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DE RUFHOL 2244 17/ 1727Z 
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TO RUFHJA/USBER~BERLIN

SS INFO ZEN/ AME~lBASSY MOSCOW A. DEC:LASSIFIEn· 
G RUEHCR/SECSTATE WASHDC uthority E:o. 11652 . 

SP 	By~' , SEC. 5(Ar and WE ,
RUFLC/CINCEUR
L 	' NARS, Date_ 4-.;i 7-/~
RUFPAG/USAREUR H RUFLUE/USELMLOBT '3 >-tc
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ACTION IrlMEDIATE BERLIN 181 INFO IMM.EDIATE MOSCOW 8 DAC C!NCEUR USAREUR USELMLO AUGUST 17, 6 PM. 
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SUBJECT: SHOOTING ON US PATROL IN EAST BERLIN
USIA 
NSC 

U LESS THE DEPARTMENT THINKS OTHERWISE, EMBASSY CONCURS WITH 
INR 
DESPATCH OF PROTEST OVER SHOOTING INCIDENT FROM CHARGE TO CIA A BASSADOR ABRASIMOVo SUBJECT .ro THE VIEWS OF USAREUR, WE NSA WOULD PREFER NOT REPEAT NOT TO DUPLICATE SUCH PROTEST BY 
PARALLEL CINC MESSAGE TO GSFG.
DOD 
NIC 

IF DECIDED UPON, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT FOLLOWING TEXT BE SUB·ITTED TO SQVIET EMBASSY, IN CHARGi'S NAM£ SOONEST. ·SIGNED 
RMR 
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PAGE 2 RUFHOL 2244 C 0 N F I D E T I A L 
LETTER WOULD THEREAFTER BE POUCHED: 

BEGIN TEXT 
ON AUGUST 16, AT APPROXIMATELY 1845 HOURS, A US MILITARY SEDAN WAS TURNING AROUND ON A DIRT ROAD SOUTH OF CECILIEN STRASSE IN THE VICINITY OF STADTRANDSIEDLUNG BIESDORF-NORD IN HE SOVIET SECTOR OF BERLIN. THIS ROAD IS NOT MARKED WITH ANY"RESTR!CTION SIGNS. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE us VEHI CLE os~ SERVED A SOVIET SOLDIER RUNNING TOWARDS THEIR VEHI CLE. THE SOVIET SOLDIER FIRED THREE SHOTS FROM HIS SUBMACHINE GUN AT THE US VEHICLE FROM A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 400 METERS. WHEN THE US VEHICLE HAD COMPLETED ITS TURN AND WAS PROCEEDI NG NORTHWARDS, THE SOVIET SOLDIER FIRED A BURST OF SHOTS AT THE 
US VEHICLE . . 
REPRODUCTION FROM THIS COPY IS __ ~~~=~~ALUNLESS "UNCLASSIFIED"
__:=®NFENTI=-..=--PROHIBITED 
-2-614, .t\UGUST 17, 6 PM, FROM BONN 
I ~~UST PROTEST THIS DANGEROUS AND UNJUSTIFIED ACTION BY A · , 
SOVIET SOLDIER, WHICH COULD HAVE HAD EXTREMELY SERIOUS CONSE -­QUENCES. IN THIS INSTANCE NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS OF THE US · 
ilILIT.o.RY SEDAN WAS INJURED • . I AM SURE YOU MUST REALI ZE, HOWEVER , 
THE GRAVITY WITH WHICH.. AMERICAN AUTHORITIES VIEW SUCH AN IN­
CIDENT. THESE OFFICIAL AMERICAN PERSONNEL WERE EXERCISING 
THEIR RIGHTS OF FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT WITHIN BERLIN. ·SOVIET 

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PAGE 3 RUFHOL 2244 € 0 F I D E N T I A t 
PERSON EL ENJOY THE. SAME RIGHTS IN THE THREE WESTERN. SECTORS. 
I LOOK TO YOU TO TAK~ APPROPRIATE .DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND TO 
I STITUTE MEASURES WILL PREVENT RECURRENCE OF SUCH INCIDENTS. 
G?4 HILLENBRAND. 
BT 

NOTE: 	ADVANCE DELIVERY TO S/S-0 AT 1:52 PM, 8/17/64. 
PASSED WHITE HOU~E AT 2 PM, 8/17/64 • 

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CONFIDENTIAL