Gia Lam
Warehouse and Airport
Background
There are two major airports in Hanoi: Noi Bai and Gia Lam. Gia Lam
is primarily a military field and, for many years, it served as the terminal for the entry
of Soviet and East European aid and advisors. There were Soviet bloc advisors who
lived at Gia Lam; their duties included: overseeing delivery of equipment and
material; training of Vietnamese; and, various coordination of training, aid, and
assistance to the NVA. US intelligence has extensive holdings on Gia Lam and on the
activities of Soviet bloc advisors there, even to the point of having had access to
receipts and documents signed by various advisors.
Garwood's Claim
Garwood claims that he saw five or six US POWs at the Gia Lam airport warehouse complex
who were stacking, loading, unloading, and generally handling material. He claims to
have seen them during the many trips he made to this facility between ( according to
Garwood ) 1973 and 1979, while he was located at Bat Bat. However, Garwood told the WSJ
that he departed Bat Bat for Gia Lam in the fall of 1973 and that he remained at Gia Lam
until 1975.
Garwood's claims in regard to having seen US POWs at Gia Lam vary widely. In some
cases, Garwood claims that he saw US POWs there once in 1978. At other times, he has
claimed to have seen US POWs at Gia Lam on several occasions between 1973 and 1979.
Analysis
US intelligence has extensive holdings on activities at and around Gia Lam, including
the activities of Soviet bloc advisors there. Much of the information held by US
intelligence comes from interviews with former North Vietnamese military personnel who
were stationed at Gia Lam or whose duties took them there frequently. These
individuals unanimously report on the presence of Soviet bloc advisors at Gia Lam but they
unanimously deny that any Americans were there at any time.
Vietnamese officials told US investigators that the Gia Lam warehouse area is a major
stocking and distribution facility for vehicle parts and that Soviet bloc advisors were
the only foreigners permitted there.
Conclusions
Garwood claims to have been at or to have visited
the Gia Lam warehouse area on several occasions. He likely did observe foreigners
there but they were Soviet bloc advisors, not US POWs.