DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE PERSONNEL CENTER RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE TEXAS
HQ AFPC/DPWCM 2 0 OCT 2009 550 C Street West, Suite 14 Randolph AFB TX 78150
Mr. Vincent A. Scungio Jr. POBox 145 Manton Ml 49663
Dear Mr. Scungio
The attached Intelligence Information Report (IlR) Evaluation we received from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) is forwarded for your information. As a reminder, an IIR contains data reported from the field. Many of the reports are generated by an element of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) specifically responsible for collecting and reporting information that could relate to U.S. servicemen missing in Southeast Asia. IIRs can also come from U.S. Government officials worldwide who collect data that may relate to unaccounted-for Americans. Information contained in IIRs includes, but is not limited to: dog tag reports, live sightings, crash and grave site reports, witness interviews, etc.
Defense POWlMissing Personnel Office (DPMO) analysts usually issue a message entitled "Consumer lIR evaluation" that serves as the primary input to DIA's evaluation of the original lIR. In many instances, DIA will follow up with a short message stating their concurrence with DPMO's input. In some cases, DIA will republish the entire text of the DPMO input. Occasionally, when additional new data is obtained, it may become necessary to issue a correction to an earlier IIR evaluation. IIRs and the subsequent evaluation messages are analyst tools used in resolving outstanding cases. An individual IIR may be only a small piece of the overall puzzle and the information it contains may be difficult to understand. Sometimes it is even hard to see how it relates to a case. These reports and their evaluations are maintained in the case files of those servicemen where a correlation is made. As further information is gathered, all reporting is reviewed in the hope it will assist in accounting for a missing American.
V/c arc fumishing this material in keeping '.'.'ithour policy of providing everything we receive, which may relate to the case of your father, Major Vincent A. Scungio. If you have any questions concerning this material, please contact us on our toll free telephone (800-531-550 I) or via electronic mail (AFPC/PO W [email protected]).
Sincerely
~~AF Missing Persons Program Manager Attachment DPMOIIIR R032000Z AUG 09 88UFlBEUfiAL OASI:). r. Date R~ ~
Declassified by DPMO lAW E.O. 12812, E.O. 12958, 50 USC 435 NoteDate18-Aug-2009 69f1F1BEffiJAl Initialed By: R. W. e814FIi'~14TIAL
