Members of the
column in which Smith was located went down to find him, but before they could locate him,
someone shouted that PFC Smith had rejoined the head of the column. It was not until later
that it was determined that Smith was missing. A patrol doubled back to look for him in
the area where he fell down the embankment, but he was not found. Smith was declared
Missing in Action.
In 1973, 591 American prisoners were released from communist prison camps and two of them
reported that Smith had been captured by the Vietnamese, and killed on the trail to North
Vietnam. Although no Americans witnessed the murder, one of the North Vietnamese medics
told the two prisoners that Smith had died on the trail. No information had been received
regarding Smith's fate from the time he was missing until the spring of 1973. The
Vietnamese also listed Smith as having died in captivity, although they have never
returned his remains.
Several other returnees reported in their debriefings that Smith was being taken by a Viet
Cong prison guard to a latrine. The POWs heard him shout, and were later told by prison
guards that he fell and hit his head and died. None of these POWs actually witnessed
Smith's death, but the statements were considered sufficient to concluded the evidence of
death.
It has long been believed that the Vietnamese have much more information relating to those
Americans who were killed and left behind than they have given the U.S. In fact, credible
Congressional testimony indicates that the Vietnamese have American remains
"stockpiled" to be returned at politically strategic intervals.
The same Congressional witness stated that he knew of live American POWs still in Vietnam
after the war was over. This information is non considered credible. It is one of nearly
1000 eye-witness reports of live American POWs that have been debunked in one way or
another by the U.S. intelligence community.
Alarmingly, the number of total reports received is nearly 10,000, and less than 20% of
them have been proven false. The balance have been accurate, although many of them relate
to Americans already accounted for. Further, the reports continue to come in, and many are
convinced that hundreds of Americans still remain in enemy hands. It's time we brought our
men home.
[181822Z.OH 06/08/96]
NNNN
RCV10606
02:37 06/24/93
VZCZCBTO637
RR RUEHBT
DE RUHQSGG #5420 1691822
ZNR UUUUU
R 181822Z JUN 93 ZYB
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC//PW-MIA//
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/OCS/CCS/œAP/VLC//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//OCJCS/J5/PW-MIA/J3-JOD//
RUHQHQB/USCINPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
RUEKJCS/USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
RUHVAAA/CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H//
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
RUEHBT/CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH
BT
UNCLAS //N03460//
SECTION 01 OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA/J2//
AMPN/SUBJ: INTERVIEW OF REQUESTED SOURCE, KHUONG XUAN QUE//
REF/A/FAX/DET 2/16MAY93//
AMPN/SUBJ: LIST OF PERSONS FOR INTERVIEW - SENATOR KERRY, ENTRY
PAGE 02 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
NUMBER 7 OF 83//
RMKS/1. BACKGROUND. ON 17 MAY 1993, A JOINT US/VIETNAM
INTERVIEW TEAM INTERVIEWED MR. KHUONG XUAN QUE, A 51-YEAR OLD
NATIVE AND CURRENT RESIDENT OF HANOI WHO WAS A CADRE OF THE ENEMY
PROSELYTING SECTION OF THE B3 FRONT FROM 1965 UNTIL 1973. THE TEAM MET AT
THE ANTE-BUILDING MEETING ROOM OF THE GOVERNMENT GUEST HOUSE, 2 LE THACH
STREET, HOAN KIEN DISTRICT, HANOI, TO INTERVIEW SELECTED PERSONNEL, LISTED
IN REFERENCE, WHO ARE BELIEVED TO BE POTENTIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION IN VIETNAM. THE U.S. CONTINGENT
CONSISTED OF MR. KEITH GARY FLANAGAN, DET 2 CASUALTY RESOLUTION SPECIALIST
AND PETTY OFFICER JOHN L. HARVEY, JTF-FA LINGUIST. THE VIETNAMESE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF LTC LE KY, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE; AND MR.
NGUYEN THANG LOI, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR. ON 17 HAY 1993, LTC KY
ESCORTED MR. QUE TO THE GOVERNMENT GUEST HOUSE. MR. QUE SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN
INTERVIEWED BY JOINT TEAMS PREVIOUSLY.
2. SUMMARY. THE SOURCE PROVIDED VAGUE, LIMITED INFORMATION
CONCERNING U.S. PERSONNEL WHO BECAME UNACCOUNTED FOR IN VIETNAM. THE SOURCE
PROVIDED ONLY GENERAL NON-SPECIFIC STATEMENTS
PAGE 03 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
CONCERNING HIS MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION
THAT HE HAD NO SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE.
