Approved for Release:2019/04717 600758601 WI II DO g wsw I V - THIS REPORT IS vs MAW OY TER INTEMXIATION ACTIVSTY CONDUCTED ,.BY TRE NATIONAL INTEMOGATION CENTER (NIC;) MLR TRR JOINT AUSPICn OF THY, CENTTiAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO) An THE U.S. CENTnAL INTELLaGENC :MITI (CIA) WITE THE PAPTICIPATTON or tETWXYLENT 6, 64;?Wf:i SPWIAL AGTPUT/El. onouP t,4%./,.. .��,:su::: tVt: COUNTRY- 7. SUBJECT 4-1(31:k ��4.4 - - � SOUTH VIETNAM (SVN) .NIC REPORT NO 352/68 � NORTH VIETNAM (NVN) Source's Morale during Infil- tration and during the TET Attack in QUANG TIN Province 1967 - February 1968 DATE AND PLACE 4 Febimary 1968 (E - U OF ACQUISITION : SAIGONI-Viotnam NIC CASE NO : FET DATE OF REPORT : 1/3/68 NO. OF PAGES 3 REF: NIC Report 349/68 (FIR) . This report was collected by a NIC Interrogator at the National Chieu Hoi Center in SAIGON on 4 February 1968. Source is not available at the NIC for further exploitation. S. 3 SUMMARY ourpe's infiltration went rather,smoothly, although he felt his health had worsened somewhat, probably because Of the physical exertion. Ten members of Company 10 (total strength 50) contractdd malaria, but were cured and well taken care of. Source did not want to come to SVN, and many comrades felt likewise. DISTRIBUTION US EMBASSY (OSA) *G. APR 1 5 19$8 pLA5SIFICAT1P K I C O'NFI NTIAL EXCLUDP ROM AUTOMATIC 1/GRADING AND DIP,CLASSIFICATION CONF if ATTACHMEM:' . None 3(h)(2) NOV YIDS MATERIAL.CoNTAINS iNFORMA11.11 AFFE iNG THE NATIOaAI DEFENSE OF TILE tw44111) STATE WITHIN Yes.. MEA7,INE: OF THE Esi�wARE LAWS. TITLE la U.S.C.. SECTIONS 793 THE I AISP.SSI N OR REVELATION OF WH1Cill NS ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PC111010 FIFEDODITED EIV LAW /VA) Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C00758601 I (4. Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C00758601 K IN NIC REPORT NO: 352/68 Page 2 Even though only two men of Company 10 deserted, the overall morale seemed rather low. Friction existed between the leaders, and the men doubted the propaganda, especially when it turned out to be untrue. Company 10 never engaged with GVN troops, but they had a high opinion of the US fighting man. After a two-day march, Company 10 arrived at the site of their objective on 4 February 1968. Source did not think it was right for the VC to break their word and disturb the TET holiday. The cadres had told the men of Company 10 that if the war in Vietnam was not decided, there would be a "great war in the world". MORALE DURING INFILTRATION: 1. Source was in good health before infiltrating and he neceived enough food on the trip. However, he felt that his health had worsened, probably as a result of the physical exertion. Source was never sick or wounded, but ten comrades out of his company of fifty had malaria. They were well taken care of by the tedics. Source did not really want to come to SUN, which was the way many comrades felt. He had written to his family and they did not like for him to go. . Source did not really like the officers of Company 10, because sometimes they were very strict with him, although they seemed to be kind. The NGO's did not particularly care for the soldiers and accused them of being in low spirit and being bad fighters. Consequently, they were not loved too well by the men. He did not care for the life of a soldier, because he did not like living in the forest. In general, he did not care for carrying weapons and fighting. In camp, the men usually talked about missing their families, but the fact that they did not like the life of a soldiers was never mentioned. The cadres told them that 4/10 ths of the land of SVN was already liberated. When the men found this to be untrue, it made them sad. The cadres also told them that they would live on the Plains with the people, who would wel- come them. Instead they lived in the forest. Two men of Company 10 deserted,' and Sourbe approved of their action. These men deserted because thqy were tired of the hardship of living in the forest. Deserters were generally not liked by the men, and Source did not know if any one else rallied. . Company. 10 never fought against GVN soldiers, but Source admired the high spirit of the US troops. US soldiers proved to be courageous, cheerful, open- hearted and Source was not afraid of them. Source did not think that the US would colonize SVN like the French did MORALE- DURING.:-TET 'OFFENSIVE: On 2 February 1968, Company 10 set out from the DONG CHI ANN (Comrade ANN) worksite, QUANG TRI Province, SVN and marched to HAI LANG City, QUANG TRI Province, SVN. They arrived within 500 meters of the HAI LANG District office on the night of 4. February 1968. The men were told about the impending attack on 3 February 1968. The company commander had told them before that they expected to fight until death. Brave fighters who gained victory would be rewarded, but Source was not convinced. Some of the men believed that the offensive would win the war, although the company commander did not specifically promise them a victory. No political instructions were received prior to the attack. When combat first began, Source already felt discouraged. He thought about his family in NVN and was afraid of dying. He was the oldest son and his family needed him to support them. The attack started at 1400 hours on 4 February 1968. Company 10 was charged with the transportation of 60 mm mortar rounds to the firing positions. The battle lasted until 1600 hours, when almost all of Company 10 was wiped out by artillery shelling. CONFIDENTIAL - KIN Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C00758601 Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C00758601 3 ti F K I N NIC REPORT NO: 352/68 CONFIDENTIAL Page 3 :-The men of Company:10 did not know) about the VC-announced cease-fire. They had been told about a forty-hour cease-fire, announced by NGUYEN VAN THIEU, president of SVN. Source felt badly .about the fighting, because the VC disturbed the TET holiday of the people. He did not think it was right for the VC to break their word in order to gain the military advan- tage, even though he was fighting to liberate SVN from U.S. occupation and that it was a cause worthy enough for devoted people to die for. The men of Company 10 were under the impression that after the battle was won, reunification of NVN and SVN would take place. 6.. Source considered the war in Vietnam a war between the U.S. and Communist China.' The latter supplied the NVA with weapons, food and ammunition, but not with manpower and therefore NVN had to supply the soldiers. Communist China helped NVN because the NVA was fighting the U.S. The .cadres told the men of Company 10 that if one side or the other did not win the war in Vietnam, there would be a .flgeat war in the world". � CONFIDENTIAL - KIN 3 r Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C00758601

Printer-friendly version

Search form

SOURCE'S MORALE DURING INFILTRATION AND DURING THE TET ATTACK IN QUANG TIN PROVINCE