[10] [20] This move created fuel problems for Air America as they no longer had access to the fuel supplies in their compound and at least initially they were refused fuel by the ships of TF76. [6] Between 04:30 and 08:00 up to 40 artillery rounds and rockets hit around the DAO Compound. : Operation Frequent Wind ship disposition 1975 - Recreated map.svg. In all, the Kirk rescued 200 refugees and two U.S. Marine pilots. After receiving permission from the airborne commander, the Wild Weasel marked the three 57-mm sites with an AGM-45 Shrike missile and took evasive action to escape the tracers coming in. [6] On 4 April, a C-5A aircraft carrying 250 Vietnamese orphans and their escorts suffered explosive decompression over the sea near Vng Tu and made a crash-landing while attempting to return to Tan Son Nhut; 153 people on board died in the crash. During the course of the operation an unknown number of RVNAF helicopters flew out of what remained of South Vietnam to the fleet. 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. The Kirks crew did what they could to repair those that were seaworthy and transfer people from others that were to be abandoned. The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed. [10] CH-46F Swift 1-4 of HMM-164 from USS Hancock flown by Captain William C. Nystul[31] and First Lieutenant Michael J. Shea[32] crashed into the sea on its approach to the ship after having flown a night sea and air rescue mission. There was an insert page which read: "Note evacuational signal. [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. 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. Taken with other categories of Vietnamese, the number quickly passed 200,000. At 15:00 the first CH-53s were sighted heading towards the DAO Compound at Tan Son Nhut. [21]:8. Hancock then took part in Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh on 12 April 1975 and Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon on 2930 April 1975. Two LZs were now available in the embassy compound, the rooftop for UH-1s and CH-46s and the new parking lot LZ for the heavier CH-53s. [6] 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. [20]:2425 A stolen Air America Bell 204 landed on Kirk, from where US Navy pilots flew it to Okinawa. Hancock would be involved in both operations. The evacuation of the embassy was completed at 07:53 on 30 April, but some Americans chose to stay or were left behind and some 400 third-country nationals were left at the embassy. We forgot them. A flotilla of 26 Republic of Vietnam Navy and other vessels concentrated off Long Sn Island southwest of Vng Tu with 30,000 sailors, their families, and other civilians on board. An embassy official said that more than five million dollars were being burned. During the fixed-wing evacuation 50,493 people (including 2,678 Vietnamese orphans) were evacuated from Tan Son Nhut. It's a laundry ship". Nam finibus, justo at commodo pellentesque, nunc diam molestie justo, vitae aliquam orci urna quis elit. After being struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 January 1995, she was sold to Taiwan on 29 September 1999, and she continues to serve as the ROCS Fen Yang (FF-934). WebAs the North Vietnamese continued to advance south, President Gerald R. Ford announced on April 3, 1975, that U.S. aircraft delivering supplies to Saigon would carry Vietnamese orphans to the United States on their return flights. 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. By 20:30 the last evacuees had been loaded onto helicopters. Pilots of other helicopters were told to drop off their passengers and then take off and ditch in the sea, from where they would be rescued. This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 09:46. Twenty-six ships of Task Force 76, including the Kirk, converged on the South China Sea for Operation Frequent Windthe evacuation of Saigon. Chambers ordered the flight deck crew to clear the landing area; in the process an estimated US$10 million worth of UH-1 Huey helicopters were pushed overboard into the South China Sea. Many vessels were in bad shape. Hugh van Es believed that Miss Saigon misappropriated his photo and considered legal action against the show, but decided against it. [10] This was the last USAF fixed-wing aircraft to leave Tan Son Nhut. It immediately turned toward the threatening radar and fifteen to twenty anti-aircraft weapons opened up on it and the F-4D. At 15:00 the first CH-53s were sighted heading towards the DAO Compound at Tan Son Nhut. During the fixed-wing evacuation 50,493 people (including 2,678 Vietnamese orphans) were evacuated from Tan Son Nhut. It's a laundry ship". They were the last American ground casualties in Vietnam. The code is: The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising. At the beginning of March, fixed-wing aircraft began evacuating civilians from Tan Son Nhat Airport through neighboring countries. On 28 April, Tan Son Nhut Air Base (next to the airport) came under artillery fire and attack from Vietnamese People's Air Force aircraft. Some, however, including the Kirk, still serve in foreign navies. The destroyer escort, accompanying the carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19), which had offloaded her combat wing in Pearl Harbor in exchange for the 25 helicopters of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463, arrived in the Gulf of Thailand on 11 April to join in the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. [6] 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. Armitage, a former Navy officer with three combat tours in Vietnam with the Brown Water Navy, later became Deputy Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration. [20] A stolen Air America Bell 204 landed on Kirk, from where US Navy pilots flew it to Okinawa. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. A C-130 Airborne Command and Control controlled all US air operations over land. The Pacific crossing was extraordinarily calm and peaceful. This will be followed by the playing of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. 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. She participated in "Operation Frequent Wind" during April 1975, rescuing many South Vietnamese refugees fleeing the conquest of Saigon by North Vietnamese communists. C-130 flights were stopped temporarily after the air attack but resumed at 20:00 on 28 April. The Kirk was one of 46 Knox-class destroyer escorts. More than 7,000 people were evacuated by helicopter from various points in Saigon. C-130 flights were stopped temporarily after the air attack but resumed at 20:00 on 28 April. They were evacuated to Bangkok on 1 August 1976. [10], 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. General Carey's threat to use the AH-1J SeaCobra helicopter gunships flying overhead may have played a role in the ARVN commander's decision. 