With the collapse of South Vietnam, numerous boats and ships, Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) helicopters and some fixed-wing aircraft sailed or flew out to the evacuation fleet. [27] Forty-nine Americans, including dependents, were also left behind or chose to remain in Saigon. Pay tribute to a Vietnam War Hero past or present and hear the stories of Operation Frequent Wind and the Fall of Saigon from those who lived it. Among those arriving at the embassy were Phan Quang n, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for social welfare and refugee resettlement,[14] and Lieutenant-General ng Vn Quang. One condition of entry was that all the Vietnamese ships and their refugees had to be disarmed. As the War was coming to an end on April 29th to 30th, 1975, Operation Frequent Wind airlifted about 7100 at risk Vietnamese (to death from the Communist Viet Cong) and American civilians out of Sai Gon, the capital of South Viet Nam. [8], On 1 April an evacuation control center manned by U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force (USAF) and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) personnel began operating at the Defense Attach Office (DAO) compound on 12-hour shifts, increasing to 24-hour shifts the next day. The Marines on the rooftop had sealed the doors and were using Mace to discourage the crowd from trying to break through. It was called Operation Frequent Wind. In Operation Frequent Wind a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated by helicopter. [4], Although American officials at the highest levels of the intelligence community (e.g., CIA Director William Colby) were certain that the South Vietnamese government would collapse, everyone in the U.S. government underestimated the speed of the North Vietnamese advance during the 1975 Spring Offensive and how quickly the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) would collapse. More than 7,000 people were Non-subscribers can read five free Naval History articles per month. each carrying Marine, and Air Force (eight 21st Special Operations Squadron CH-53s and two 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron HH-53s[11]) helicopters. Hugh van Es believed that Miss Saigon misappropriated his photo and considered legal action against the show, but decided against it. It's a laundry ship". Join me as I look back 44 Years Earlier In 1973 Americas fighting in Southeast Asia ended, placing the combat burden against North Vietnam squarely on the shoulders of the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN). [10]:191192, The HMH-462 CH-53s loaded with evacuees and left the compound, they unloaded the first evacuees delivered by Operation Frequent Wind at 15:40. Aircraft flying air cover for the evacuation reported being tracked with surface to air radar in the vicinity of Bin Ha Air Base (which had fallen to the PAVN on 25 April), but there were no missile launches. Web12 likes, 0 comments - The Bee News (@thebeelivenews) on Instagram: "#TheFallOfSaigon On this day 1975 Vietnam War, US begins to evacuate its citizens from Saigon in" Out of fuel, the crew made an approach to the DE but saw that the last helicopter to land there had fouled her deck. [22] CH-46s evacuated the Battalion Landing Team by 07:00 and after an anxious wait a lone CH-46 Swift 2-2 of HMM-164[10] arrived to evacuate Major Kean and the ten remaining men of the Marine Security Guards, this last helicopter took off at 07:53 on 30 April and landed on USS Okinawa at 08:30.[21]. [21], Major Kean returned to the ground floor of the chancery and ordered his men to withdraw into a large semicircle at the main entrance to the chancery. As it hovered over her stern, dozens of passengers jumped into the waiting arms of bluejackets. The War that Would not End 1973-1975 (part 8), p. 186. http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.enCC0Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedicationfalsefalse. [10] At that time Major Kean estimated that there were still some 850 non-American evacuees and 225 Americans (including the Marines), and Ambassador Martin told Major Kean to do the best he could. [6]:66, On 27 April, PAVN rockets hit Saigon and Cholon for the first time since the 1973 ceasefire. [6], On 27 April, PAVN rockets hit Saigon and Cholon for the first time since the 1973 ceasefire. Except for the fleet deployment map, the photos are provided courtesy of USS Duluth shipmate Bob Cort, with our sincere appreciation. Desperate aircrews with ubiquitous Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters ferried families and friends to the flight decks of U.S. Navy warships. [21] Air America UH-1s began ferrying evacuees from other smaller assembly points throughout the city and dropping them on the Embassy's rooftop LZ. 45 years ago, the USS Midway was part of the largest humanitarian effort in naval history, a