317/03082-73

(FVS - 32, 810)

REPORT CLASS

COUNTRY LAOS/SOUTH VIETNAM

DOI EARLY MAY - JULY 1971

SUBJECT SIGHTING OF TWO U.S. PRISONERS OF WAR WITH THE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY 2ND YELLOW STAR DIVISION IN LAOS

ACO VIETNAM, SAIGON (24 JULY 1973) FIELD NO. FVS-32,8l0

SOURCE AN EXPERIENCED VIETNAMESE INTERROGATOR AT THE NATIONAL INTERROGATION CENTER FROM NVA SERGEANT [NAME] SQUAD LEADER LEADER, 5TH COMPANY, 14TH ANTIAIRCRAFT BATTALION, NVA 2ND YELLOW STAR DIVISION, WHO RALLIED ON 16 FEBRUARY 1973 IN OUANG NGAI PROVINCE, SOUTH VIETNAM. ALTHOUGH HE WAS VERY COOPERATIVE DURING DEBRIEFING AND APPEARED TO BE OF ABOVE AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE, HIS REPORTING RELIABILITY HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. (note: earlier versions of this document omits the phrase "his reporting reliability has not been determined." In its place a series of number appears - 8 4309 458,& 43)8-78)856-95, 733, 83534,8,35. The phrase "his reporting reliability has not been determined" is hand written above the numbers.) HE OBTAINED THE INFORMATION THROUGH PERSONAL OBSERVATION WHILE SERVING IN KHAMMOUANE AND SAVANNAKEHT PROVINCES, LAOS.

1. IN EARLY MAY OR JUNE 1971 AND IN JULY 1971, [NAME] SAW TWO U. S. PRISONERS OF WAR (POW's) ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN EARLY MAY OR JUNE 1971 WHEN HE SAW THE TWO POW'S EATING LUNCH WITH PERSONNEL OF THE MILITARY STAFF AND POLITICAL OFFICES, NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY (NVA) 2ND YELLOW STAR DIVISION SU DOAN 2 SAO VANG), AT THE 13TH COMMO-LIAISON STATION (WD 876558), 33RD BINH TRAM, NVA 559TH INFILTRATION LINE (DOUNG DAY 559) IN SAVANNAKHET PROVINCE., LAOS. HE OBSERVED THEM FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THE SECOND TIME [NAME] SAW THE SAME POW'S WAS FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES IN JULY 1971. THEY WERE WALKING WITH PERSONNEL OF THE MILITARY STAFF OFFICES. NVA 2ND DIVISION, THROUGH THE DIVISIONS' BASE CAMP AREA (WD086525) NEAR THE 31ST COMMO-LIAISON STATION (WD 826537), 33RD BINH TRAM, NVA 599 INFILTRATION LINE, SAVANNAKHET PROVINCE. THE THIRD TIME HE SAW THE POW'S WAS FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES IN JULY 1971, WHILE THE POW'S WERE SITTING IN A HUT IN THE DIVISION'S BASE CAMP AREA,

2. THE FIRST TIME [NAME] SAW THE POW'S, SERGEANT [NAME] SAID THAT THEY WERE OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN CAPTURED IN QUANG NAM PROVINCE, SOUTH VIETNAM. [NAME] SAID THAT THE POW'S WERE COLLABORATING WITH THE DIVISION'S POLITICAL AND MILITARY STAFF OFFICERS IN A PROSELYTIZING EFFORT DIRECTED TOWARD U.S. SOLDIERS. BEFORE LAUNCHING AN ATTACK INTO AREAS CONTAINING U.S. UNITS IN LAOS AND SOUTH VIETNAM,. THE DIVISION WOULD CONDUCT PROSELYTIZING EFFORTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE U.S. SOLDIERS TO JOIN THE COMMUNIST SIDE, TO DESERT, OR TO RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES.

