SITUATION REPORT ON BIEN HOA PROVINCE FOLLOWING THE TET OFFENSIVE.

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02799345
• Document Creation Date: January 28, 2019

Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2799345
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Intelligence Information Cable
3.5(c)
STATE/INR DIA NrACC/MC
EXO DDI
( SECDEF
� PRIORITY
IN 44642
PAGE 1 OF 3
JCS ARMY NAVY AIR) CIA/N MCC NIC NSA OCR $DO
USIA ONE ORR DCS 1 3526
3.3(h)(2)
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title $..
Sees. 793 and 794, the transmisson or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. E0
�
NO FOR SSEM
THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT. NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
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C�O�N�F� I �
�T�I�A�L
060611Z CITE
DIST 6 FEBRUARY 1968
COUNTRY: SOUTH VIETNAM
DOI: 5 FEBRUARY 1968
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT ON BIEN HOA PROVINCE FOLLOWING
THE TET OFFENSIVE.
ACQ:
SOURCE:
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NAME' A (*...''T '
Wird/ I
3.5(c)
KBr ,3.3(h)(2)
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- .3(h)(2)
tiOu:
1. THE PROVINCIAL OFFICES IN BIEN HOA PROVINCE ARE STILL
NOT 100 PER CENT OPERATIVE FOLLOWING THE VIET CONG'S TET
C�O�N�F� �N�T�I�A�L
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OFFENSIVE. MOST OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (GVN) OFFICIALS
SPENT THEIR TET HOLIDAYS IN SAIGON AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RETURN
TO BIEN HOA BECAUSE OF THE MILITARY ACTION IN SAIGON, MOST
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES IN THE PROVINCE HAVE THUS FAR BEEN UNABLE
TO COPE WITH THE EMERGENCY. THE PROVINCE CHIEF, THE CHIEF OF THE
PROVINCIAL INTERROGATION CENTER (PIC), THE GHIEU HOI (OPEN ARMS)
CHIEF, AND THE VIETNAMESE INFORMATION SERVICE CHIEF, HOWEVER,
WERE ON DUTY IN THE PROVINCE THROUGHOUT THE CRISIS.
THE CHIEF OF THE NATIONAL POLICE IN BIEN HOA PROVINCE RETURNED ON THE AFTERNOON
OF
4 FEBRUARY AND THE CHIEF OF THE SPECIAL POLICE
RETURNED TO DUTY ON THE AFTERNOON OF 5 FEBRUARY. NATIONAL
HIGHWAY NO. 1 BETWEEN SAIGON AND BIEN HOA HAS BEEN DECLARED
SECURE DIRING DAYLIGHT HOURS, BUT TRAVEL HAS BEEN RESTRICTED
TO SOLDIERS IN UNIFORM WITH ORDERS, AND GVN OFFICIALS. (THE
CONTINUED ABSENCE OF VIETNAMESE INTERPRETERS AND OFFICE STAFF
MEMBERS STILL HINDERS OPERATIONS OF LOCAL U.S. AGENCIES.)
2. THE CHIEF OF THE AUSTRALIAN SURGICAL TEAM AT BIEN HOA
PROVINCE HOSPITAL STATED THAT HE AND HIS STAFF PERFORMED MORE
THAN 184 OPERATIONS DURING THE CRISIS. HE SAID THAT HE WAS UNCERTAIN
ABOUT THE NUMBER BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO KEEP ACCURATE STATISTICS
C--0.-.N�F.� I �T�I�A�L DISSEM
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DUE TO THE PRESS OF BUSINESS. MOST OF THE NEW PATIENTS NOW ARRIVING
AT THE HOSPITAL HAVE WOUNDS TWO, THREE OR FOUR DAYS OLD WHICH
THE PATIENT AT FIRST CONSIDERED MINOR, BUT WHICH, NOW APPEAR
SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR THE VICTIM TO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT. A U.S.
DOCTOR SAID THAT SOME OF THE LATE ARRIVING PATIENTS MAY DIE
BECAUSE THE WOUND OF ENTRY WAS SMALL, BUT MUCH TISSUE WAS
DESTROYED AND MORBIDITY HAD SET IN BY THE TIME THE PATIENT SOUGHT
MEDICAL TREATMENT. MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE SUFFICIENT FOR PRESENT
NEEDS.
3. IT APPEARS THAT MANY OF THE REFUGEES WHO ARRIVED IN BIEN
HOA CITY DURING THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE TET OFFENSIVE HAD BEEN
DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES BY MILITARY OPERATIONS; MOST OF THEM
HAVE NOW RETURNED TO THEIR HOMES. ONLY ABOUT 1,000 REFUGEES NCW
REMAIN IN BIEN HOA CITY, U.S. ARMY SUPPLIED FOOD STOCKS ALLEVIATED
THE FOOD SUPPLY PROBLEM DURING THE OFFENSIVE, AND LOCALLY PRODUCED
FOODS ARE AGAIN IN THE MARKET.
REPORT CLASS CONFIDWflAL NO FOR
SEM
NCE COPIES TRANSMITTED TO: THE WHITE HOUSE,
STATE, DIA, ARMY, NAVY, AIR, JCS, NIC, NSA, OCT.
C-O-N-F-I- -N-T-I-A-L
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