SOUTH VIETNAM
NORTH
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
DATE OF INFO : 7
AND PLACE OP ACQUISITION :
7> SAIGON, Vietnam
Ji
fatally shooting
6 Source's regiment stationed in THANH HOA Province received talks from the regiment political officer Senior Lieutenant DONG on the treatment of Allied and OVN priaonors of war. All Allied prisoners captured in SVN would be taken from SVN to Laos and thence to HANOI cithor by truok from QUANG BINH Province or by helicopter from Laos. Helicopters from NVN to Laos carrying supplies for NVA troops could return carrying prisonora to HANOI. Sourco provided hearsay information on sightings of American and OVN prisoners dating fr-cm5 in HOA BINH Province, In6 in QUANG BINH Province, and6 in QUANG NAM Provinoe. The
men were told that no one would
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seriously wounded prisoner provided the inflicted wound wao In tho head, abdomin or chest; non-seriously wounded enemy soldiers were to be taken prisoner and brought to the regiment immediately. Regiment Headquarters had two English speaking interrogators. After an. engagement in7 in the vicinity of BINH LAW) Village, THANO BINH District, QUANG TIN Province, Source personally placed leaflets (printed in NVN in English, but tbey also had leaflets printed in Korean an Vietnamese) near about ten dead American soldiers. These leaflets illustrated the anti-Vietnamese war demonstrations held inource saw and described one American prisoner captured after this battle. During pre-infiltratlon training the men in the regiment had been taught English phrases such asnd "No chance escapoJ"
egiment Political Officer Senior Lieutenantpolitical mooting In THANH HOA Province, discussed theevacuation of Allied Forces prisoners of war. He told thethese prisoners should be well created and forwardedHeadquarters for questioning by two English He added that If local guerrillas escortedat least one NVA soldier should also be in the escort tomistreatment . Allied prisoners would eventually boHANOI either by truck or helicopter. From SVN territorywould be escorted intorom Laos they would either
be marched around the demilitarized zone to QUANG BINH Province where trucks would carry them to HANOI, or they would be flown from Laos direct to HANOI by helicopters. Theae helicopters flew from NVN (point of departure unknown) to Laos to supply NVA troops stationed there, and on their return trips they could carry these prisoners back.
5 Source was stationed ln HOA BINH Province. with hla associates he learned that an AmericanJust recently been capturad by the Local people. Thedescribed asears of.ago, weighedilograms andmeters tall. They ware about to beat him when some NVAand took him into custody. One of the men in Sourco'athat he had heard about this from Major SON, the This American had parachuted safely and was uninjured.
He gave the NVAiece of paper on which were written both In Vietnamese and Chinese the following message "Don't beat me; give me food". The-soldiers fed hin bread and soup, then tied his arms and took him to HANOI in an approximately one hour ridehree-wheeled bus. This was all the information Source learned fren discussions with hia associates.
uring the infiltration trip. Source recalledho had with an NVA soldier who was quartered inProvinoe. This man told him that on two occasions hoAllied prisoners from SVN into NVN via Laosman also mentioned that in one of these tvo groups thoroAmericans. He did not say who the other prisoners werethere had been in all. He claimed that he had turned themother soldiers in QUANG BINH Provinoe to be transported byHANOI.
It. Inuring an at&aok on PHUOC LAM Post, TIEN PHUOC District, QUANG NAK Province, Source's campany captured four OVN soldiers. Two were hurt and woro taken on stretchers bo the Regiment hospital (location unlmown). The other two prisoners
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escorted by guerrillas and one NVA soldier to Regiment Headquarters for interrogating. He did not see these men but he learned this from conversations with his friends after tho battle. Later on, Company Ccemander Lieutenant KHOI told his men that the prisoners would be takenrison camp (location unknown) but that cooperative prisoners could return to their village if it wereC controlled area. Inhe entire regiment. truck convoy on Routeear BA REM Bridge, THANG BINHUANG TIN Provinoe. During this battle four GVN soldiers, one second'lieutenant and three soldiers, wero also captured and taken to the regiment, for questioning. This was all the information he received about these prisoners in casual discussions among the men in his company.
5. Inhe regiment. soldiers on operations near BINH LANK Village, THANG BINHANO TIN Provinco. Prior to this battle the Company Commander Lieutenant KHOI distributed leaflets which had been printed in NVN in English. These leaflets were to bo scattered near enemy bodies on the battlefield. The leaflets discussed the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations in. They alsoicture of Mr. Morrison, an American who immulated himself by fire in protest to the war. The Ctompanyaald that he also had some leaflets printed In Korean and Vietnamese. Lieutenant KHOI then told the men that no one would be criticised for shooting any seriously wounded prisoner provided the inflicted wound was ln the head, abdocn in or chest. Non-seriously wounded enemy soldiers wore to be taken prisoner and brought at the regiment immediately. After the battle, the American retreated and Source personally placed leaflets near about ten dead American soldiers. He did not see or hear of anyoneounded American. He saw one American prisoner just before he was escorted by NVA soldiers to tbe regiment. This man was0 meters tall, of medium build andhin dark mustache. He was not injured and still wore his helmet and hla complete uniform except for one of his shoes (tois escape). His arms were tied behind his back and Source recalled seeing insignios on the sleeves. He looked frightened and kept glancing all about furtively. The men standing about aaid that this man had boon surrounded by soldiers from another NVA company and ordered to surrender, which he did immediately.
6. During the pre-infiltration training, the men ln the regiment had been taught to say the following phrases In English: surrender, lay down arms, gun down, go, and no chance to escape. Senior Lieutenant DUNG spoke English and acted aa instructor. Source did not know whether othor prisoners had been taken by the NVA during thio battle.
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Original document.
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