DOCUMENT 5 A declassified tracking and data compilation of yellow rain attacks dated summer 1980 estimate date author unknown title page missing in CBW Box 5 Reports Articles Papers and Memoranda 1982-84 1986-87 and 1989 National Security Archive Poem “Composition 1” on pages 39-42 of book YELLOW RAIN Page 1 due to lengthy document here are some excerpted pages -331 The US Government has received a report regarding chemical warfare operations against Hmong resistance stronghalos ·in northern Laos beginning in 1976 The information is from an LPLA pilot who participated in such missions A former Lao People's Liberation Army officer said that he flew L- 19 and T-41 aircraft on missions in the Lao People's Democratic Republic LPDR which were specifically intended to dispense toxic chemical agents on Hmong villagers in the Phou Bia area vicinity of northern LPDR Source said the LPLA in cooperation with the People's Army of Vietnam PAVN was involved in conducting chemical warfare CW operations in the LPDR since April or early May 1976 At that time two LPLA H-34 helicopters were flown from the Phonsavan airfield Xieng Khouang Province to Long Tieng Xieng Khoung Provi nce on a series of flights that transported rockets back to Phonsavan for storage Between June and August 1976 the LPLA launched attacks in the area of Bouamlong Xieng Khouang Province which was a stronghold for remnants of former Hmong General Vang Pao During military activities in the Bouamlong area the LPLA utilized L-19 aircraft to conduct rocket attacks on the Hmong resistance in an effort to eliminate them However LPLA crews responsible for loading rockets on the attack aircraft noted that the rockets that had been moved from Long Tieng to Phonsavan were not allowed to be used even though the rockets stored at Phonsavan were much closer to the Bouamlong target area than Long Tieng where LPLA aircraft were required to re-arm Source said for nearly three months before flying on missions to the Bouamlong area he flew to Long Tieng with his L-19 aircraft to have it fitted with rockets In late 1976 the L-19 aircraft flown by source was re -armed with rockets stored at Phonsavan Initially H-34 helicopte rs were used to transport the rockets from Phonsavar to depot near the Ban Xon airfield Vientaine Province where they were fitted onto racks of the L-19 aircraft for missions in the Phou Bia area Lat er the rockets from Phonsavan were transported to Ean Xon by LPLA trucks The sou ce said that all US-manufactured rockets were stored w th the tip and canister kept apart in other words the two parts had be joined together before fitting them to the racks on the aircraft However all the rockets trans ported from Phonsavan to Ban Xon were already fitted toget her As part cf his routine flight activit es so ce said he would cneck over his aircraft and in do ng sc te r c examined the n of t e ne smoke roci er s L _1- tne majority oc lce s wh ch has been transpo - honsav e port lon w erc tip and c at the ordinary e noticeably mo e om 15 Page 2 -34- In late 1976 in prepara tion for airstrik es in new the areas of Phou Bia and asy Louang Prabang Provinc e officer s source said he began flying two or three PAVN staff T-41 on s etilaes accompa nied by one LPLA staff officer s were aircraf t over the target areas The PAVN officer tion of anticip conduct ing a reconna issance of the areas inaircraf t was launchi ng airstrik es Initial ly the L-19 LPLA flown on the airstrik e •ission with a pilot and an after staff officer sitting in the rear seat However riding about two to three weeks PAVN staff officer s beganting in the rear seats of the L-19 aircraf t and alterna s who flew ission s with the LPLA officer s The PAVN officermission these mission s spoke excelle nt Lao Before each would the PAVN or LPLA staff officer assigne d to the mission along go over target areas outline d on situatio n maps taken source He would point out the targets to be attacke d The in noted that at no time did the PAVN staff offi cer sitting s officer the back seat of his aircraf t commun icate with LPLA officer s on the oround as did the LPLA staff officer s PAVN airstrik e who fle with him on T-41 reconna issance and L-19 so that a mission s in the Hmong areas were switche d around average age new PAVN officer was used on each mission The of these PAVN staff officer s was mid-40s Before flying L-19 airstrik e mission s with a fullload of rockets the source related that he was often warned es by an LPLA command er to fly at above normal altitud us to the w en firing rockets otherwi se it could be hazardoof th i s pilot and the accompa nying staff officer Becausean altitud e continu ed caution ing about not flying at too low the the source surmise d that the smoke rockets fired at of an Hmong people were unusual He said that as a pilot to able was he rockets smoke the fired which t aircraf L-19 some and