Back This report chronicles the first attempt by a Joint U.S. - VN team to investigate the crash site and recover remains. Reports from the two following attempts are included as separate documents.
These documents were provided to the patrol leader of Party Line One, Bill McBride, by the father of one of the Marines who was killed on that patrol, John B. Nahan III.
The map included in this gallery shows the specific locations referenced in these three reports.
The report that follows is provided in its original Government Message Format with minor changes to increase the readability. A Glossary of terminology appearing in this report will be added later. For additional information or questions, please contact Bill McBride at: billm@wmcbride.appliedphysics.swri.edu
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DIA WASHDC//POW-MIA//
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CIA WASHDC//OEA/SEA/IB/DDO/EA/ICOG//
UNCLAS BANGKOK TH 2778b
UNCLASSIFIED 0354 JUL 53
DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT: CASE 0784
REF: CJTFFA. DET ONE, BKK, TH, DTG240345Z JUL 53.
1. REF IS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF THE 24TH SERIES OF
JOINT FIELD ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM FROM 24 JUN
20 JUL 53. PARAGRAPH 5.F. OF REF CONCERNS THE
INVESTIGATION OF CASE 0784. THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS
CASE IS REPORTED IN DETAIL HEREIN. THIS REPORT IS BASED
ON FIELD ANALYSIS ALONE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE
FINAL ANALYTICAL CONCLUSIONS
2. SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION: ON 1 JUL 53, IE4
TRAVELLED TO AKA VILLAGE, A LUOI DISTRICT, THUA THIEN
HUE PROVINCE TO INVESTIGATE CASE 0784. THIS CASE
INVOLVES THE CRASH OF A CH-4L HELICOPTER WHILE
EXTRACTING FOUR MEMBERS OF A MARINE RECONNAISSANCE TEA".
DUE TO A HIGH DEGREE OF ANIMOSITY DISPLAYED TOWARD THE
U.S. TEAM MEMBERS BY SEVERAL LOCAL RESIDENTS AND THE
WITNESSES, ONLY VNOSMP MEMBERS AND ONE VIETNAM-BORN U-S
TEAM MEMBER WERE PERMITTED TO INVESTIGATE THIS CASE.
THE REMAINING TEAM MEMBERS DEPARTED THE AREA.
THE REMAINING U.S. TEAM MEMBER AND VNOSMP MEMBERS
INTERVIEWED TWO WITNESSES THAT PROVIDED INFORMATION
ABOUT A CRASH SITE OF A TWIN-ROTOR HELICOPTER IN THE
LOCAL AREA ONE WITNESS STATED HE HAD DISCOVERED A BONE
WHILE SCAVENGING THE SITE AND REBURIED IT NEAR THE SITE.
A DATA PLATE CORRELATING TO CASE 0784 BY AIRCRAFT TYPE
Page 1
AND VEHICLE NUMBER HAS TURNED OVER TO THE TEAM. THE
CONTINGENT THEN TRAVELLED TO THE SITE. A SURVEY HAS
CONDUCTED OF THE CRASH SITE. DURING THE SURVEY, THE
BONE ONE WITNESS HAD FOUND AND REBURIED HAS RECOVERED
AND PHOTOGRAPHED. THE BONE HAS REBURIED AT THE
WITNESSES' INSISTENCE- A PARTIAL PIECE OF PROBABLE
FLIGHT SUIT WAIST STRAP HAS ALSO DISCOVERED AND RETAINED
BY THE TEAM. RECOMMEND THIS CASE BE REINVESTIGATED.
