DECLASSIFIED FROM CONFIDENTIAL
090204Z FEB 68
FOR LTGEN CUSHMAN FROM LTGEN KRULAK
1. THE FOLLOWING AP 127/128 RELEASE IS QUOTED FOR INFORMATION. I HAVE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM HIGHER AUTHORITY FOR ELABORATION OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN:
QUOTE 127
LANG VEI SURVER KHE SANH, VIETNAM (AP)- BARRIERS WERE UP AT KHE SANH TODAY AGAINST NEARLY 200 IRREGULAR DEFENDERS OF LANG VEI WHO ESCAPED TO THIS U.S. MARINE BASE AFTER THE FALL OF THAT SPECIAL FORCES CAMP. ACCORDED NO HERO'S WELCOME, THE MONTAGNARD AND VIETNAMESE CIVILIAN SOLDIERS WERE STRIPPED OF WEAPONS AND TURNED OUT INTO THE COMMUNIST-CONTROLLED COUNTRYSIDE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. SOME WERE WOUNDED, SOME WERE WITHOUT SHOES, ONLY A FEW HAD FOOD AND BLANKETS.
SYMPATHETIC MARINES PASSED OUT CANNED RATIONS TO THE SURVIVORS, BUT COULD DO LITTLE ELSE. ABOUT 2,000 LAOTIAN CIVILIANS, SOME SOLDIERS FROM AN AMERICAN-SUPPORTED LAOTIAN BATTALION AND LOCAL BROU TRIBESMEN ALSO ARE CAUGHT LIKE TENNIS BALLS BETWEEN A NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCE AND A MARINE BASE. FOR THE MOMENT THEY ARE THE WAR'S FORGOTTEN PAWNS. MARINE OFFICIALS HAD TRIED FOR NVYS TO GET THE REFUGEES OUT OF WHAT PROMISES TO BE THE BLOODIEST BATTLE ZONE IN THIS COUNTRY, BNUT WITHOUT AVAIL.
ONE INFORMED SOURCE SAID A HIGH VIETNAMESE OFFICIAL REFUSED TO PERMIT THE RERFUGEES TO BE EVACUATED, SAYING THE MONTAGNARDS AND LAOTIANS ARE NOT VIETNAMESE AND NONE OF HIS AFFAIR. THE CASE OF THE LANG VEI SURVIVORS STILL WAS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR, BUT APPEARED TO INVOLVE A QUESTION OF JURISDICTION BETWEEN U.S. SPECIAL FORCES AND MARINE AUTHORITIES.
(QUOTE) 128:
KHE SANH-ADD LANG VEI SURVIVORS .(127)
WHEN THE FIRST STRAGGLERS TURNED UP WEDNESDAY THEY ASKED TO BE LET INSIDE THE BASE, WHICH INCLUDES A SECRET SPECIAL FORCES CAMP. A MARINE OFFICER SAID HE WAS TOLD BY AN AMERICAN GREEN BERET STANDING ATOP A BUNKER: "THEY'RE NOT OUR PROBLEM." THE MARINE REFUSED TO BRING IN THE SURVIVORS, WHO ARE KNOWN TO BE RIDDLED WITH VIET CONG EVEN THOUGH THEY WORK FOR THE SPECIAL FORCES. THE MARINES STRIPPED THE MEN OF THEIR RIFLES, AMMUNITION AND GRENADES.
MARINE OFFICERS SUGGESTED THAT THE IRREGULARS TAKE REFUGE IN AN OLD, ABANDONED MONTAGNARD VILLAGE OUTSIDE THE MARINE LINES. THE VILLAGE IS ON THE MAIN ROUTE OF ADVANCE FOR THE NORTH VIETNAMESE REGULARS WHO USED TANKS TO OVERRUN THE LANG VEI CAMP WEDNESDAY.
a MARINE OFFICER, TURNING BACK A GROUP OF 30, SAID "THE SPECIAL FORCES DOESN'T WANT THEM, WHAT INFURIATES ME IS THAT THE WOUNDED ARE TURNED OUT TOO." UNQUOTE.
2. WOULD APPRECIATE ANYTHING YOU CAN PROVIDE ME WHICH MIGHT SHED MORE LIGHT ON THE...
WARM REGARDS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DECLASSIFIED FROM CONFIDENTIAL
091218Z FEB 68
REF: CG FMFPAC MSG 090204Z FEB 68
FOR LTGEN KRULAK FROM LTGEN CUSHMAN
1. ON THE AFTERNOON OF WEDNESDAY, 7 FEB 68, A GATE AT THE SOUTH PERIMETER OF THE KHE SANH COMBAT BASE WAS APPROACHED BY SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN ASKING TO BE ADMITTED INTO THE BASE. THESE CIVILIANS WERE DENIED ENTRY BASED ON PURELY MILITARY REASONS. FIRST, THERE WAS NO WAY TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE CIVILIANS. SECONDLY, IT HAS BEEN THE PRACTICE OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TO PUSH INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN FRONT OF THEIR ATTACKING FORCE WHEN MAKING AN ASSAULT ON A MILITARY INSTALLATION. THIRD, THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT RESOURCES OF FOOD AND WATER FOR SUCH A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE. FOURTH, THE KHE SANH COMBAT BASE HAS BEEN UNDER DAILY ROCKET AND MORTAR FIRE AND PROPER SAFETY COULD NOT BE PROVIDED THE CIVILIANS IN BUNKERS OR TRENCHES.