SUMMARY: (U) SEE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, TEXT PARAGRAPH 1, BELOW. TEXT: 1. (U) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. THIS IS A STONY BEACH REPORT. INFORMATION ON THE VIETNAMESE WARTIM:E 77TH AIR DEFENSE BAIT ALION IS PROVIDED. NAMES OF UNIT PERSONNEL, OPERATING LOCATIONS, AND SHOOT-DOWN INFORMATION ARE FURNISHED. 2. (U) (FIELD COMMENT. FOLLOWING IS A TRANSLATION OF EXCERPTS FROM SOURCE BOOK. TRANSLATION BEGINS.) ON 1 APRIL 1966, THE 257TH MISSILE REGIMENT WAS BORN. THE REGIMENT COMMANDER WAS HOANG HOA «NAM» (HOANGF HOA NAM). THE POLITICAL OFFICER WAS HAN «NGH!)) (HANF NGHIJ). DEPUTY COMMANDERS WERE NGUYEN DINH «SON)) (DINHF SOWN) AND NGUYEN TRONG «QUYNH) (TRONGJ QUYNHF). DEPUTY POLITICAL OFFICER WAS HOANG «DAO)) (HOANGF DAOF). HEADING THE STAFF AGENCY WAS CHIEF-OF-STAFF TRAN HUU «TAO) (HWUX TAOJ). THE POLITICAL CHIEF WAS TRAN «DINH)) (ZINH). REAR SERVICES CHIEF WAS «TUNG) (TUNGl). CHIEF OF THE TECHNICAL BRANCH WAS «HOA» (HOAF). (FIELD COMMENT. THE PRECEDING NAMES REFER TO THOSE ASSIGNED TO THE 257TH REGIMENT.) LEADING THE 77TH BATTALION WERE COMMANDER NGUYEN NGOC «DIEN) (NGOCJ DIEENR) AND POLITICAL OFFICER «(MAN» (MAANX) .....--. ON 31 JULY, THE REGIMENT DEPUTY IN CHARGE OF MISSILES LED THE 77TH BATTALION DURING THEIR MOVE TO THE MY HA IIUTMCOORD: 48QXJ22066011 AIR DEFENSE SITE, VNM. THE REGIMENT COMMAND POST WAS IN NGOC TRAI HAMLET (CNA), VIET LAP VILLAGE lIUTMCOORD: 48QXJ 190610/1, TAN YEN DISTRICT, HA SAC PROVINCE. (FIELD COMMENT. TAN YEN DISTR[CT [S IN PRESENT-DAY SAC GIANG PROVINCE.) ON 14 AUGUST, THE 77TH BAIT ALION WON THEIR FIRST BATTLE, SHOOTING DOWN ON THE SPOT AN F-I05 IN DA PHUC //UTMCOORD: 48QWJ903590/1. ON 19 SEPTEMBER, STATION I OF THE 77TH BATTALION AT THE GIO (GIOR) (CNA) AIR DEFENSE SITE DETECTED FOUR AIRCRAFT AT A DISTANCE OF 120 KILOMETERS AND ALTITUDE OF 10 KILOMETERS. BASED ON DIRECTIONS FROM THE REGIMENT, 77TH BATTALION COMMANDER NGUYEN NGOC OlEN ORDERED STATION 2 TO SEARCH FOR THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT. AT 0813, UNDER THE COMMAND OF CONTROL OFFICER LE VAN «HE» (LEE VA WN HEEJ), RADAR TRACKERS «CANH» (CANHR), «TIN H») (TINHJ), AND «DUC» (DWCS) DETECTED FOUR-AIRCRAFT'FORMATION ASSIGNED RAID NUMBER 59. WHEN THE FORMA TION APPROACHED TO WITHIN FIRlNG DISTANCE, THE BAIT ALION COMMANDER ORDERED MISSILE LAUNCH, AND TWO MISSILES WERE FIRED. ONE F-I05 EXPLODED AND CRASHED IN DONG GIANH /IUTMCOORD: 48QXJ577632// VILLAGE, LUC NGAN DISTRICT, HA BAC PROVINCE. (FlELD COMMENT. LUC NGAN IS A DISTRlCT IN PRESENT-DAY BAC GIANG PROVINCE.) AT 1420 ON 4 NOVEMBER, THREE ENEMY AIRCRAFT FORMATIONS WERE FLYING FROM THE DIRECTION OF VAN HOA (VAN] HOA) ISLAND (CNA) STRAIGHT