air the in ed detonat rockets smoke the that observe produce d white smoke with a mixture of blue smoke while othe rs produce d red smoke with a mixture of yellow The The ordinar y explosi ve-type rockets detonat ed on impact source command er or his designa ted represe ntative told the before every mission that the type of operati on he was going on was to wipe out• the reactio nary Hmong people The urpose of firing the rockets was to cause the Hmong people to die out comple tely In additio n before a mission involvi ng smoke rockets he command er warned the pilots to keep the operati on in s ret The source said that during the neerly two years 1 he lea -ned f -or i the -- ch he flew rocket firi 'lg mission s two - staf office - s who flew with hir ttat tte -e were inostly s oke -ocket s were to Y of rockets The first fr cor i i ej LPL a d AVN i -ed at tarcets far away 00 ps rienc y troc f om oe- Th_ is op eve t t e seco ld ty- J of roC et as ok • o • Posed to t e was cons de - d a •c c se t -hpe or n r LP A nc o 'VS d P0rt• 16 Page 3 -37 leg of Phou Bia during March 1977 • Source was a 57 year-old man who was in village during attacks Mode of attack Two planes fired rockets-exploded on ground Material Agent used Red and yellow smokes gas Number of people in village unit Number of people affected 35 families Many Number of people killed 28 or more--the old and the very young that could not run away Animals All animals died--chickens dogs pigs and cows Miscellaneous Plants--where gas settled on green leaves holes developed Medical findings Some people seemed drunk and died in a few hours Some would shake all over like chills and had diarrhea Odor-- like pepper --Rhinorrhea Eyes--painful many tears blurred vision for 3-4 days Frontal headache Eyes turned red Throat painful Could not speak clear or loud for 15 days Much spitting increased salivation Coughed a great deal--co·1ghed up blood Breathing painful- more so with inhaling than exhaling Bard to breathe Pain in chest for 15 days Pain in stomach--felt swollen vomited several times for one day Bad diarrhea with blood Skin--no effect Sleep--no effect Muscles --very weak--could not do anything fQr weeks 6 The US Government received a report that a 24 year old former medic treated 49 patients who suffered from gas attacks all died They had been brought from the villages around Phu Chia The attacks took olace in 1976-1977 The last patient came to him in March 1977 All of the patients died within 24-48 hours They had the following signs and symptoms Red and swollen eyes Bitter taste in the mouth Co Ch 17 Page 4 -39 9 The US Government received the following eyewitness report Source said he had witnessed the deaths of six of his fc1111ily including his father and mother who were contaminated with poisonous gas in January 1977 He said the six had been working in a rice field in the Tam Lo area when an L-19 aircraft appeared overhead and fired a rocket which exploded in a red toxic gas Initially his family complained of blurred vision headache nausea and vomiting inflamed eyes which watered dizziness and an overall feeling of weakness He said that his father died about 12 hours after exposure His mother who also experienced acute diarreha died within 16 hours the remainder of his family all perished the following night after the gas attack He said that other Hmong people exposed to the poisonous gases lingered on for up to three and four months In these cases the initial symptoms were similar to those of his family who died within a day or two but also included severe diarrhea dizziness and a feeling of thirstiness The more liquids the person drank the more urine passed until eventually they died of dehydration Other symptoms included the cornea of the eye turning a milky color resulting in blindness a oss of appetite weakness and malnutrition 10 The US Government has received the following reports On 16 April 1977 while commanding more than 500 Hmong and Lao Theung resistance troops near Phou Sang about 30 kilometers West of Phou Bia source discovered an unexploded rocket which he believed was the same kind used in the gas attacks against the resistance He said the rocket an apparent dud was found in two pieces and measured overall approximately 120 centimeters ems long a diameter of about 12 5 ems and weighed an estimated three kilograms Althouah somewhat apprehensive that the poison gas might leak out from the canister he went ahead and ordered the rocket pieces taken back to his resistence headquarters situated in the Tam Khai cave in the Phou Bia area He said the rocket had several markings and appeared color-coded 11 us Army physician's interview with Lao refugee source in Thailand October 6 1979 Source witnessed chemical attack on Houi Kam Lang Phou Bia area in April 1977 Mode of attack Airplane two gas rockets Material Ase t ·sec -- Number Two H E rockets Yellow s oke nit 18