2. THERE WERE AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE CIVILIAN IRRIGULAR (IRREGULAR) DEFENSE GROUP (CIDG) PERSONNEL AMONG THE REFUGEES. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO ARMY SPECIAL FORCES PERSONNEL WHO COULD POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THESE PEOPLE AS FRIENDLY. IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT THE ENEMY HAS INTRODUCED VIET CONG PERSONNEL INTO THE CIDG FOR THE PURPOSE OF GATHERING INFORMATION AND COMMITTING ACTS OF SABOTAGE AND MURDER. THEIR WEAPONS WERE TAKEN FROM THEM SO THAT THEY COULD NOT BE A THREAT TO FRIENDLY FORCES, AND ALSO IN THE BELIEF THAT SUCH WEAPONS AS WERE TAKEN WOULD BE NO DEFENSE AGAINST THE NORTH VIETNAMES (VIETNAMESE).
3. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO THE CIDG PERSONNEL THAT THEY REFUGEE IN AN ABANDONED HAMLET UNTIL SUCH TIME AS VERIFICATION OF THEIR STATUS COULD BE MADE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY EVACUATED TO SAFETY.
4. EVACUATION OF THE REFUGEES FROM LAOS COMMENCED ONTHE MORNING OF 9 FEB 68. PLANS WERE MADE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE CIDG PERSONNEL ALSO. UNFORTUNATELY MANY OF THE CIDG PERSONNEL CANNOT BE LOCATED. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MOST CIDG LEFT ON FOOT TO PUT AS MUCH DISTANCE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND NVA AS POSSIBLE.
5. STORY AS A FOLLOW ON BEING WRITTEN BY NEWBOLD NOYES, EDITOR, WASHINGTON EVENING STAR, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE PICKED UP BY AP, EXPLAINING THE VERY DIFFICULT DECISION. HOPEFULLY IT WILL EXPLAIN TO SOME DEGREE THAT THIS DECISION WAS BASED ON GOOD MILITARY JUDGEMENT. NOYES WAS AT KHE SANH AT THE TIME EVENT OCCURRED.
6. THE POTENTIAL FOR UNFAVORABLE PRESS WAS RECOGNIZED AT THE TIME OF EVENT, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KHE SANH AND ITS SECURITY WAS CONSIDERED TO BE PARAMOUNT.
7. A STATEMENT BY COLONEL LOWNDS HAS BEEN SENT TO MACOI FOR POSSIBLE USE IN THEIR FIVE OCLOCK PRESS MEETING. THE STATEMENT CONVEYED THE SAME RATIONALE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH ONE OF THE MSG PLUS THE STATEMENT THAT HE, LOWNDS, COULD NOT AFFORD TO JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF HIS COMMAND KNOWING THE ENEMY WAS WAITING FOR SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTACK. WITH THE STATEMENT BY THE CO AND THE NOYES STORY IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A BETTER PERSPECTIVE WILL RESULT OF THE FACTS OF THE EVENT.
8. YOUR CONCERN AND UNDERSTANDING APPRECIATED.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DECLASSIFIED FROM CONFIDENTIAL
101230Z FEB 68
FOR GEN KRULAK
DISPOSITION OF DISPLACED PERSONS
A. CG IIIMAF 100330Z FEB 68 (C)
1. CODE NAME FOR EVACUATION OF BV-33 AND LAOTIAN REFUGEES FOR FURTHER TRANSPORTATION IS OPERATION LUMBERJACK (U).
2. AS OF 091515 FEB, 83 MEMBERS OF BV-33 ELEPHANT BATTALION HAD ARRIVED DANANG AND WERE SHELTERED IN EMPTY AIR AMERICA HANGAR. TODAY 20 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION PREVIOUSLY EVACUATED BY SPECIAL FORCES WERE MOVED TO AIR BASE. ELEVEN WOUNDED STILL REMAIN AT SPECIAL FORCES DISPENSARY HERE AND WILL REQUIRE EVACUATION. TOTAL IN DANANG 114.
3. PIR RATIONS FURNISHED BY SPECIAL FORCES, CORDS/REFUGEES, G-5, AND 29TH CA ARE WORKING WITH LOCAL MINISTRY FOR SANITATION, HEALTH AND COMFORT ITEMS, ETC.
1630 REPORT FROM SPECIAL FORCES INDICATED 26 CIDG/MSF WERE EVACUATED TO SPECIAL FORCES CAMP, DANANG. ONLY FOUR BV-33, INCLUDING BATTALION COMMANDER, REMAIN AT KHE SANH. THESE DUE TO BE EVACUATED ON 11 FEB.
5. WE HAVE NO FIRM INFORMATION ON WHAT HAPPENED TO REMAINDER OF 2500 LAOTIANS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ARRIVED HERE. HOWEVER, FIRST ARRIVALS SAID THAT MANY OF THEIR PEOPLE HAD RETURNED "TO THEIR COUNTRY" BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT EATEN FOR TWO DAYS. OTHERS SAID THAT A LARGE GROUP HAD RALLIED AROUND A "COLONEL" AT KHE SANH. 1630 REPORT INDICATES THE LATTER HAS NOT OCCURRED. OPINION OF SPECIAL FORCES IS SOME WILL E AND E TO KHE SANH. THE REMAINDER HAVE FLED WEST.
6. AMPLIFYING REPORTS WILL BE SENT AS CHANGES IN OPERATION OCCUR.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