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TOW ARDS THE REGIMENT'S FIRING AREA. AT THE REGIMENT COMMAND POST IN HOA BINH VILLAGE lIUTMCOORD: 48QWJ351 03411, TAN YEN DISTRICT, THE REGIMENT COMMANDER ORDERED BATTALIONS INTO READINESS CONDITION I. THE 77TH BAITALION DETECTED AND TRACKED THE TARGET FROM A DISTANCE OF 40 KILOMETERS. II 33, THE BATTALION COMMANDER ORDERED THE LAUNCH OF TWO MISSILES, SHOOTING-DOWN ON THE SPOT AN -1 SE IN YEN DUNG DISTRICT, HA HAC PROVINCE. (FIELD COMMENT. YEN DUNG DISTRICT IS IN PRESENT-DAY BAC GIANG PROVINCE.) ON 5 JANUARY 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION DEPARTED HA BAC PROVINCE. INITIALLY, THE 77TH BATTALION WAS AT TUYEN QUANG AIRFIELD. THERE WAS LITTLE ENEMY AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA. WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE REGIMENT COMMAND, THE BAIT ALIONS CONTINUED MOVING. ON 16 JANUARY, THE 77TH BATTALION DEPLOYED TO AN AIR DEFENSE SITE AT KILOMETER 14 IN TUYEN QUANG PROVINCE. AT 1525 ON 16 JANUARY 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION, AT THE TUYEN QUANG AIRFIELD SITE (SIC), DETECTED TWO RF-4C RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT. CONTROL OFFICER LE VAN HE AND TRACKERS CANH, TlNH, AND DUC ACQUIRED THE TARGETS AT A DISTANCE OF 25 KlLOMETERS AND ALTITUDE OF FOUR KILOMETERS. WHEN THE TARGET APPROACHED TO WITHIN 20 KILOMETERS, BATTALION COMMANDER NGUYEN NGOC OlEN GAVE THE ORDER TO LAUNCH TWO MISSILES. ONE RF-4C WAS SHOT DOWN ON THE SPOT IN YEN BANG VILLAGE (CNA), YEN SON DISTRICT, TUYEN QUANG PROVINCE. (FIELD COMMENT. FEBRUARY 1967) BASED ON THE SlTUA TION AND MISSION, THE REGIMENT DEPLOYED FORCES AS FOLLOWS-- THE 76TH BATTALION IN VIET YEN lIUTMCOORD: 48QXJ 1805181/, THE 77TH BAIT ALION IN GIO, THE 79TH BATTALION IN DAI ClIU IIUTMCOORD: 48QXJ02542411 AND THE 78TH BATTALION IN XUAN DONG (XUAAN DOONGF) (CNA). THE REGIMENT COMMAND WAS IN BINH AN IIUTMCOORD: 48QXJ2I548111, HIEP HOA DISTRlCT. (FIELD COMMENT. HIEP HOA DISTRICT IS IN PRESENT-DAY BAC GIANG PROVINCE.) AT 2201 ON 24 MARCH 1967, UNDER THE COMMAND OF REGIMENT CHIEF-OF-STAFFTRAN HUU TAO, BATTALION COMMANDER NGUYEN NGOC DIEN COMMANDED CONTROL OFFICER DINH THE «VAN» (DINH TrIEES VA WN) AND TRACKERS «CU» (CW), TINH AND DUC IN SHOOTING DOWN ON THE SPOT AN A-6A AIRCRAFT JUST EAST OF KEP AIRFIELD IIUTMCOORD: 48QXJ31766611. TIllS WAS THE FIRST A-6A AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN ON THE SPOT BY THE REGIMENT. (FIELD COMMENT. KEP AIRFIELD IS IN LANG GIANG DISTRICT, BAC GIANG PROVINCE.) CARRYING OUT THE ORDERS OF THE AIR DEFENSE COMMAND AND THE 365TH AIR DEFENSE DIVISION, FROM 19 JUNE TO 25 JUNE 1967, THE REGIMENT MOVED THE 77TH AND 79TH BATTALIONS TO HAl DUONG PROVINCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEFENSE OF ROUTE 5. THE 76TH AND 78TH BATTALIONS REMAINED IN THE HA BAC AREA.