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. At 10:00 Ambassador Martin confirmed General Smith's assessment and at 10:48 he contacted Washington to recommend Option 4, the helicopter evacuation. By mid-April, contingency plans were in place and preparations were underway for a possible helicopter evacuation. Ambassador Martin refused to accept General Smith's recommendation and instead insisted on visiting Tan Son Nhut to survey the situation for himself. Martin told them that he would not tolerate any outward signs that the United States intended to abandon South Vietnam. By and large, [t]he refugees were in pretty good shape. To commemorate the 45th Anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind and the Fall of Saigon, we invite you to enter the name of a Vietnam War veteran, past or present, along with a tribute message to honor their service. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Operation Frequent Wind". More than 7,000 people were [10]:201, During the demolition of the embassy, the metal staircase leading from the rooftop to the helipad was removed and sent back to the United States, where it is now on display at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. [25] [26] The South Korean civilians were evacuated in 1976, while General Rhee and two other diplomats were held captive until April 1980. All magazines and ready service lockers were emptied of their ammunition, which was dumped over the side. . [14]:30, At 17:00 the first CH-46 landed at the embassy. Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. 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.. One AC-119 gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching PAVN. Please rescue me. This meant that scattered clouds existed below their flight path while a solid layer of clouds more than two miles above their heads obscured the sun. This directive was subsequently reversed; some operators had ignored it anyway. AP Photo Option Four is code for Operation Frequent Wind, planned to be the biggest such evacuation in history, moving people to American navy ships off the coast. And if we dont get them or any part of them, theyre all probably going to be killed.. Once the deck was clear Major Buang approached the deck, bounced once and then touched down and taxied to a halt with room to spare. [36] [37] The building in the photo was the Pittman Apartment building at 22 Gia Long Street (now 22 L T Trng Street), which was used as a residence by various embassy, CIA, and USAID employees. During the course of the operation an unknown number of RVNAF helicopters flew out of what remained of South Vietnam to the fleet. Moments later a RVNAF UH-1H attempted to land on the helipad, locked rotors with the Air America Bell, almost pushing it overboard. You will find some squadron reports that may help and photos with dates and dates and descriptions. WebTo commemorate the 45th Anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind and the Fall of Saigon, we invite you to enter the name of a Vietnam War veteran, past or present, along with a tribute message to honor their service. [6] USAF aircraft operating out of Nakhon Phanom Air Base, Korat Air Base and U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand were also overhead for the duration of the helicopter evacuation. [6] The Hanoi leadership, reckoning that completion of the evacuation would lessen the risk of American intervention, had apparently instructed General Dng not to target the airlift itself. Do not disclose to other personnel. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. But there were other issueschief among them pets. Sporadic gunfire from around the embassy passed over the rooftop. The pilot then crashed the CH-47 into the sea and was rescued by the DEs whaleboat. Did the Fletcher-class destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) deserve her reputation as a hard-luck ship? The two enlisted crewmen survived, but the bodies of the pilots were not recovered. [6]:79 Between 04:30 and 08:00 up to 40 artillery rounds and rockets hit around the DAO Compound. [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. The sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor on 15 February 1898 was the pivotal event initiating the Spanish-American War. President Ford later called it "a sad and tragic period in America's history" but argued that "you couldn't help but be very proud of those pilots and others who were conducting the evacuation". [6]:92, The evacuation proceeded without interference from the PAVN. She was commissioned on 9 September 1972 at Long Beach, California. We are in the process of the refurbish of the airframe and interior. One, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, was too large to land on the destroyer escort. Please check back here for updates regarding this event or the reopening of the USS Midway Museum. 910 N. Harbor Drive Helicopters began to clog ship decks and eventually, some were pushed overboard to allow others to land. While in command of USS Midway during Operation Frequent Wind, Chambers gave the controversial order to push overboard millions of dollars' [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). 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. The airlift resulted in a number of enduring images. All Air America flights had ceased by 21:00. Others were not. The U.S. government was continuing to observe its obligations under the Accords, notwithstanding the North Vietnamese invasion. The Kirks legacy, however, is bound up in compassion and mercy; the little DE was an integral part of the rescue of tens of thousands of refugees. [38] Hubert van Es' photo is frequently used in political cartoons commenting on US foreign policy. When U.S. President Gerald Ford met with the National Security Council on 9 April 1975 he was told by Henry Kissinger that a maximum of 1.7 million people had been identified as possible evacuees and that these included: American citizens and their relatives, the diplomatic corps, the International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS), third-country nationals under contract by the U.S. government and the employees of the U.S. and their dependents (estimated at about 200,000 people).
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