FOOD SUPPLY OF A NVA UNIT DURING INFILTRATION - 1968/01/25

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00758707
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C00758707
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.:THIS REPORT .IS TIT li.F.OULT T:LY, INTZRROGATION ACTIVITY CCNDUCTED
1Tf TI1E NATIONAL INTERROGATION CENTL'I'l. (Nr.C.:)UNDFF. THE JOINT AUSPTI.a7
OF TIE CENTRAL INTELIT:ENCE ORGANIZATION (CIO) AND TRE U.S. OWNV1
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA) WITH TE3 PARTICIPATION O,F.DFTACT.NrNT 6, .
6499114 ACTIVITa3
: NORTH VIETNAM:(NVN)
SOUTH VIETNAM (SVN)
Laos
NIC REPORT NO : 116/68
NIC CASE NO : FET
SUBJECT : Food Supply of a NVA Unit During . DATE OF REPORT : 25/1/68
Infiltration
DATE OF INFO : 10 June to 8 December 1967
DATE AND PLACE 16 January 1968 (H - U)
OF ACQUISITION: "SAIGON, Vietnam
NO. OF PAGES : 3
REF: NIC Report 114/68(PIR)
This report was collected on 16 January 1968 in the SAIGON/GIA.DINH Area Source
is not the available at the NIC for further e7c1oitatiOn.
SOURCE:
S -U MMARY 3.3(h)(2)
-c 1. ,
The effect of Allied bombings. inliVN. could,be-geenAn-the destruction of rice
storage stations, which caused food shortages along the infiltration route in
NVN., No other rice supply was available at the destroyed stations. Troops lost
a the7day rice ration. Rice rations were maintained while travelling in Laos.
Upon Arrival at BA Mountain, PHU CAT District, BINH DINH Province, the rice ration
was cut and the problem of rice supply was increased by air and ground
actions along- Company 61's rice transport supply route. As food shortages
became,commonplace� the incidence of dysentery and beriberi increased.
LI6TRIBUTION:
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US EMBAESY
CLASSIFICATION
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AFFECTING I< DEFENSE OF. THEtwine
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K I V NIC REPORT NO : 116/68
CONFI TIAL Page. 2
Prier to the departure of InfiltratiouGroup 338, each man was issued food
at NGOC LIEN Village, NGOC LAC District, THANH HOA Province, NVN. Every
member of the 500-man group was given a one-kilogram tin can of salted pork
(NVN origin) (which was to be a three-month supply) and 10 milk cans of rice
(a five-day supply). No other meat or food was issued.
2. As the group moved on its infiltration route in NVN, the 10-can rice supply
was replenished every five days at stations along the way. Two men were
� assigned from each squad to obtain rice at the station, which was usually
manned by two personnel. Rice was carried from the station in seven kilogram
bags. Each man carried one bag. The rice was later distributed to the unit
members by the duty attendant. While in NVN, troops continued to receive a
10-can ration.
In the event a way station was destroyed, no.rice was obtained. No other
'rice supply-was available. While on the route in NVN, several
(number unknown) rice sterage way stations had been hit by air attacks and
destroyed. As the result, troops conserved their five-day rice ration BO
that they would have a reserve left, in case the next way station was
destroyed. Since no other rice would be issued, this reserve was used as a
stop-gap measure until they reached the next rice storage way station, which
was located five days away. The only other supplemental food supply was
obtained by foraging abandoned reclaimed land for potatoes and manioc. Two
men from each squad were assigned this duty.
Upon arrival in QUANG BINH Province, food supply for the troops was already
insufficientj-however, no cases of sicknesses were reported. Entering and
:travelling through Laos, the 10,-can rice ration was obtained at regular
5.da7 intervals. None of the rice storage way stations had been damaged or
destroyed.
er,arriving in, SVN, rice shortages became ,commonplace, especially from
.r1y November to December 1967 at their final destination point in the BA
Maastain area inLPHU CAT District, BINH DINH Province, SVN. The ration was
decreased to eight milk cans. Rice resupply missions were dispatched every
five days... Each seven-man squad assigned at least two men for the trip.
Each platoon was responsible for assigning its own personnel, or about three
to:10 men. Personnel from Company 61 (total strength: 70) assembled together
before departvre. Mission groups departed at 1600 hours and returned at 0500
hours the following morning.
The mission arouo obtained rice from the local plains people./
.Healthy members of the group carried ten
- kilograms of rice in bags, while sickly personnel carried about five
Illograms. The trip into the plains area was described as difficult.
.Mission groups were subject to attacks from both the air and on the ground.
On'one such trip, the group was attacked by helicopters and ground troops,
.which resulted in one man killed and two lightly, wounded. Two personnel
were assigned to carry each casualty back to the base area in BA Mountain,
while the others continued on their mission.
�The}:other,tood supplements were salt and salted shrimp, which was also
obtained from the local plains area people. Each man was issued one
kilogram of salt a month. During a one month stay at the BA Mountain
area, salted shrimp was received twice./
/ At no time did unit
3.3(h)(2)
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m ers rechive any fresh vegetables, meat fish, or other foods in SVN,
Laos, or tnc& departing NVN.
As the result, both dysentery and beriberi became common diseases which
struck almost every unit member at one time or another since they arrived
3.3(h)(2)
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