proud and patriotic accomplishment that will forever be ingrained in our history. Planning for the evacuation of the Americans and their South Vietnamese allies from South Vietnam had begun before April 1975. On 23 April President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines announced that no more than 2,500 Vietnamese evacuees would be allowed in the Philippines at any one time, further increasing the strain on MAC which now had to move evacuees out of Saigon and move some 5,000 evacuees from Clark Air Base on to Guam, Wake Island and Yokota Air Base. [33], The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog that Major Buang landed on USS Midway is now on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. They were the last American ground casualties in Vietnam. In the helicopter evacuation a total of 395 Americans and 4,475 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated from the DAO compound[10]:197 and a further 978 U.S. and 1,120 Vietnamese and third-country nationals from the embassy,[10]:201 giving a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third country nationals. Jacobs had to deliver Richard L. Armitage, a civilian on special assignment from the Secretary of Defense, to the Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN) Chief of Naval Operations flagship. Caption: 127-GVB-279-A150966: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975. The U.S. Embassy in Saigon was intended to only be a secondary evacuation point for embassy staff, but it was soon overwhelmed with evacuees and desperate South Vietnamese. Please rescue me. [20]:29. Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, before the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in the Fall of Saigon. His helicopter turned and hit the side of Blue Ridge before hitting the sea. They wanted me to take pets from the kids and throw the animals over the side. He instructed his executive officer to Tell the powers that be that the action is done, and then dont do a goddamn thing! Had he followed that order, I would have had a riot on my hands.. [10], It was not known whether the PAVN and/or the ARVN would try to disrupt the evacuation and so the planners had to take all possible contingencies into account to ensure the safety and success of the evacuation. Eligible evacuees now had to make themselves known to the Marine guards or embassy staff manning the walls and were then lifted over the walls and into the embassy compound. Did the Fletcher-class destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) deserve her reputation as a hard-luck ship? The Air America pilot shut down his helicopter and left it. The buses would follow one of four planned evacuation routes from downtown Saigon to the DAO Compound, each route named after a Western Trail: Santa Fe, Oregon, Texas, etc. In the event, air support was not needed as the North Vietnamese paused for a week at the outskirts of Saigon, possibly waiting for the South Vietnamese government to collapse and avoiding a possible confrontation with the U.S. by allowing the mostly-unopposed evacuation of Americans from Saigon. [21]:8. The SeaCobras could also serve as Forward Air Controllers. Operation [16] Japanese journalists, concerned that they would not recognize the tune, had to get someone to sing it to them. Events during the ships second western Pacific cruise, beginning in March 1975, indelibly marked her and her crew. The biggest problem occurred when the ARVN unit guarding the main gate at Tan Son Nhut refused to allow the last convoy of buses into the DAO Compound at about 17:45. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of The Kirk was one of 46 Knox-class destroyer escorts. View a collection of Operation Frequent Wind related videos to commemorate this historic event. WebStruck from the Naval Register, 15 August 2015 USS Durham earned three campaign stars for Vietnam War service and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Operation Frequent Wind or four campaign stars for the Vietnam Service Medal if the Armed Forces Medal is exchanged for the 18th Vietnam campaign, Operation Frequent Wind [6]:38[10]:178179, By late March, the embassy began to reduce the number of U.S. citizens in Vietnam by encouraging dependents and non-essential personnel to leave the country by commercial flights and on Military Airlift Command (MAC) C-141 and C-5 aircraft, which were still bringing in emergency military supplies. As there was no room for more than one small helicopter at a time, each was summarily dumped over the side after unloading. [6] President Ford, in an address to the American public on 11 April, promised to evacuate Vietnamese civilians of various categories. 