3. DETAILS.
A. AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TEAM AND ITS MISSION WAS
COMPLETE, MR. KHUONG XUAN QUE (KHWONG XUAAN QUEES), SAID THAT HE BELIEVED HE
COULD BE OF VERY LITTLE ASSISTANCE TO THE TEAM AND COULD PROVIDE LITTLE OR
NO INFORMATION WHICH MIGHT HELP RESOLVE SPECIFIC CASES.
8. MR. FLANAGAN ASKED THE QUESTION: "SINCE THE RELEASE OF U.S.
PRISONERS IN 1973, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANY LIVE AMERICANS?" MR. QUE
RESPONDED THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO POWS IN VIETNAM SINCE
1973.
C. MR. FLANAGAN ASKED THE QUESTION: "SINCE THE RELEASE OF U.S.
PRISONERS IN 1973, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANY 'STAY-BEHINDS'?" MR. QUE RESPONDED
THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THE ONLY AMERICANS THAT HE HAD BEEN AWARE OF IN
VIETNAM AFTER 1973 WERE TOURISTS. IN RESPONSE TO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, MR.
QUE SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN OR MET BOBBY GARWOOD.
D. CONCERNING WARTIME REPORTING ON U.S. PRISONERS WHO DIED IN
CAPTIVITY OR PRISONERS WHO DIED WHILE BEING EVACUATED TO THE
PAGE 04 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
NORTH, MR. QUE SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANY U.S. PRISONERS WHO WERE
WOUNDED AT THE TIME OF CAPTURE AND DIED BEFORE REACHING THE HOLDING
LOCATIONS IN THE B3 FRONT AREA. MR. QUE SAID THAT ONLY FIELD MEDICAL
PERSONNEL WOULD HAVE INFORMATION ON CAPTIVES WHO DIED DURING TREATMENT.
MR. QUE SAID THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOME U.S. PRISONERS WHO DIED ENROUTE TO A
HOLDING LOCATION BUT HE DID NOT KNOW Of ANY. WHEN ASKED IF HE REMEMBERED THE
NAME DELONG, MR. QUE SAID THAT HE HAD ONLY HEARD THE NAME BUT HE DID NOT
REMEMBER ANY OTHER DETAILS. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF DELONG'S DEATH.
E. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE RECALLED ONE U.S. PRISONER, WILLIAM
SMITH, WHO DIED WHILE ON THE ROUTE TO NORTH VIETNAM MR. QUE SAID THAT TO HIS
KNOWLEDGE, NO OTHER PRISONERS FROM HIS CAMP DIED ON THE WAY NORTH. MR. QUE
ALSO SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER THE NAMES OF ANY OF THE OTHER PRISONERS
IN THE CAMP. IN EXPLAINING THIS, MR. QUE SAID THAT IN THE COURSE OF HIS
DUTIES, HE WENT IN AND OUT OF THE CAMPS RATHER QUICKLY. MR. QUE SAID HE
WOULD ESCORT OTHER VIETNAMESE PERSONNEL INTO THE CAMPS AND THEN BACK OUT
QUICKLY. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY OF THE NAMES OF ANY OF
THE PERSONNEL HE ESCORTED TO THE CAMPS OR ANY OF
PAGE 05 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
THE UNITS, TO WHICH THEY WERE ASSIGNED. THESE VIETNAMESE
PERSONNEL CAME FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF UNITS AND LOCATIONS. MR. QUE SAID THAT
HE DID NOT RECALL ANY OTHERS BY NAME EXCEPT FOR ONE OF THE MEDICAL
PERSONNEL, DR. LE CAO DAI WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF HOSPITAL V211.
F. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE REMEMBERED MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE
DEATH OF WILLIAM SMITH. MR. QUE SAID THAT SMITH WAS IN A GROUP OF PRISONERS
GOING NORTH WHEN HE DIED. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER HOW MANY
PRISONERS WERE IN THE GROUP. BUT HE BELIEVED THAT ALL OF THE OTHERS ARRIVED
IN HANOI AND WERE REPATRIATED IN 1973. MR. QUE THEN RECALLED THAT THERE WAS
A MAJOR WHO WAS AN ADVISOR; ONE HELICOPTER PILOT, A CAPTAIN NAMED MCMURRAY
WHO HAD BLACK HAIR; ONE BLACK MAN, A WARRANT OFFICER OF SMALL, SLIGHT BUILD,
APPROXIMATELY 1.62 OR 1.63 METERS TALL, AND WILLIAM SMITH MR. QUE
DESCRIBED SMITH AS 1.7 METERS TALL, 19 OR 20 YEARS OF AGE, WITH THE RANK OF
PRIVATE OR PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. MR. QUE SAID THAT SMITH WAS VERY WEAK BEFORE
HE SET OUT ON THE ROAD WITH THIS GROUP. MR. QUE SAID THAT SMITH WOULD
NORMALLY HAVE BEEN CARRIED ON A STRETCHER, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY
DIFFICULT FOR THE MEN TO BEAR HIM ON A STRETCHER WITHOUT EXPOSING THEMSELVES
PAGE 06 RUHQSGG5420 UNCLAS
UNNECESSARILY. MR. QUE RECALLED THAT SMITH SUFFERED FROM DIARRHEA
CONTINUOUSLY AND COULD NOT TRAVEL WELL. MR. QUE SAID THAT HIS PERSONNEL USED
A GREAT DEAL OF MEDICATIONS IN TREATING SMITH TO NO AVAIL. MR. QUE
SAID THAT ONE DAY IN A SECTION OF THE KONTUM REGION NEAR THE LAO BORDER,
SMITH ASKED TO RELIEVE HIMSELF. MR. QUE SAID THAT A SHORT TIME
LATER, SMITH FELL DOWN, AND LANDED IN A STREAM. MR. QUE SAID THAT
SMITH INJURED HIMSELF DURING THE FALL AND DIED OF HIS INJURIES ON THE SPOT.
