Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "Presence of Two American Prisoners of War in a
Khmer Communist Detention Camp in Kompong Cham Province of Southeastern Cambodia."
July 9, 1974.
 FULL TEXT
Country: Cambodia / South Vietnam
DOI: Late May 1974
Subject: Presence of two American prisoners of war in a Khmer Communist detention camp in
Kompong Cham Provice of Southeastern Cambodia
ACQ: [SANITIZED]
Source: [SANITIZED]
1. As of May 1974, two American prisoners of war (POWs) were being held by the Khmer Communists
(KC) in a detention camp near the village of Hemut (XU 3086) in Kompong Cham Province of
Southeastern Cambodia. The detention camp was located in the middle of a coffee plantation about
4 kilometers northwest of Kampoan Village (XU 212180) and about 2.5 kilometers east of Lou
Village (XU 1622). The two American POWs had been captured by the Viet Cong (VC) in South Vietnam.
The two men were referred to as Buller (phonetic), a black American, and Chaigar (phonetic), a
white American with red hair.
2. The POW known as Buller was in his early thirties, had a large build, but was thin and had
curly hair, thick lips and a well trimmed moustache and beard. He was married to a Khmer woman
and they had one son from five to seven years of age. The son had a dark complexion and slightly
curly hair. [SANITIZED] comment: [SANITIZED] never spoke with Buller, but Buller's wife informed
[SANITIZED] that she, her husband and son were captured by the VC in South Vietnam more than a
year ago. They were mistreated by the VC and asked to live with the KC. Their request was granted.
Buller was a soldier in the U.S. Army in South Vietnam. He spoke fairly fluent Khmer.
3. The POW known as Chaigar was over six feet tall, slender, and probably in his early twenties.
He had soft, short red hair, an erect posture, a sharp nose, and many holes or freckles on his
face. He spoke Vietnamese.
4. Buller was assigned to work as a farmer at the camp. In May 1974, he was transferred along
with a KC military team to Sangkum Heanchey Village (XU 2406) to grow vegetables there. Chaigar
worked as a truck mechanic at the coffee plantation. Both POWs were in apparent good health and
had been at the detention center for more than five months.
The Hemut Detention Camp consisted of ten bamboo and thatch buildings each measuring approximately
01 x 3.5 meters. The camp had no fence but was guarded by about 30 men fank and 200 civilian
prisoners at the center. The Fank prisoners wre from the 58th and 64th brigades and had been
capturedin the area of National Route One. The civilian prisoners were serving one to two year
terms for breaking KC regulations. All the prisoners were locked up at night in the buildings of
the camp and individually chained.
6. The two American POWs were separated from the rest of the prisoners. Buller lived on the
ground floor of a two-story house located in Meanchy Village about 2.5 kilometers west of the
Hemut Market and approximately 200 meters east of the crossroad on National Route Seven. He and
his family lived with 20 guards. Four KC officials lived above them on the second floor. The
land Buller worked was about 15 meters behind his house. Chaigar slept alone in a shed near the
garage where he worked. The garage and shed were located approximately 100 meters east of the
detention camp. Ten armed guards lived in two sheds next to Chaigar's.
7. The American POWs wore fatigue and camouflage uniforms, with no insigni, black boots and no
hats. Each had about two or three such uniforms.
8. [SANITIZED] comment: The Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC) evaluates this report as
follows:
"A. The individual described as 'Buller' in this report probably relates to McKinley Nolan, a
Negro carried in deserter status. Nolan had reportedly escaped from the referenced camp
(XU 437025), with the Khmer wife and five-year old son in October 1973. An ARVN escapee reported
seeing Nolan and his wife in August or September 1973 in the vicinity of XU 437025. This is the
first report on Nolan since the October 1973 report of his escape.
"B. A correlation could not be made to the individual referred to as 'Chaigar'. Based on the
circumstances of detention as related in the report, it is possible that this individual is also
a collaborator. If this is the case, JCRC can not provide a correlation due to the fact that
this office does not maintain an active interest in, nor dossiers on, deserters /
collaborators.")
9. Field dissem: Embassy at Phnom Penh (principal officers only). Sent to: [SANITIZED] CINCPAC
(for CINPAC and Polad only) USSAG and [SANITIZED]
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