21st SOS Frequent Wind and Mayaguez Incident gallery, Video clip: Footage of evacuation operations underway aboard USS Midway, including historic Cessna O-1 landing by VNAF pilot Major Buang, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Frequent_Wind&oldid=1152491702, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1975, 20th-century military history of the United States, United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Marine Corps, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Option 1: Evacuation by commercial airlift from, Option 2: Evacuation by military airlift from Tan Son Nhut and other South Vietnamese airports as required, Option 3: Evacuation by sea lift from Saigon port, Option 4: Evacuation by helicopter to US Navy ships in the, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 15:26. Please rescue me. [21] At the same time, General Carey met Admiral Whitmire to convince him to resume flights to the embassy despite pilot fatigue and poor visibility caused by darkness, fires and bad weather. The Anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind WebFind the perfect operation frequent wind stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Lawrence Chambers The ships rescue of tens of thousands of refugees was one of the greatest humanitarian missions in the history of the U.S. military.. Harnage leaned out of the Huey and helped approximately 15 evacuees board the Huey from the narrow helipad. On 2 May, Task Force 76, carrying the Operation Frequent Wind evacuees and 44,000 seaborne evacuees and the RVN Navy group set sail for reception centers in the Philippines and Guam.[8]. [35], On the afternoon of 29 April 1975, Hubert van Es, a Saigon-based photographer for United Press International, took the iconic photo of Operation Frequent Wind of an Air America UH-1 on a rooftop picking up Vietnamese evacuees. [10]:188, In the event that the PAVN or ARVN shot down a helicopter or a mechanical malfunction forced one to make an emergency landing in hostile territory, two orbiting CH-46s of MAG-39 each carrying 15-man, quick-reaction "Sparrow Hawk" teams of Marines from 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, from USS Blue Ridge, were ready to land and provide security enabling a search and rescue helicopter to pick up the crew. [6] In late March, two or three of these MAC aircraft were arriving each day and were used to evacuate civilians and Vietnamese orphans. In addition, military aircraft from Australia, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and other countries flew in to evacuate their embassy personnel. The sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor on 15 February 1898 was the pivotal event initiating the Spanish-American War. Hancock would be involved in both operations. [10], The HMH-462 CH-53s loaded with evacuees and left the compound, they unloaded the first evacuees delivered by Operation Frequent Wind at 15:40. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. [10]:195, At 19:30 General Carey directed that the remaining elements guarding the Annex be withdrawn to DAO headquarters (the Alamo) where the last of the evacuees would await their flight. [10]:182 This was the last USAF fixed-wing aircraft to leave Tan Son Nhut. The RVNAF pilots had been instructed after dropping off their passengers to ditch their helicopters and they would then be picked up by one of the ship's tenders. [6], At 03:30 on 29 April a PAVN rocket hit Guardpost 1 at the DAO Compound, instantly killing Marine Corporals McMahon and Judge. Martin told them that he would not tolerate any outward signs that the United States intended to abandon South Vietnam. The Kirk, later redesignated as a frigate (FF-1087), continued to serve until she was decommissioned on 6 August 1993. [28], While the operation itself was a success, the images of the evacuation symbolized the wastefulness and ultimate futility of American involvement in Vietnam. During the course of the operation an unknown number of RVNAF helicopters flew out of what remained of South Vietnam to the fleet. [10] With the evacuation of the landing control teams from the Annex and Alamo completed, General Carey ordered the withdrawal of the ground security forces from the DAO Compound around 22:50. But most of all, I will always remember their human decency and the deep compassion., Armitage said he envied the officers and men of the Kirk. Most of the Marines were inside the chancery when the crowds outside the embassy broke through the gates into the compound. The Air America pilot shut down his helicopter and left it. The 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (9th MAB), which was to supply helicopters and a security force for the evacuation, sent a delegation to consult with Ambassador Graham Martin on current plans on 12 April. Over the next two days, 7,000 official evacuees were flown from the embassy in Saigon and Tan Son Nhut Air Base outside the city to ships offshore. WebAs we approach the commemorative 45 th year of Operation Frequent Wind, I wanted to invite you all to take