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AT 1600 ON 9 JULY 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION DETECTED THREE F-4H AIRCRAFT APPROACHING THE AIR DEFENSE SITE. THE COMMANDER ORDERED CONTROL OFFICER HE AND TRACKERS TINH, CANH, AND DUC TO TRACK THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST MISSILE WAS LAUNCHED AND HIT THE TARGET. THE SECOND MISSILE PASSED BY THE TARGET AND SELF-DETONATED. ATTHAT TIME, THE 78TH BATTALION'S OBSERVATION POST AND OTHER BATTALIONS REPORTED TO THE REGIMENT COMMAND THAT ONE F-4H EXPLODED AND CRASHED IN THANH MIEN DISTRICT, HAl HUNG PROVINCE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BATILE, THE REGIMENT ORDERED THE 77TH BATI ALION TO MOVE TO THE SITE IN TU KY DISTRICT. (FIELD COMMENT. THANH MIEN AND TU KY ARE DISTRICTS IN PRESENT-DAY HAl DUONG PROVINCE.) FOLLOWING UP ON THEIR FIRST VICTORY ALONG ROUTE 5, ON 12 JULY 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION SHOT DOWN ONE F-4H AT THE BA LATTRIBUTARY /IUTMCOORD: 48QXH640433//. ON 4 AUGUST 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION MOVED FROM HAl HUNG TO GIA LAM. ON 5 AUGUST 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION AGAIN RECEIVED ORDERS TO MOVE TO LUC NAM (HA BAC). (FIELD COMMENT. GIA LAM IS A DISTRICT OF HANOI.) AT 1130 ON 23 AUGUST 1967, THE 77TH BATTALION DETECTED TWO ENEMY AIRCRAFT FORMA nONS ASSIGNED RAID NUMBERS. 125 AND 126 SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH OF HANOI. REGIMENT DEPUTY COMMANDER VU LA! «TRUONG» (VUX LA! TRWONGF) ORDERED THE REGIMENT INTO READINESS CONDITION 1. BASED ON TARGET PARAMETERS, THE REGIMENT DEPUTY ASSIGNED THE 77TH AND 78TH BATIALIONS THE MISSION OF DESTROYING FORMATION 125, WHICH INCLUDED 12 F-4H AIRCRAFT. THE TARGET APPROACHED TO WITHIN FIRING RANGE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDERS FROM BATI ALION COMMANDER «HAl» (HAIR), CONTROL OFFICER «QUY» (QUYS) AND TRACKERS «NGHIEP» (NGHIEEPJ), «LUYEN» (LUYEENS), AND «THU» (THU) OF THE 78TH BATTALION LAUNCHED TWO MISSILES, HITTING THE TARGET. THE 77TH BATTALION ALSO LAUNCHED TWO MISSILES AT THE TARGET. THE OBSERVATION POST REPORTED ONE F-4H EXPLODED AND CRASHED IN THUAN THANH DISTRICT (HA BAC). (FIELD COMMENT. THUAN THANH DISTRICT IS IN PRESENT-DAY BAC N!NH PROVINCE.) FROM 24 TO 28 OCTOBER 1967, U.S. AIR FORCES ORGANIZED THEIR FIFTH WAVE OF ATIACKS ON HANOI. THE 77TH AND 78TH BATTALIONS WERE DEPLOYED AT SITES IN GIA LAM AND WERE PART OF THE FORMATION DEFENDlNG HANOI. (FIELD COMMENT. 27 OCTOBER 1967) AT 0820, FOUR MISSILES WERE LAUNCHED FROM THE SITES OF THE 77TH AND 78TH BATTALIONS IN GIA LAM TOWARDS ENEMY ATTACK AIRCRAFT. AT THE 77TH BATTALION, UNDER TH~ COMMAND OF BATTALION DEPUTY COMMANDER DUONG «LE» (ZWONG LEEX), CONTROL OFFICER HE AND TRACKERS TINI-I, DUC, AND CANH SKlLLFULL Y COPED WITH JAMMING FROM THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT AND GUIDED BOTH MISSILES IN HITTING THE TARGET. REGIMENT AND BAIT ALION OBSERVATION PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT ONE F-l 05 EXPLODED AND CRASHED IN DONG ANH DISTRICT.
