Page 380 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

order which contradicted central governrnental decision to al1ow the
people all over the country to enjoy this tradition of the celebration -
exploding firecrackers to greet the big holiday. Most people had alrea-
dy bought firecrackers for the celebration. Many people cornplied with
the surprise order; others did not and set off firecrackers stealthily.
The order was rnotivated by intelligence reports about an
irnrninent enerny attack on the city. The reports were based on state-
rnents by a leading local Viet Cong cadrernan and on the strange-soun-
ding pronouncernents of two captured audio tapes. The Viet Cong agent
was identified as Nguyen Phung Khuon alias Bien Cuong, provincial
corrrrnissar in charge of the Qui Nhon underground adrnini st ration. He
and ten of his close aides were captured in town.
The province chief also irnposed an unusually long curfew
on the city adjoining areas and placed all the local security forces -
police and soldiers - on a full alert {ooting.
Col Tho reported the above inforrnation to his superior
officers, II Corps Cornrnander Gen. Vinh Loc and ZZnd Infantry Divi-
sion Cornrnander Gen.Nguyen Van Hieu. Lt Co1 Le Van Than. the
ARVN Joint General Staff Operation Center Director, was also notified
of the content of the strange audio tapes when Col Tho played thern for
hirn over the radio telephone.
Right after initial intelligence reports reached the Arrny
Security Service concerning enemy agents in the suburban Bach Dang
harnlet. The Binh Dinh Sector Cornrnand conducted a successful raid
on the enerny hideout. Second Lt Le Xuan Vinh led ten rnen, all dis-
guised as civilians, in the raid. They quickly and quietly cordoned the
suspected location. Then they jurnped on the enerny frorn the roof of a
house and found three rnen and one wornan working on a tape recorder.
Caught by surprise the four tried to resist and flee, They were too
late, Their two pistols were taken by the governrnent agents along
with the tape recorder and two tapes. They never had a chance to fire
their guns. A quick interrogation of the captives caused the govern-
rnent agents to storrn a nearby house where five rnale and two fernale
Viet Cong were captured and tied up bef6re they could fire any shots.
Altogether, eleven enerny agenta were arrested in the raid.

Initial interrogation of a few of the captives revealed
that the enerny would probably take advantage of the Tet holiday to
assault Qui Nhon and other towns and cities across the land. Four of
the eleven arrested refused to disclose anlthing substantial about the

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