a look back with me, to the role of the Midways sister-in-arms for the evacuation of refugees during the fall of Saigon in April 1975the USS Hancock. In addition, Air America helicopters and RVNAF aircraft brought additional evacuees to the TF76 ships. The curtain of haze over Saigon so altered the diminished daylight that line of sight visibility was only a mile. [33], The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog that Major Buang landed on USS Midway is now on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. [10]:196 Between 19:00 and 21:00 General Carey transferred 3 platoons (130 men) of BLT 2/4 into the embassy compound to provide additional security and assistance for the embassy. Midway's commanding officer, Captain L.C. [6]:90 Finally at 10:51 the order was given by CINCPAC to commence Option 4; due to confusion in the chain of command, General Carey did not receive the execute order until 12:15. [21]:78, At 04:58 Ambassador Martin boarded a USMC CH-46 Sea Knight, call-sign Lady Ace 09 of HMM-165 and was flown to USS Blue Ridge. Sea Stories - Operation Frequent Wind [14], At 03:58, C-130E, #72-1297, flown by a crew from the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron, was destroyed by a 122mm rocket while taxiing to pick up refugees after offloading a BLU-82 at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. [6], At the same time as the aerial evacuation, tens of thousands of South Vietnamese fled towards TF-76 aboard junks, sampans, and small craft. [2]:92. One AC-119 gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching PAVN. Despite receiving sporadic PAVN AAA fire, USAF and USN aircraft made no attacks on AAA or SAM sites during the evacuation. USS Midway Museum [6]:103 At 00:30 on 30 April, thermite grenades, having been previously placed in selected buildings, ignited as two CH-53s left the DAO parking lot carrying the last elements of BLT 2/4. The Peoples Army of Vietnam was rapidly advancing and would soon threaten Saigon. [6] Between 04:30 and 08:00 up to 40 artillery rounds and rockets hit around the DAO Compound. In the helicopter evacuation a total of 395 Americans and 4,475 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated from the DAO compound[10] and a further 978 U.S. and 1,120 Vietnamese and third-country nationals from the embassy,[10] giving a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third country nationals. Operation Frequent Wind As they approached the helicopters had taken rifle and M-79 grenade fire from ARVN troops but without causing any apparent damage. In addition, military aircraft from Australia, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and other countries flew in to evacuate their embassy personnel. Guide to the Khanh Van Thi Nguyen Narrative on Operation Frequent Wind. [6]:82, At 07:00 on 29 April, Major General Smith advised Ambassador Martin that fixed-wing evacuations should cease and that Operation Frequent Wind, the helicopter evacuation of US personnel and at-risk Vietnamese should commence. The Kirks crew did what they could to repair those that were seaworthy and transfer people from others that were to be abandoned. During the fixed-wing evacuation 50,493 people (including 2,678 Vietnamese orphans) were evacuated from Tan Son Nhut. [10] At 23:40 Marines destroyed the satellite terminal, the DAO Compound's last means of direct communication with the outside world. As the imminent collapse of Saigon became evident, the U.S. Navy assembled Task Force 76 off the coast near Vng Tu to support a helicopter evacuation and provide air support if required. Operation Frequent Wind A C-130 Airborne Command and Control controlled all US air operations over land. and eight destroyer types for naval gunfire, escort, and area defense, including: The and carrier attack groups of Task Force 77 in the South China Sea provided air cover while Task Force 73 ensured logistic support. Vestibulum in bibendum neque. [21]:6 At the same time, General Carey met Admiral Whitmire to convince him to resume flights to the embassy despite pilot fatigue and poor visibility caused by darkness, fires and bad weather. At 11:30 PAVN tanks smashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace less than 1km from the embassy and raised the flag of the Viet Cong over the building; the Vietnam War was over. [17] Members of the police in Saigon had been promised evacuation in exchange for protecting the American evacuation buses and control of the crowds in the city during the evacuation. RVNAF Huey is pushed overboard from USS Midway. [6]:91 During their approach to the compound, Carey and Gray got a firsthand view of the PAVN's firepower as they shelled nearby Tan Son Nhut Airport with ground, rocket, and artillery fire. [6]:27 By 16 April, Alamo was complete: water, C-rations, petroleum, oil, and lubricants had been stockpiled; backup electricity generators