The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam: Unparalleled and Unequaled

Appendix D: Prisoner Phan Xuan Quy: Biographical Information and Thanh Phu Battle Account

Appendix D Prisoner Phan Xuan Quy: Biographical Information and Thanh Phu Battle Account Biographical Information Phan Xuan Quy—Headquarters Secretary, 261 B Battalion On 11 April 1969, approximately 12 kilometers southwest of My Phuoc Tay, elements of the 7th ARVN Division discovered a VC hospital and captured a PW identified in subsequent interrogation as Phan Xuan Quy, Headquarters Secretary of the 261 B Battalion. This position is roughly equivalent to that of Battalion Adjutant. The subject is an intelligent , well educated and hardcore Viet Cong. He had been wounded on five occasions in contact with ARVN elements and did not desire to rally to GVN. Phan Xuan Quy was born in the 1st District of Saigon in 1949. He lived with his stepfather as his mother had been imprisoned during the reign of Bao Dai for reasons unknown to Quy. Quy’s mother was released from prison in 1954 and died a few days after her release. According to Quy, her last words to him was a request that he avenge her death and the wrongs she had suffered at the hands of the Bao Dai regime. His disaffection and dissatisfaction with the GVN and the later rallying to Viet Cong ranks can be traced to this. In 1958 Quy’s stepfather died and Quy went to live with Pham Binh, a friend of his father. From 1958 to 1963 Quy attended school in Saigon. In 1963, Quy moved to the capitol of Cambodia, where he attended a private school until 1966. While in this school Quy became fluent in both the French and the Cambodian languages. In January of 1966 Quy went to work for the Doc Lap newspaper, a neutralist newspaper in the capitol of Cambodia. In February he joined the Viet Cong to as he stated “Fight for the country he loved so much.” He attended basic training and NCO school in Back Lien (P), Cambodia, for five months. In July Appendix D 165 of 1967 he was assigned to the VC 502 Battalion as a squad leader. In August of 1968 he was transferred to the 261 B Battalion, where he was promoted to the rank of platoon leader. In March of 1969 he was made Battalion Headquarters Secretary. On 11 and 12 March his battalion was decimated by elements of the 9th Infantry Division at Thanh Phu (V), Cai Be (D), Dinh Tuong (P), Republic of Vietnam. On 11 April 1969 he was captured by elements of the 7th ARVN Division while he was a patient in a VC hospital where he was recovering from wounds incurred from a booby trap on 10 April. He was subsequently turned over for interrogation to the 9th Infantry Division and has voluntarily provided the information concerning a contact between his unit, the 261 B Battalion, and elements of the 9th Infantry Division.1 Interrogator’s Comments: It is believed that the subject, as Battalion Secretary, wrote an account of the battle for the Battalion Commander, which was to be sent to the Headquarters Dong Thap I Regiment of MR II for possible preparation of a unit citation. He admitted discussing the battle with all the unit officers. INTERROGATOR: SP5 ROBERT T. KOT, 9TH MI Detachment INTERROGATOR: SSG HUYNH VAN MAI, 9TH MI Detachment An Account of The Battle of Thanh Phu by Prisoner Phan Xuan Quy The 261 B Battalion with four companies and a headquarters section totaling 268 men arrived to Thanh Phu (V) at 0200 hours on the morning of 11 March 1969 after many hours of traveling from Hau My (V). The time for travel varies depending upon the situation and whether or not bunkers are available at the new site. This day we started at 1700 hours. On arrival the battalion was joined by 30 guerillas of Thanh Phu (V) and though very tired and hungry, immediately started building bunkers (usually 10 166 Appendix D meters apart), and camouflaged the area because of constant fear of air and artillery strikes. At 0630 hours, 11 March 1969 we suddenly received word from higher ranks that this morning there would be a sweep operation in our area. This message was received on a PRC-10 radio to the battalion commander by coded radio transmission from 122-X signal element. The 122-X signal company is assigned to Dong Thap I Regiment of MR II and has an element with each battalion. Immediately we received...