISONERS BEING MARCHEDURAL RCAD NEAR HANOI.

PRISON INS.) - . .

AH UNIDENTIFIED PAVN ARMY CAPTAIN TOLDI THAT IN6 HSRUCK CARRYING

AN UNDETERMINED MEMBER OF: AMERICAN, PRISONERS WHOOUNTAINOUS AREA AT,BA VI VILLAGE. THEEA.PLANTATION ABOUTILOMETERS PROM SONCOMMENT: THE PAVN CAPTA-IN RELATED THISINKIT TO

IN0 he HAD SEEN ABOUTMERICAN PRISONERS OP WAR (PW'S)RUCK NEARUONG"

VHIIE-HE HAS TRAVELLING BY BUS BETWEEN HANOI AND HAIPHONG.

i

HE vas CLOSr ENOUGH to OBSERVE THE MEN,THEM AS CHAINED TOGETHER IN PAIRS, WEARING STRIPED PW UNIFORMS, AND ALL APPEARING EITHER SICK OR INJURED.

BZffiBBfl during hisyggy.-jg!

DOCTOR IN NORTH VIETNAM, he HAD PERSONALLY SEEN MANY AMERICAN PITS, MUCH made HIMERCENT sure that THE PRISONERS ON die truck WERE AMERICANS. ftfff/jfffi^^Ml INQ HAD SEEN AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT MEMORANDUM THATEFERENCE TO. AMERICAN PK'S STILL BEING HELD IN VIETNAM.

IAN UNIDENTIFIED PAVN OFFICER had ONCE TOLD HIM THAT

THERE VERE STILLP AMERICAN PRISONERS, BUT MOST

HAD SEEK DISPERSED TO CAXPS NEAR THE BORDER KITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC or CHINA (PRC)WHBSft SAIDAVN LIEUTENANT COLONEL, HAD TOLD HIM THAT AMERICANS KERB STILL BEING HELD AS-PRISONERS AS LATE AS (SOURCEHP-ELATE^HBH- AKY "SPECIFIC INFORMATION OH THE EXISTENCE OF PRISON CAMPS, BUT ASSUMED ONE MUST EXIST IN KCKIAKO AREA HEAR MAX DUONG BECAUSE OF SEEING THE TRUCKCARRYING (HEADQUARTERSATEDNFORMATIONtSpvBl fi

KAJJE|Bvis1ts POSSIBLY-THE. UNIDENTIFIED PAVN OFFICER MAY BE IDOTICAL KITH THE UNNAMED OFFICE1

a CONVERSATION

PAVH tlEUTENANT COLONEL BOASTEDEMAL tfERE STILL MANY AMERICA* PRISONERS IH NORTHERI; LAI ED THIS INFOr-v'vTIONVSZZ^Sl AN

SAID HE OVERHEARD IN0 UCH AN UNIDENTIFIED

THAT THERE

CLASSIFIED tt SICKER. JGDS-2

Nui-)7

Original document.

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