had been installed; sanitary facilities were completed; and concertina wire protected the perimeter. In any case this effectively marked the end of the commercial airlift from Tan Son Nhut. During Operation Frequent Wind, 71 helicopters flew over 650 sorties between Saigon and elements of the Seventh Fleet off shore. [10], By 02:15 on 30 April one CH-46 and one CH-53 were landing at the embassy every 10 minutes. . Fall of Saigon In the spring of 1975, two years after the Paris Peace Accords ended U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, the North Vietnamese Army began moving toward Saigon. Please click a thumbnail to view the larger image. [27] Forty-nine Americans, including dependents, were also left behind or chose to remain in Saigon. [20], So many RVNAF helicopters landed on the TF76 ships that some 45 UH-1 Hueys and at least one CH-47 Chinook were pushed overboard to make room for more helicopters to land. [10], "Alpha" command group, two rifle companies, and the 81mm mortar platoon were deployed around the DAO headquarters building (the Alamo) and its adjacent landing zones. Hello, Midway Family! As they approached the helicopters had taken rifle and M-79 grenade fire from ARVN troops but without causing any apparent damage. [6]:2021 In late March, two or three of these MAC aircraft were arriving each day and were used to evacuate civilians and Vietnamese orphans. The ships could not enter under the RVN flag. Art Ritchie recalls: " [These are] some photos of the Hancock during the evacuation of Saigon in April of 1975. Major Kean was then ordered to withdraw his men into the chancery building and withdraw to the rooftop LZ for evacuation. At 11:30 PAVN tanks smashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace less than 1km from the embassy and raised the flag of the Viet Cong over the building; the Vietnam War was over. The U.S. Embassy in Saigon was intended to only be a secondary evacuation point for embassy staff, but it was soon overwhelmed with evacuees and desperate South Vietnamese. [21]:7 At 03:00 Ambassador Martin ordered Major Kean to move all the remaining evacuees into the parking lot LZ which was the Marines' final perimeter. Quisque ac eleifend tortor, vitae mattis leo. By 20:30 the last evacuees had been loaded onto helicopters. The fixed-wing evacuation was terminated and Operation Frequent Wind began. The four crew members estimated they received more than 500 rounds of 23-mm, 37-mm, and 57-mm fire in the space of one minute. Aircraft flying air cover for the evacuation reported being tracked with surface to air radar in the vicinity of Bin Ha Air Base (which had fallen to the PAVN on 25 April), but there were no missile launches. [6]:72 At 21:00 on 28 April Major General Homer D. Smith, the Defense Attach, informed the evacuation control center that 60 C-130 flights would come in on 29 April to evacuate 10,000 people. The code is: The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising. Operation Frequent Wind The SeaCobras could also serve as Forward Air Controllers. [40], In The Simpsons at the end of Episode 16 of Season 6, "Bart vs. Australia", the Simpsons are evacuated from the American Embassy as angry Australians gather outside in a scene reminiscent of Hubert van Es's famous photo. [6] Originally codenamed "Talon Vise", the operation was renamed "Frequent Wind" when the original codename was compromised. Homer asks the helicopter pilot if they are being taken to an aircraft carrier and is told that "the closest vessel is the USS Walter Mondale. The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed. The pilot of the stolen ICCS Huey had been told to ditch off the port quarter of the ship, but seemed reluctant to do so, flying around the ship to the starboard bow he jumped from his helicopter at a height of . [10]:197, 9th MAB intelligence photo of the DAO Compound with LZs marked, 9th MAB post-operation map of the DAO Compound and Air America Compound with LZs marked, A Marine provides security as helicopters land at the DAO Compound, Vietnamese evacuees board a CH-53 at LZ 39, Aerial reconnaissance photos of the destroyed DAO Headquarters building with Air America Compound in the foreground, On 25 April, 40 Marines from the 9th MAB on USS Hancock were flown in by Air America helicopters in civilian clothes to the DAO compound to augment the 18 Marine Security Guards assigned to defend the embassy; an additional six Marines were assigned to protect Ambassador Martin. [6] During their approach to the compound, Carey and Gray got a firsthand view of the PAVN's firepower as they shelled nearby Tan Son Nhut Airport with ground, rocket, and artillery fire. You will find some squadron reports that may help and photos with dates and dates and descriptions. [6] Also on 1 April, Plan Alamo was implemented to defend the DAO compound and its annex so it could serve as a holding area