3- DETAILS OF INVESTIGATION:
- A. ON 1 JUL 53, IE4 TRAVELLED TO A ROANG (A
ROANGF) HAMLET, AKA VILLAGE, A LUOI DISTRICT, THUA
THIEN-HUE PROVINCE TO INVESTIGATE CASE 0784. THE U.S
CONTINGENT CONSISTED OF:
- CAPT xxx (TEAM LEADER)
- MSGTxxx (ASSISTANT TEAM LEADER)
- SSGTxxx (JTF-FA ANALYST)
- CTI1(NAC)xxx (JTF-FA ANALYST/LINGUIST)
- SSGxxx (SEARCH AND RECOVERY SPECIALIST)
- SSGxxx (SEARCH AND RECOVERY SPECIALIST)
- SSGxxx (EOD TECHNICIAN)
- SSGTxxx (TEAM MEDIC)
- SGTxxx (JTF-FA ANALYST/LINGUIST)
VNOSMP MEMBERS INCLUDED:
- VU VIET DUNG (VUX VIEETS DUNGX) (TEAM LEADER)
- DO TIEN THINH (DOOX TIEENS THINHJ)
- NGUYEN HUNG MANH (NGUYEENX HUNGF MANHJ)
- PHAM NGOC THANH (PHAMJ NGOCJ THANH)
- TRAN THANH TINH (TRAANF THANH TINHX)
THE THUA-THIEN HUE PROVINCE TASK TEAM INCLUDED:
- LE AN NINH (LEE AN NINH) (TEAM LEADER)
- NGUYEN VAN HUNG (NGUYEENX VAWN HWNG)
- NGUYEN XUAN HUNG (NGUYEENX XUAAN HUNGF)
- NGO TRI BAO (NGOO THIS BAOR)
- TRAN VAN DU (TRAANF VAWN DW)
- NGUYEN XUAN BINH tNGUYEENX XUAAN BINHF)
- B. UPON THE TEAM'S ARRIVAL IN A ROANG HAMLET,
ANTI-AMERICAN SENTIMENT DISPLAYED BY SEVERAL RESIDENTS
INCLUDING THE WITNESSES, WAS OBVIOUS- THE WITNESSES
DECLINED TO BE INTERVIEWED OR LEAD ANYONE TO A CRASH
SITE. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE
VNOSMP AND THE WITNESSES, THE WITNESSES CONSENTED TO AN
'UNCLASSIFIED 0354 JUL 53
(DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT: CASE 0784)
INTERVIEW ONLY UPON THE DEPARTURE OF THE U.S. TEA"
MEMBERS. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SGTxxx A VIETNAMESE
Page 2
BORN TEAM MEMBER AND1 UNBEKNOWNST TO THE WITNESSES, A
U.S CITIZEN. SGT llllf AND SEVERAL ME'MBERS OF THE
VNOSMP AND PROVINCIAL ~TASK TEAM REMAINED TO INVESTIGATE
THE CASE WHILE THE REMAINING TEAM MEMBERS DEPARTED THE
AREA.
- C. THE FIRST SITNESSl MR. QUYNH HONG (QUYNHF
HOONGF). IS 54-YOA AND LIFE-LONG RESIDENT OF AKA
VILLAGE. HE ALSO CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE VILLAGE CHIEF.
HONG RELATED THE FOLLOWING:
- (1) SOMETIME IN APRIL OR MAY OF 1965. A TWIN
ROTOR HELICOPTER CRASHED AND BURNED IN THE LOCAL AREA.
MR. HONG STATED THAT A FRIEND OF HIS. WHOSE NAME HE
COULD NOT RECALL, CLIMBED A TREE AND SHOT AT THE
HELICOPTER. MR. HONG SURMISES THIS WAS THE REASON FOR
THE CRASH.
- (2) MR. HONG FIRST VISITED THE CRASH SITE
SOMETIME IN 1584. HE SAW MANY PIECES OF WRECKAGE
SCATTERED ABOUT. HE FOUND EIGHT FLIGHT HELMETS, WHICH
HE LATER REPORTEDLY BURNED- HE SAID HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE
OF ANY PERSONAL EFFECTS OR REMAINS FROM THE SITE
- (3) MR. HONG COULD NOT FURNISH ANY INFORMATION
CONCERNING AMERICANS BEING CAPTURED OR KILLED IN THE
AREA. HE ALSO CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF POSSIBLE BURIAL
SITES OR KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICANS REMAINING IN VIETNAM
FOLLOWING THE WAR.
- D- THE SECOND WITNESS HAS MR. VIEN DANG MINH (VIEEN
DDAWNG MINH), A 22-YOA RESIDENT OF AKA VILLAGE. "R.
MINH BELATED THE FOLLOWING:
- (1) MR. MINH VISITED THE CRASH SITE FOR THE
FIRST TIME SOMETIME IN l587 WHILE SCAVENGING FOR
ALUMINUM. HE STATED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE VISITED THE
SITE IN SEARCH OF ALUMINUM. THERE ARE REPORTEDLY ONLY
TWO ROTORS REMAINING AT THE CRASH SITE. DURING HIS
FIRST VISIT TO THE SITE, HE FOUND A DATA PLATE. WHICH HE
CONSENTED TO TURN OVER TO THE TEAM.
