50 years on from Fall of Saigon, East TN veterans look back on Vietnam War fallout
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — This week marks 50 years since the end of the controversial Vietnam War. On April 30, 1975, the capital of South Vietnam fell to North Vietnamese forces. Veterans remember watching as remaining Americans were evacuated and tanks moved into the capital.
Bill Robinson, a retired Air Force Captain and former prisoner of war, reflected on the events his commemorative coins represent. He shares the record as the longest-held enlisted POW in history, more than 7 years. The notorious Hanoi Hilton was his prison home beginning 60 years ago. He was released along with other POWs in March 1973.
Longest-held enlisted POW recounts how he stayed sane in captivity
Their return home ended American's military involvement in the unpopular Vietnam War. Then 25 months later, the end of April 1975, the South Vietnamese government collapsed. The capital fell into the hands of the North Vietnamese communist Army.
'Those images we saw were frightening,' Robinson said. 'We weren't prepared for the moment.'
A few years earlier, the war strategy on the ground shifted. American GIs trained the Army of South Vietnam to the fighting.
'The whole purpose of the last four years of the Vietnam War was to turn the war back over to the Vietnamese and let them fight their own war,' Robinson explained.
Full special: Vietnam – A Lost Generation
The South Vietnam Army battled their communist enemy for two years after American troops went home. Retired Air Force Captain Robinson was disheartened with the results.
'Essentially, Congress stopped the war by cutting off the funding and then expected it to be smooth,' he said.
'My friend and brother Bill Robinson, every time we meet, how can you not think about 7 and a half years of captivity and what they did?' said Vietnam veteran Pat Polis.
Polis was 19 years old when he was drafted. He went through Officer Candidate School at the age of 20 and served two tours with the Signal Corps in South Vietnam. Pat had been discharged for one year in 1975.
'We spent all those years and all that money. 58,000 lives, for what? For what?' Polis asked. 'Five of my OCS classmates are on the wall. Eight nurses are on the wall. Sixteen chaplains are on the wall. We spent all those years fighting, fighting so the south could be free. Then in 1975, what?'
When Robinson saw the pictures out of Vietnam, his emotions also centered on those who gave so much.
'We sacrificed our youth. All we got was criticism in our own country,' Robinson recalled.
There's was no bitterness in 1995 when Bill met the young woman who is pictured in his book 'The Longest Rescue.'
The Vietnam War 50 years later: A timeline of events
'That's the gorilla girl. She was 17 years old,' Robinson recalled while looking over photos. 'She participated in my capture and was used in the propaganda picture.'
A film documentary team arranged for Robinson to meet Kim Nguyen and her family at their home in North Vietnam.
'The war was over. It was time to put away the war things and work on peace,' Robinson said.
Ten years ago, Robinson was impressed with what he saw in South Vietnam when he returned with other veterans.
'They greeted us just like it was in '95. They greeted us with open arms. They were ready for Americans to come back.'
'I had no desire to come back' Vietnam vets make emotional return to battlefield
'I think the Vietnamese people appreciate what we did more than the American people did. That's sad,' Robinson said when asked about his reaction to the reception.
Polis is also left questioning the cost and sacrifice of the Vietnam War.
'What about all those lives? It wasn't just about all the money we spent there, but all those lives that we lost.'
For Robinson, it's the names on the Vietnam Wall in Washington DC that haunt him.
'I think about the 58,000 who gave their all without real appreciation,' he added.