MR. QUE SAID THAT TWO OR THREE OF THE U.S.
PRISONERS IN THE GROUP ALSO WITNESSED THE EVENT AND SAW SMITH DIE. MR. QUE
THEN CLARIFIED THAT HE WAS RELATING THE STORY AS HE HEARD IT AFTER THE FACT.
MR. QUE SAID HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY MEMBERS OF THE VIETNAMESE TEAM
WHICH LED THE AMERICANS NORTH. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW ANYONE
COULD LOCATE THE GRAVE SITE. MR. QUE DID SAY THAT HE REMEMBERED
HEARING THAT SMITH WAS BURIED ALONGSIDE A
MOUNTAINSIDE STREAM, BUT HE WOULD NOT HAZARD A GUESS AS TO THE
LOCATION OF THE BURIAL. MR. QUE RECALLED THAT SMITH DIED SOMETIME DURING THE
RAINY SEASON.
S. MR. QUE RECALLED THAT NORMALLY THERE WERE ONLY FOUR OR
//
BT
#5420
NNNN
RCV10607
01:40 06/24/93
VZCZCBTO638
RR RUEHBT
DE RUHQSGG #5421 1 691822
ZNR UUUUU
R 181822Z JUN 93 ZYB
FM CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI//J2//
TO RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC//PW-MIA//
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASH DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP/VLC//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGT ON DC//OCJCS/J5/PW-MIA/J3-JOD//
RUHQHQB/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J2/J3/J30-M//
RUEKJCS/USCINCPAC LO WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG
RUHVAAA/CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//TAPC-PED-H
RUEHBT/USDAO BANGKOK TH//PW-MIA//
RUEHBJ/CJTFFA DET ONE BANGKOK TH
BT
UNCLAS //N03460//
FINAL SECTION OF 02
MSGID/SYS.RRM/CDR JTF-FA/J2//
RMKS/
FIVE U.S. PRISONERS IN A HOLDING CAMP AT ANY GIVEN TINE. MR. QUE
SAID THAT THERE WERE RECORDS SUCH AS DEATH CERTIFICATES FOR BOTH
PAGE 02 RUHQSGG5421 UNCLAS
AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE PRISONERS, BUT HE WOULD NOT KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR
SUCH RECORDS TODAY. MR. QUE SAID THAT FOR EACH CASE, WHATEVER THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF DEATH, WHOEVER THE WITNESSES WERE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER
THE WITNESSES WERE DOCTORS, CAMP PERSONNEL, GUARDS, OR EVEN U.S. PRISONERS,
THE WITNESSES WERE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE A STATEMENT CONCERNING THE DEATH. A
STATEMENT WAS REQUIRED REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF WITNESSES.
H. AFTER RECALLING THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF SMITH,
MR. QUE SAID THAT HE VAGUELY RECALLED HEARSAY OF THE DEATHS OF DELONG AND
OLSEN "BETTY". MR. QUE SAID THAT HE HAD NO DETAILS OF THESE TWO DEATHS.
I. MR. QUE SAID THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY OF THE CAMP
DESIGNATORS OR DISTRICT DESIGNATORS FOR THE AREAS WHERE HE WAS STATIONED IN
THE B3 FRONT REGION. MR. QUE SAID HE DID NOT
REMEMBER HOW TO LOCATE ANY OF THE ENCAMPMENTS AND EXPLAINED THAT ALL
ACCESSES TO THE CAMPS WERE BY SHORT, POINT-TO-POINT, LOCAL ROUTES DIRECTED
BY LOCAL INHABITANTS. MR. QUE ADDED THAT EVEN CAMP PERSONNEL FREQUENTLY GOT
LOST. MR. QUE SAID THAT CAMP CAMOUFLAGE TECHNIQUES WERE EXCELLENT AND MADE
CAMPS DIFFICULT TO FIND.
