Bat Bat Prison
Background
Bat Bat is a prison NW of Hanoi near the old Son Tay prison, the site of the 1970 US
raid. Garwood claims that he lived at or near Bat Bat for a period of time,
beginning shortly after he moved to North Vietnam in 1970. Garwood's stories on his
tenure at Bat Bat vary widely and US intelligence has yet to confirm exactly when he was
there. However, his description of the prison and the area around it are in concert
with what we know of the area, thus, it appears that he was there for some time.
Garwood has claimed to have lived at or near Bat Bat from late 1970 until 1975
and from late 1970 until the fall of 1973. He has not been able to
explain why he does not recall when he lived there.
Garwood's Claim
Garwood claims that he saw approximately 20 US POWs in the Bat Bat prison complex
during the summer and fall of 1973, after Operation Homecoming, Spring, 1973.
Analysis
American POWs were held in Bat Bat. It was the prison they referred to as
Tic-Tac-Toe because of the arrangement of buildings in the shape of a tic-tac-toe
field. All available intelligence on Bat Bat and the area around it, which is
extensive, concludes that all US POWs were moved from Bat Bat by early 1967.
There were Americans held in Bat Bat after 1973. They were:
- Two Americans, arrested while smuggling contraband into the southern coastal areas of
Vietnam. They were held in Bat Bat from some time in 1977 until their release
in December 1978.
- Arlo Gay, an American who lived in South Vietnam for many years as a commercial
fisherman, was arrested trying to flee Vietnam in April 1975. He was held in Bat
Bat, escaped on 10 July 1976, was recaptured in August, and then released on 21 September
1976.
- Several Americans who were arrested in the Central Highlands during the takeover of
South Vietnam in April 1975 were held for a short while at Bat Bat then released.
Conclusion
Because Garwood lived and worked around Bat Bat in the early 1970s, it is
probable that he saw or heard of the Americans who were incarcerated there after the
war. Garwood's claims to have seen Americans at Bat Bat
after Homecoming may be true. But, the Americans he saw there or knew were there
were not US POWs; instead, they were various civilians who were arrested, held at Bat Bat,
then later released.
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