3. [NAME] OBSERVED THE POW'S THE FIRST TIME FROM A DISTANCE OF ABOUT TWO METERS. BOTH WERE CAUCASIAN, ONE WAS ABOUT '30 YEARS OLD, ABOUT 1.80 METERS TALL, AND WEIGHED ABOUT 90 KILOS. HE HAD A HEAVY BUILD, A PINK COMPLEXION; A LONG FACE, SHORT BROWNISH BLOND HAIR, A RECEDING HAIRLINE, A HIGH STRAIGHT NOSE, BROWN EYES, WHITE REGULAR TEETH, A ROUND MOUTH, AND A RED MOLE UNDER HIS LOWER LEFT LIP. HE WAS WEARING A GREEN NVA UNIFORM CONSISTING OF A SHORTSLEEVED SHIRT AND TROUSERS. HE WAS ALSO WEARING A WHITE METAL "SEIKO" WRISTWATCH AND A LARGE GOLD RING WITH A RED RUBY ON HIS LEFT HAND. THE OTHER POW WAS ABOUT 33 TO 35 YEARS OLD, ABOUT 1.60 METERS TALL, WEIGHED ABOUT 70 KILOS, AND HAD AN AVERAGE BUILD. HE HAD A PINK COMPLEXION, A ROUND FACE, SHORT YELLOW HAIR, BROWN EYES, A ROUND MOUTH, A FRECKLED FACE AND A HOOKED NOSE. HE WAS ALSO WEARING A GREEN NVA UNIFORM, AND A WHITE ''SEIKO" WRISTWATCH, THE POW'S APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH AND DID NOT HAVE ANY VISIBLE WOUNDS.

4. IN ABOUT OCTOBER 1972, SERVEAN [NAME], A RADIO OPERATOR IN THE NVA 2ND DIVISION TOLD [NAME] THAT THE TWO POW'S HAD BEEN SENT TO NORTH VIETNAM.

5. (FIELD COMMENT:) THE JOINT CASUALTY RESOLUTION CENTER (JCRC) EVALUATED THE REPORT AS FOLLOWS: "RECORDS INDICATE THAT SOURCE PROBABLY OBSERVED CAPT. JOHN T. MC DONNELL, USA (JCRC NR. 0176). MCDONNELL WAS FLYING AN AHIG ON 6 MARCH 1969 WHICH WAS DOWNED BY GROUND F IRE AT ZCI77968. THE PILOT RECOVERED AND STATED THAT HE COULD RECALL NOTHING AFTER THE IMPACT. THE CRASH SITE WAS SEARCHED WITH NO TRACE OF THE SUBJECT. AS A RESULT OF GROUND SEARCH, THERE IS AN INDICATION' THAT MCDONNELL MAY HAVE BEEN CAPTURED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SITE. MCDONNELL'S DESCRIPTION FOLLOWS: AGE; IN 1971 WAS 31, HEIGHT: 1.77 METERS, WEIGHT: 75 KILOS; HAIR: BROWN, RACE: CAUCASIAN; WEARS WHITE SILVER SEIKO WATCH AND LARGE RING ON LEFT HAND. MCDONNELL IS CARRIED AS MISSING IN ACTION. NO CORRELATION COULD BE MADE ON THE SECOND POW CITED IN THE REPORT." AT JCRC REQUEST, DOT WAS RECONTACTED AND SHOWN MCDONNELL'S PHOTO M-133, PAGE A-390, VOLUME I "PRECAPTURF PHOTOGRAPHS OF PRISONERS OF WAR AND MISSING IN ACTION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA," MIXED WITH 15 OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS. HOWEVER, [NAME] WAS UNABLE TO MAKE AN IDENTIFICATION. THEN HE WAS SHOWN MCDONNELL'S PHOTOGRAPH. AFTER FIVE MINUTES OF STUDY, [NAME] SAID THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH LOOKED VERY SIMILAR TO THE POW WHO WORE THE RING, EXCEPT THAT HIS HAIR WAS LONGER AND THAT HIS NOSE WAS LONGER AND NOSTRILS WERE LESS PRONOUNCED. HE SAID THAT THE SHAPE OF THE FACE, THE EYES, AND THE MOUTH WERE SIMILAR TO THE MAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, BUT STOPPED SHORT OF MAKING A DEFINITE IDENTIFICATION BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THE HAIR STYLE AND NOSE.

6. FIELD DISSEM: DEFENSE ATTACHE FOR JCRC REPRESENTATIVE IN SAIGON: SENT TO CINCPAG (FOR CINCPAC AND POLAD ONLY) USSAG VIENTIANE (FOR JCRC REPRESENTATIVE ONLY)

REPORT CLASS