PAGE 03 RUHQSGG5421 UNCLAS
J. ON 17 MAY 93, WITH NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AT HAND FOR
MR. QUE, THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM AGREED TO DISCONTINUE THIS INTERVIEW.
BOTH THE US AND SRV MEMBERS CONFERRED ON ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WHICH SHOULD
BE CONSIDERED BEFORE CONCLUDING THIS INTERVIEW.
4. POTENTIAL LEADS OBTAINED DURING THE INTERVIEW. MR. QUE SAID
THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHERS WHO SHOULD KNOW MUCH MORE THAN HE ABOUT THE
FATES OF U.S. SERVICEMEN.
A. MR. QUE RECALLED DR. LE CAO DAI, FORMER DIRECTOR OF
HOSPITAL V211, WHO SHOULD HAVE INFORMATION ON PRISONERS WHO
RECEIVED MEDICAL TREATMENT.
B. MR. QUE RECOMMENDED THAT THE TEAM ASK SOMEONE WHO WORKED IN THE CAMP
ABOUT DELONG'S FATE. AS AN EXAMPLE, MR. QUE SAID THAT MR. NGUYEN PHOI COULD
POSSIBLY HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS MATTER
C. MR. QUE SAID THAT THE ONE PERSON WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN ALL THE
DETAILS ABOUT DELONG WAS MR. DUONG HONG. MR. QUE THEN SAID THAT HONG HAD
BEEN FLUENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH AND HAD WORKED CLOSELY WITH U.S.
PRISONERS. MR. QUE SAID THAT HONG HIMSELF HAD BECOME AN MIA IN EITHER 1972
OR 1972. MR. QUE SAID
PAGE 04 RUHQSGG5421 UNCLAS
THAT HE AND OTHERS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE HONG'S GRAVE.
5. MATERIAL EVIDENCE: NONE. THIS SOURCE BROUGHT NO RECORDS
NOTEBOOKS, DIARIES, OR ANY MATERIAL EVIDENCE CONTEMPORARY TO
THE WARTIME ERA WHICH COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY UNACCOUNTED FOR U.S.
PERSONNEL. THIS SOURCE SAID THAT HE HAD NO MATERIAL EVIDENCE, NOTES,
RECORDS, OR DIARIES FROM THE WARTIME.
6. RECOMMEND FUTURE ACTIONS.
A. RECOMMEND THAT THIS SOURCE BE REINTERVIEWED AT A LATER
DATE ONLY AFTER MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR LEADS CAN BE
DEVELOPED.
B. REQUEST THE VNOSMP ALLOW THE U.S. ACCESS TO THIS SOURCE FOR POTENTIAL
FUTURE INTERVIEW IN THE EVENT THAT SIGNIFICANT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ARE DEEMED
NECESSARY.
7. PERTINENT LOCATION OR DATA CHANGES: NONE.
8. COMMENTS
A. AFTER THIS INTERVIEW, THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM
ASSESSED ALL POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL LEADS PROVIDED BY THE SOURCE. THE
CONSENSUS OF TEAM MEMBERS WAS THAT CONTINUATION OF THIS INTERVIEW OR AN
ATTEMPT TO RE-INTERVIEW THIS SOURCE WOULD DEPEND ON SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS
WHICH SHOULD BE ASKED PERTAINING TO
PAGE 05 RUHQSGG5421 UNCLAS
SPECIFIC INCIDENTS OR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO
FINDING NEW WITNESSES OR DISCOVERING CONTEMPORARY DOCUMENTATION WITH DETAILS
ON SPECIFIC CASES.
B. THIS SOURCE SPOKE ENGLISH BUT HE DID NOT ENGAGE IN ANY SIDE
CONVERSATIONS WITH CRS BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER THE INTERVIEW.
THE SOURCE SEEMED TO VIEW QUESTIONS FIELDED BY CRS WITH
AMUSEMENT. THE SOURCE WAS MORE ANIMATED THAN ANY OF THE OTHER SOURCES
INTERVIEWED IN HANOI, USED A WIDER VARIETY OF GESTURES, AND WAS VERY
ANIMATED WHILE APPEARING TO TRY TO APPEAR SUBDUED IN HIS RESPONSES. AS THE
INTERVIEW PROGRESSED, THE SOURCE TENDED TO CONTRADICT EARLIER STATEMENTS, OR
EMBELLISH EARLIER STATEMENTS, POSSIBLE AS HE REMEMBERED MORE DETAILS THAT HE
DID NOT RECALL DURING EARLIER QUESTIONS FIELDED BY CRS.//
BT
#5422
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