- (2) IN MAY OF 1953, MR- MINH RETURNED TO THE
SITE AND REPORTEDLY FOUND A PIECE OF BONE WHILE DIGGING
FOR ALUMINUM. THAT SAME DAY, MR. MINH REBURIED THE
PIECE OF BONE APPROXIMATELY 50 METERS FROM THE CRASH
SITE BETWEEN TWO LARGE ROCKS AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL.
HE STATED HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF PERSONAL EFFECTS FROM
THE SITE.
- (3) MR. NINH COULD NOT FURNISH ANY INFORMATION
CONCERNING AMERICANS BEING CAPTURED OR KILLED IN THE
AREA. HE ALSO CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF POSSIBLE BURIAL
SITES OR KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICANS REMAINING IN VIETNAM
FOLLOWING THE WAR.
- E. FOLLOWING THE INTERVIEWS 1 BOTH WITNESSES LED
THE VNOSMP MEMBERS AND SGT | " TO THE CRASH SITE
Page 3
THE SITE IS IN A CULTIVATED AREA ON A RELATIVELY STEEP
HILL.
- F. WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE WITNESSESq THE TEAM
WAS ALLOWED TO EXCAvATE THE BONE DISCOVERED BY MR. "INH.
'THE TWO WITNESSES DID NOT CONSENT TO THE TEAM MEMBERS
KEEPING THE BONE; HOWEVER, A PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN.
DIMENSIONS OF THE BONE WERE RECORDED BY THE TEAM AND ARE
AS FOLLOWS: DIAMETER - 3.5 CENTIMETERS; LENGTH - 20
CENTIMETERS. ALTHOUGH NOT EXPERTS ON THE SUBJECT. SGT
xxx AND THE VNOSMP MEMBERS BELIEVED THE BONE TO BE
ANIMAL. THE WITNESSES DEMANDED THE 80NE BE REBURIED.
THE BONE WAS REBURIED AT A DEPTH OF APPROXIMATELY 15
CENTIMETERS AND ABOUT 50 "ETERS AWAY FROM THE CRASH SITE
BETWEEN TWO LARGE ROCKS AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL; THE
SAME LOCATION AT WHICH IT HAS DISCOVERED. THIS LOCATION
IS TEN METERS FROM A STREAM MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 2.5
METERS WIDE. COORDINATES OF THE REBURIAL SITE OF THE
BONE ARE YC541L2832b8. THE TEAM ALSO DISCOVERED ROTOR
SHAFTS. ROTOR BLADES, AND A PORTION OF A PROBABLE FLIGHT
(UNCLASSIFIED D354 JUL 53
DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT: CASE 0784)
SUIT WAIST STRAP- NO OTHER REMAINS OF ANY TYPE OR
PERSONAL EFFECTS DISCOVERED.
- G. THE WITNESSES DID CONSENT TO THE TEAM KEEPING
THE DATA PLATE WHICH MR. MINH HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED
AT THE SITE. DETAILS WILL BE REPORTED IN PARAGRAPH
FOUR.
4. MATERIAL EVIDENCE:
- A. THE DATA PLATE TURNED OVER BY MR. MINH DISPLAYED
THE FOLLOWING: "107 IIn; "CH-4LAn; "MANUFACTURER'S
SERIAL NO. 2073"; "CUSTOMER'S SERIAL NO. 151523"; "TYPE
CERT. (BLANK); "PRODUCTION CERT. NO. (BLANK)"; "ENGINE
TYPE T-58-GE-8B"; "ACCEPTED 5-5-65"- THIS DATA PLATE
CORRELATES TO THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THIS CASE.
- B. 3-BLADE ROTOR WITH FOLLOWING INSCRIPTION: "NO.:
81205 A 02Rn; 285b1 CEO = 13CJVV 471 HTPT. TWO ROTOR
BLADES ABOUT 1-5 METERS LONG (IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE
BLADES HAD BEEN CUT) WERE ATTACHED.