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THE 77TH BATTALION WAS CREDITED WITH THE SHOOT-DOWN. (FIELD COMMENT. DONG ANH IS A DISTRICT OF HANOI.) AT 1050 ON 17 NOVEMBER 1967, THE 77TH AND 78TH BATTALIONS AGAIN LAUNCHED FOUR MISSILES INTO AN ENEMY FORMATION. THE 77TH BATTALION SHOT DOWN ON THE SPOT AN F-4H IN KHOAI CHAU (HAl HUNG). (FIELD COMMENT. KHOAI CHAU IS A DISTRICT IN PRESENT-DAY HUNG YEN PROVINCE.) FOLLOWING UP ON RESULTS OF COORDINATING ATTACKS, AT 0758 ON 20 NOVEMBER 1967, THE REG IMENT AGAIN COMMANDED THE 77TH AND 78TH BATTALIONS IN FIRING FOUR MISSILES INTO A FORMATION OF 12 F-I05 AIRCRAFT, SHOOTING-DOWN ONE ENEMY AIRCRAFT. THIS ACHIEVEMENT BELONGED TO BATTALION COMMANDER NGUYEN NGOC DIEN, CONTROL OFFICER HE, AND TRACKERS CANH, TINH, AND «TANG» (TAWNG) OF THE 77TH BATTALION. (FIELD COMMENT. MARCH 1968) CONTROL OFFICER HOANG CONG «KHANH» (HOANGF COONG KHANH) AND THE RADAR TRACKING TEAM RESEARCHED ENEMY TACTICS, AND CREATED A DECISIVE SPIRIT AMONG THE BATTALION. CARRYING OUT ORDERS OF THE DIVISION, THE 77TH BAIT ALION, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF 37MM ARTILLERY UNITS, MOVED TO TIEN LU DISTRICT (HAI HUNG). ON 9 NOVEMBER 1969, THE 77TH BATTALION SHOT DOWN ON THE SPOT A DRONE. (FIELD COMMENT. BASED ON OTHER INFORMATION IN THE BOOK, NOVEMBER 1969 MAY BEA TYPO FOR JANUARY 1969.) (FIELD COMMENT. APRIL 1972) TO CARRY OUT THE PLAN TO DEFEND HANOI, THE REGIMENT WAS DEPLOYED AS FOLLOWS-- THE 76TH BAIT ALl ON IN PT (GIA LAM); THE 77TH BATTALION IN C (TU LIEM), THE 78TH BATTALION IN DT (THANH TRI); AND THE 79TH BATTALION IN ML (HA DONG). THE REGIMENT COMMAND WAS IN TL (THANH TRI). (FIELD COMMENT. TU LIEM AND THANH TRI ARE DISTRICTS OF HANOI.) (FIELD COMMENT. PROBABLY APRlL-MA Y 1972) AT THE 77TH BAIT ALION, SEEING THAT NGUYEN VAN DUC (DWCS) WAS AN OUTSTANDING TRACKER, BATTALION COMMANDER DINH THE VAN SUGGESTED TO THE BATTALION PARTY COMMITTEE TO HAVE DUC ASSUME DUTIES AS A CONTROL OFFICER. (FIELD COMMENT. PROBABLY JULY 1972) CARRYING OUT DIVISION ORDERS, THE REGIMENT MOVED THE 77TH BATTALION TO AIR DEFENSE SITE G (CHUONG MY). THE BATTALION'S MISSION WAS TO ATTACK LOW-FLYING AIRCRAFT AT NIGHT AND ATTACK AIRCRAFT WEST-SOUTHWEST OF HANOI. (FIELD COMMENT. CHUONG MY IS A DISTRICT IN PRESENT-DAY HA TA Y PROVINCE.) IN THE AFTERNOON OF 29 SEPTEMBER 1972, UNDER THE COMMAND OF REGIMENT DEPUTY COMMANDER «CHIEU» (CHIEEUR), BATTALION COMMANDER DINH THE VAN AND BATTALION POLITICAL OFFICER «DAN» (ZAANF), ALONG WITH CONTROL OFFICER ({VOC» (WOCS) AND TRACKERS «HA» (HAF), «HIEN» (lHEENR), AND «TAN» (TAAN) OF THE 77TH BATT ALlON, FOUGHT THREE BATTLES, SHOOTING DOWN ONE ENEMY F-4 AIRCRAFT.