Today, Saigon is known Ho Chi Minh City. It's modern city with a population of 10 million and a rapidly-developing economy. Throughout Vietnam, which has been a unified country for 50 years, April 30 is celebrated as a public holiday called 'reunification Day. Among the Vietnamese who fled 50 years ago, and many live in America, the week of April 30 is referred to as Black April, a reference some American veterans may agree with.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The move could add more uncertainty for American manufacturers, particularly the auto industry, which has been pushing for easier access. The Journal notes that the move gives China leverage down the line if tensions ratchet back up. From the report: In celebrating the agreement early Wednesday, President Trump noted "any necessary rare earths will be supplied, up front, by China." He did not mention any time limit on loosening those restrictions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in testimony before Congress on Wednesday, painted Wednesday's agreement as an incremental step on the longer road to a more comprehensive trade deal. "A trade deal today or last night was for a specific goal, and it will be a much longer process," he told a House committee. When asked if current US tariff levels on Chinese imports would not change again, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC, "You can definitely say that." "We're in a great place with China," Lutnick said Wednesday. While the US-China truce framework is awaiting final word from US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lutnick added, "Both sides are really positive." The agreement is largely viewed as reestablishing the "handshake" that US and Chinese officials reached in Geneva last month, as details on a larger trade pact remain scant. Trump posted on social media this morning that the US has imposed 55% tariffs on China, a number that does not include any new tariffs but instead comprises some preexisting tariffs, Trump's fentanyl tariffs, and 10% "Liberation Day" tariffs. Lutnick touted that, as a result of the two-day talks, the US will gain access to rare earths and magnets, while the Chinese delegation sought to remove the US's export controls. He added that the trade deficit remains an ongoing issue, stating, "We're going to examine how China can do more business with us." 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LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!" A variety of market observers quickly weighed in hours after Tuesday evening's unveiling to suggest that the deal may not have a lot of meat on the bones — but at least relations are no longer moving in the wrong direction. The talks perhaps underscored how unlikely a comprehensive trade deal is anytime soon, noted AGF Investments Greg Valliere, "but at least relations may not worsen as talks continue throughout the summer." Both sides promised additional talks in the weeks or months ahead, but none have yet been scheduled. Veronique de Rugy, a professor at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, suggested the talks continued to show China's leverage. "China is hurting, yes—but they still hold the upper hand on critical resources, and they know how to use them." Any lessening of tensions — and freer flow — of these mineral resources in China would be a significant boost to the global economy with China holding outsized leverage in both the reserves and processing capacity of these key building blocks for everything from computers to electric vehicle batteries to medical devices. Likewise, the US offering concessions on export controls would be a significant move after years where successive US administrations have wielded these controls — especially around the design and manufacture of semiconductors — by saying they need to be tight on China for national security reasons. Read more here. May's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report will be released on Wednesday and its expected to show that prices rose a bit faster than in April. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal breaks down what to look out for and how President Trump's tariffs are impacting what consumers are now paying for goods and services. Read more here. Now that the US-China trade truce is back on track, both sides are keen to ensure it stays that way. China's Vice Premier He Lifeng said both sides need to now 'show the spirit of good faith in abiding by their commitments and jointly safeguard the hard-won results of the dialogue.' Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Despite the US-China trade truce resuming the pain from President Trump's tariffs remains in China, especially among small exporters. Reuters reports: Read more here. Japan warned Wednesday that tariffs threaten its economic growth, the government said in a monthly report. Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. Reuters reports: Read more here. A federal appeals could said on Tuesday that President Trump's sweeping tariffs can continue for now. This is a significant win for Trump, who introduced tariffs back in March and declared "Liberation Day," as he saw them as a way to free the US from what he called unfair trade practices. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Early summer sales for Inditex, the owner of fashion retailer Zara, came in weaker, as the company missed expectations for first quarter sales on Wednesday. President Trump's tariffs have impacted consumer demand in the US and other major markets. Reuters reports: Read more here. After weeks of back and forth, the US and China have agreed on a framework to implement the Geneva consensus that helped ease tariffs. The breakthrough came after two days of talks in London, including a marathon session on Tuesday. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said both sides had to "get the negativity out" before making progress. 'Now we can go forward to try to do positive trade, growing trade,' he said. As part of the deal, Beijing has promised to speed up shipments of rare earth metals, a crucial component for global auto and defense industries. Washington will ease export controls. This marks the first sign of movement on key issues. The proposal will now be presented to President Trump and China's Xi. Still, the discussions also did little to resolve a long-standing issue: China's trade surplus with the US. 'Markets will likely welcome the shift from confrontation to coordination,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo Markets. 'We're not out of the woods yet — it's up to Trump and Xi to approve and enforce the deal.' The meeting was set up after a phone call between the two leaders, following weeks of each side accusing the other of breaking the Geneva commitments. Both countries had used chips, rare earths, student visas and ethane as bargaining tools. Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor at East China Normal University, said trust, not money, has been the biggest casualty of the trade war. 'We've heard a lot about frameworks,' he said. 'But the fundamental issue remains: Chips versus rare earths. Everything else is a peacock dance.' Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