- C- 3-BLADED ROTOR WITH FOLLOWING INSCRIPTION:
"733". THIS ROTOR HAD ONE BLADE REMAINING WITH THE
FOLLOWING INSCRIPTION: "UX:332"
- D. PROBABLE PARTIAL WAIST STRAP OF FLIGHT SUIT WITH
VELCRO MATERIAL ATTACHED-
- E. ELECTRONIC DIODE-TYPE GADGET WITH INSCRIPTION
"USA 5840".
Page 4
5. SURVEY RESULTS: A QUALIFIED USCILHI REPRESENTATIVE
WAS NOT PERnITTED TO TRAVEL TO THE SIT'E. ESTIMATIONS BY
THE ON-SITE JTF-FA LINGUIST ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE SITE IS
LOCATED ON A HILL SLOPE OF ABOUT 50-55 DEGREES. THE
SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 15 BY 25 METERS IN SIZE. THE SITE
IS LOCATED AT GRID COORDINATES YC542~ 8313- THESE
COORDINATES WERE CONFIRMED USING THE GLOBAL POSITIONING
SYSTEM (GPS)- PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN.
6. RECOMMENDED FUTURE ACTIONS: RECOMMEND THIS CASE BE
REINVESTIGATED.
7. PERTINENT LOCATION OR DATA CHANGES: CHANGE SITE
COORDINATES TO READ 48QYC542831
8. AREAS OR CASE FILE INFORMATION NOT INVESTIGATED:
SITE SURVEY BY A QUALIFIED USCILHI TECHNICIAN HAS NOT
PERMITTED.
5. ANALYST COMMENTS:
- A. ACCORDING TO U-S- RECORDS, THERE ARE NINE CH46
HELICOPTER LOSSESZ INCLUDING THIS CASE, WITHIN 100
METERS OF EACH OTHER IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE WITNESS'
TESTIMONY INDICATING THE DATA PLATE HAS DISCOVERED AT
THE SITE VISITED BY THE TEAM PINPOINTS THIS SITE AS THE
SITE ASSOCIATED WITH CASE 0784. THE VEHICLE NUMBER
"151523" CONFIRMS THIS.
- B. THE WITNESSES DISPLAYED HOSTILITY TOWARDS
AMERICANS AND CONSENTED TO TALK WITH ONLY VIETNAMESE
MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TEAM. ACCORDING TO SGT | ll~. THE
WITNESSES APPEARED VERY CREDIBLE IN THEIR TESTIMONY
FOLLOWING THE DEPARTURE OF THE U-S- TEAM MEMBERS.
- C. THE DATE OF THE CRASH INDICATED BY THE WITNESS
(APRIL/MAY 1565) IS ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER THE ACTUAL
DATE (AUG 67); HOWEVER, THIS COULD BE AN UNDERSTANDABLE
LAPSE OF MEMORY DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME SINCE THE
INCIDENT. THE DATE, OF THE CRASH AS STATED BY THE
WITNESS DOES NOT CORRELATE TO ANY OF THE NINE CH46
LOSSES IN THE AREA. THE WITNESSES' DESCRIPTION OF THE
AIRCRAFT AS A TWIN-ROTOR DOES CORRELATE TO THE AIRCRAFT
TYPE, AS DOES THE EVIDENCE DISCOVERED AT THE SITE.
10. SEARCH AND RECOVERY SPECIALIST COMMENTS: BASED
UPON THE TESTIMONY OF THE WITNESSES, THE MATERIAL
EVIDENCE (DATA PLATE, PROBABLE FLIGHT SUIT STRAP, BONE)
COLLECTED OR PHOTOGRAPHED. AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE
AREA, A RESURVEY OF THE SITE BY A QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN
AND EXAMINATION OF THE BONE BY A QUALIFIED PERSON ARE
i CLASSIFIED 0354 JUL 53
Page 5
(DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUDJ FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT CASE 0784)
REQUIRED. IF A U S -VIETNAMESE JOINT TEAM IS PERMITTED
IN THE AREA. RECOMMEND A SITE RESURVEY AND PROBABLE
EXCAVATION.
.
11. TEAM CHIEF COMMENTS ALTHOUGH ONE US TEAM MEMBER
HAS ALLOWED TO SURVEY THE CRASH SITE. THE SITE HAS NOT
CLOSELY EXAMINED BY A FULLY QUALIFIED TEAM TO DETERMINE
WHETHER AN EXCAVATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. RECOMMEND
THIS CASE BE REINVESTIGATED.
BT
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