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AT 0420 ON 19 DECEMBER 1972, 77TH BAIT ALION COMMANDER DINH THE VAN ORDERED STATION 2 TO BEGIN TRANSMITTING. CONTROL OFFICER NGUYEN VAN DUC AND TRACKERS PHAM HONG HA, LUU VAN «MOC) (MOOCJ), AND DO VAN «TAN» (DOOX VAWN TAAN) DETECTED THE SIGNAL OF A B.52 AIRCRAFT AT A DISTANCE OF 28 KILOMETERS. THE CONTROL OFFICER FIRED TWO MISSILES. A B-52 EXPLODED AND CRASHED IN A FIELD OF TAN HUNG VILLAGE IIUTMCOORD: 48QWJ930530//, THANH OAI DISTRICT, HA TAY PROVINCE. AT 2034 ON 20 DECEMBER 1972, TRACKERS OF THE 77TH BATTALION DETECTED A TARGET FROM A FAR DISTANCE AND TRACKED A B-52 FORMATION ASSIGNED RAID NUMBER 618. THE BATTALION FIRED TWO MISSILES, SHOOTING DOWN ONE . B-52 IN VAN THANG VILLAGE IIUTMCOORD: 48QWJ410490/1, BA VI DISTRICT, HA TAY PROVINCE. THIS WAS THE SECOND B-52 SHOT DOWN ON THE SPOT BY THE 77TH BATT ALlON DURING THE AIR DEFENSE CAMP AlGN TO DEFEND HANOI. (FIELD COMMENT. PROBABLY 21 DECEMBER 1972) AT 0509, THE 77TH BATTALION LAUNCHED TWO MISSILES IN SHOOTING DOWN ON THE SPOT A B-52 IN PHUC YEN TOWN /IUTMCOORD: 48QWJ731478//, VINH PHU PROVINCE. (FIELD COMMENT. PROBABLY 27 DECEMBER 1972) TOWARDS THE SOUTH, BATTALIONS 77 AND 78, ALONG WITH THE 88TH BATT ALl ON OF THE 274TH REGIMENT, FIRED FIVE MISSILES INTO A B-52 FORMATION. AT 2304, THE 77TH BATTALION FIRED TWO MORE MISSILES, SHOOTING DOWN A B-52. AT 2306, THE 59TH BATTALION OF THE 261ST REGIMENT ALSO SHOT DOWN ONE B-52 AIRCRAFT. (FIELD COMMENT. TRANSLATION ENDS.) COMMENTS: (FIELD COMMENTS) I. (U) ANY FUTURE DEBRIEF OF PERSONNEL IDENTIFIED IN THIS REPORT WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO BE COORDINATED WITH AND ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VIETNAMESE OFFICE FOR SEEKING MISSING PERSONS (VNOSMP). ABILITY TO CONTACT POTENTIAL SOURCES IS UNKNOWN. 2. (U) THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS REPORT IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE 77TH AIR DEFENSE BATTALION IN RESPONSE TO A REQUIREMENT PUT FORTH DURING THE JUNE 2009 COMPREHENSIVE CASE REVIEW. 3. (U) RO TRANSLATED REPORTED INFORMATION FROM VIETNAMESE. 4. (U) MOST UTMCOORDS IN THIS REPORT WERE OBTAINED FROM THE VIETNAM GAZETTEER. UTMCOORDS FOR MY HA, VIET LAP, TAN HUNG, AND VAN THANG WERE OBTAINED FROM A LOCALLY CREATED WORKING AID RO ROUTINELY USES WHEN PLACE NAMES ARE NOT IN THE GAZETTEER. 5. (U) ALTHOUGH THE INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS OF THIS REPORT ARE /.(b)(1) 1.4(c) UNCLASSIFIED .
QUIRES THIS REPORT TO BE CLASSIFIED Deleted as an CONFIDENTIAL. element of composite classification 6. (U) QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CONCERNING THIS REPORT SHOW Q fE DIRECTED TODIAI - ......
(b)(3)
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7. (U) SOURCE A IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR RECONTACT. ADMIN
CaLL: (u~ l"""""""""""""""", ~~~~~0~)7~:4~~' ::::::::::::::::::,.(b)(3) ACQ: (U) HANOI, VIETNAM (200~O.715f WARNING: (U) REPORT c~AssfF1ED e 0 }of FIB r:N 'f I A.L. . DRV FRoMDs"Co OCT 04. DECL: 26198883. BT #4940 6E39
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