for 1,500 evacuees for five days. "operation frequent wind" +1975 do advanced search and select all possible types like web pages. [10] The plan for the evacuation included stationing buses and American civilian bus drivers at 28 buildings throughout metropolitan Saigon. At 07:00 the AC-119 was firing on PAVN to the east of Tan Son Nhut when it too was hit by an SA-7 and fell in flames to the ground. Scroll down to commemorate this event. April 30, 1975 marks the date of Operation Frequent Wind, one of the largest humanitarian rescues in naval history. and eight destroyer types for naval gunfire, escort, and area defense, including: The USSEnterprise and USSCoral Sea carrier attack groups of Task Force 77 in the South China Sea provided air cover while Task Force 73 ensured logistic support. WebUSS Duluth LPD-6 Operation Frequent Wind April 30, 1975 David Watson 8 subscribers 561 views 2 years ago The USS Duluth LPD-6 participated in Operation Frequent Wind on April 30, 1975. Hancock was lovingly called Hanna and Fightin' Hanna by the crew. [6]:118 Other helicopters dropped off their passengers and were then ditched into the sea by their pilots, close to the ships, their pilots bailing out at the last moment to be picked up by rescue boats. "[15] Frank Snepp later recalled the arrival of helicopters at the embassy while the song was playing over the radio as a "bizarre Kafkaesque time". The two enlisted crewmen survived, but the bodies of the pilots were not recovered. Major Kean advised that the LZ would be well lit and had vehicles moved around the parking lot LZ with their engines running and headlights on to illuminate the LZ. [20], At 11:00 the security situation at the Air America compound was deteriorating as General Carey did not wish to risk his Marines by extending his perimeter to cover the Air America compound (LZ 40), so all Air America helicopters from this time operated out of the tennis courts in the DAO Annex (LZ 35). [6]:70 C-130s leaving Tan Son Nhut reported receiving PAVN .51 cal and 37mm anti-aircraft (AAA) fire,[6]:7172 while sporadic PAVN rocket and artillery attacks also started to hit the airport and air base. Richard B. Anderson These altitudes were also high enough to avoid small arms and artillery fire. They quickly established an austere command post in preparation for the arrival of the Marine CH-53s and the ground security force. [6]:3031, With the cause of the crash still unknown, the C-5 fleet was grounded and the MAC airlift was reduced to using C-141s and C-130s. And if we dont get them or any part of them, theyre all probably going to be killed.. [6]:35, By late April, Air America helicopters were flying several daily shuttles from TF76 to the DAO Compound to enable the 9th MAB to conduct evacuation preparations at the DAO without exceeding the Paris Peace Accords' limit of 50 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam. [35], On the afternoon of 29 April 1975, Hubert van Es, a Saigon-based photographer for United Press International, took the iconic photo of Operation Frequent Wind of an Air America UH-1 on a rooftop picking up Vietnamese evacuees. More than 7,000 people were evacuated by helicopter from various points in Saigon. Five Decades After Evacuating The Embassy In Saigon [10], As part of the evacuation plan agreed with the DAO, Air America committed 24 of its 28 available helicopters to support the evacuation and 31 pilots agreed to stay in Saigon to support the evacuation; this meant that most helicopters would have only one pilot rather than the usual two. Operation Frequent Wind From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. WebIt was carried out on 2930 April 1975, during the last days of the Vietnam War. They were evacuated to Bangkok on 1 August 1976. "[15] Frank Snepp later recalled the arrival of helicopters at the embassy while the song was playing over the radio as a "bizarre Kafkaesque time". More than 7,000 people were evacuated by helicopter from various points in Saigon. USAF F-4s, F-111s and A-7s provided air cover during daylight, being replaced by AC-130s from the 16th Special Operations Squadron at night. The crowds prevented the use of buses for transporting evacuees from the embassy to the DAO Compound for evacuation, and the embassy gates were closed to prevent the crowd from surging through. [20] The scene was famously captured on film by Hubert van Es. [21], By the morning of 29 April, it was estimated that approximately 10,000 people had gathered around the embassy, while some 2,500 evacuees were in the embassy and consular compounds. Nulla vel risus et eros sollicitudin pulvinar et in odio. Marine corporals Charles McMahon and Darwin Judge, killed at the DAO compound, were the only members of US forces killed in action during the operation and they were the last US ground casualties in Vietnam.

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