MULT

ACTION 38948

VZCZCMAY247ILN779

DISTR CJCS; (05)

CJCS DJS J3(08) DIA: :DIA (20) FILE(1)

(034)

TRANSIT/110900Z4111446Z/005:46TOR1621432

DE RHMSMVA 412T8 1620928

ZNY

11090OZ JUN 73

FM USDAO SGN RVN TO RUMMRGA/JCRC NKP THAI

INFO RUEKJCS/DIA/Dl6C

RUEAIIA/CIA//OER//VN// RUEAUSA/AFIN WASH DC

RUEAUSA/NIC35/WASH DC

RUEOIAA/DIRNSA//86

RULAUSA/ACSI/WASH DC

RUHQHUA/CINCPAC//J2

RUHHRGA/CINCUSARPAC//ULSINT

RUHVAAA//CINCPACAF//DCSI

RHHMBRA/CINCPACFLT//N2

RUHQHGA/CGFMFPAC//G2

RUEOFIA/CMC/A02A//DNA/WASH DC

RUMJIR/AMEMB SGN//MR

BENNETT//MR JETTON

RUMMRGA/CGUSSAG//7AF NKP THAI//INOE

ZEN/UAO SGN//AOSOP-IX

BT

SUBJECT BRIGHT LIGHT REPORT

THIS IS IR [DATA]

l. (U) COUNTRY: VS

2. (U) SUBJ: INFORMATION CONCERNING U.S. PWS

3. (U) N/A

4. (U) DATE OF INFORMATION: AUGUST 1972 TO 10 APRIL 1973

5. (U) PLACE AND DATE OF AQN: SAIGON, RVN: 22 MAY 1973

6. (U) EVALUATION: F-3

7. SOURCE: [SOURCE] WHO HELD THE RANK OF ASPIRANT AND WAS COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE 1ST CO. 21ST BN, 2D DIV, SOURCE WAS BORN IN 1948 IN NAM HA PROVINCE, NVN AND RALLIED TO THE GVN ON 10 APRIL 1973 AT TAM QUAN DISTRICT, BINH DINH PROVINCE, RVN.

8. (U) REPORT NUMBER 6 918 5058 73

9. (U) DATE OF REPORT: JUNE 1973

10. (U) N/A

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11. (U) REFERENCES: DIRM 1016: DIRM 6G

12. (U) USDAO, SAIGON 13. (U) PREPARED BY ANTONIO L. SUAREZ, GS - 13, CHIEF, LIAISON TEAM 1

14. (U) T. C. GETTINGS, LTC, CHIEF, C&L SECTION

15. TEXT: EVALUATION REQUESTED. IN AUGUST 1972, SOURCE ENTERED AN MR-5 PW CAMP, LOCATED VIC BS565382 (L7014 SHEET 6738 IV). SOURCE CONTACTED MEMBERS OF THE 12TH ARTILLERY BN (NVA), WHO WERE AT THE PW CAMP LOCATION TO STUDY THE OPERATION OF CAPTURED 105 MM HOWITZERS. THEIR INSTRUCTOR WAS A CAPTURED AMERICAN ARTILLERY OFFICER (BELIEVED TO BE AN ARVN ADVISOR), WHO WAS CAPTURED (ESTIMATED l968-69) BY THE 459TH SAPPER REGT IN BINH DINH PROVINCE. THE PW WAS FORCED TO GIVE ARTILLERY INSTRUCTION UNDER THREAT OF EXECUTION.

IN ADDITION TO THE OFFICE, THERE WERE FIVE (5) AMERICAN NCO'S REFERRED TO AS SERGEANTS AND 200 ARVN PW'S AMONG THEM WERE MANY RANKING OFFICERS, THE HIGHEST RANKING BEING A LTC. THE AMERICANS WERE SEGREATED FROM THE ARVN PW'S. SOURCE ONLY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE FIVE NCO'S AND THUS COULD PROVIDE NO INFORMATION CONCERNING THEM. SOURCE, HOWEVER, CONVERSED WITH THE ARTILLERY CAPTAIN ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, FROM AUGUST 1972 UNTIL LATE FEBRUARY 1973.

SOURCE STATED THAT THE AMERICAN OFFICER WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 INCHES TALL WITH BLUE EYES AND BLOND HAIR.. HE HAD A HIGH BRIDGED NOSE AND WAS THIN BUT HAD A LARGE FRAME. THE ARTILLERY CAPTAIN HAD A SMALL MOLE ON THE UPPER PORTION OF HIS LEFT LIP AND A SCAR APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 INCHES LONG BEHIND HIS LEFT EAR. SUBJECT HAD TWO TATTOOS. ONE ON HIS RIGHT FOREARM [DATA] AND THE OTHER ON HIS UPPER LEFT ARM (DATA).

THE AMERICAN WAS MARRIED AND HAD ONE GIRL AGED 11 AND ONE BOY AGED 5. SOURCE STATES THAT ON THE FOUR OCCASIONS HE CONVERSED WITH THIS CAPTAIN, A SR. LT. HINH, MR-5 INTERPRETER, ASSISTED HIM. SOURCE STATES THE CAPTAIN WAS FROM TEXAS, THE SAME PLACE WHERE PRESIDENT JOHNSON LIVED, AND FROM SOURCE'S IMITATION OF THE SOUND OF HIS NAME, IT MAY BE INFERRED THAT THE OFFICER'S FIRST NAME WAS JOHN (SIC).

SOURCE'S ATTEMPT TO IMITATE THE SOUND OF LAST NAME WOULD BE INDICATED BY THE VIETNAMESE SOUND "REP". WHEN SEEN, THE CAPTAIN WAS DRESSED IN NAVY BLUE PAJAMA TROUSERS, A YELLOW PW SHIRT WITH ONE-QUARTER INCH WHITE STRIPES AND TWO BREAST POCKETS. ABOVE THE LEFT POCKET WAS A FOUR-INCH BY ONE-HALF INCH (APPROXIMATE) WHITE TAG BEARING THE NUMBER 319 IN BLACK, ON THE BACK OF THE SHIRT WAS A RED SQUARE (EIGHT INCHES WIDE BY 24 INCHES LONG) BEARING THE SAME NUMBER IN WHITE.

SOURCE SHOWN DIA PHOTO BOOK (DI361-3-72) AND STATED THAT THE SHAPE OF THE FACE OF PHOTO NO. W052 WAS SIMILAR TO THE CAPTAIN'S. SOURCE LATER INDICATED THAT PHOTO NO. C166 LOOKED MORE LIKE THE CAPTAIN, AND COULD POSSIBLY BE THE SAME INDIVIDUAL. SOURCE CLAIMS THAT ACCORDING TO [NAME]

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THE COMMUNISTS CONSIDERED RELEASING THE ARVN PRISONERS IN NHON LOC DISTRICT IN LATE FEBRUARY 1973, BUT COULD NOT DO SO DUE TO HEAVY FLIGHTING IN THE AREA.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE AMERICANS, [N] CLAIMED THEY HAD NOT BEEN RELEASED YET BECAUSE THEY WERE "NEEDED" AND ADDED THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE TAKEN NORTH BEFORE BEING RELEASED.

16. (U) FIELD COMMENTS: SOURCE APPEARS TO BE VERY COOPERATIVE.

BT

#1218

ANNOTES

TJC

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