Latest news with #OperationFrequentWind
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Iowa veteran credited with ending the Vietnam War 50 years ago shares his story
DES MOINES, Iowa — This year marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. On Wednesday, Iowans came together for the annual Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. They gathered at the Iowa Vietnam War Memorial on the State Capitol grounds where the names of 868 Iowans who died in service are listed for all to remember. A decorated helicopter pilot who is credited with 'ending' the war in Vietnam shared his story. 'This is very emotional for me. And I grew up about three miles away from here over on 20th street. So, it was a, uh. This is special. Very special,' said Gerry Berry, a retired Marine Corps Colonel. The Des Moines native holds a special place in history given his role in Operation Frequent Wind, the U.S. military's evacuation of Saigon in the final days of the war. 'This is Lady Ace 09. We're here to get the ambassador,' Berry remembered saying the day he was tasked with evacuating Ambassador Graham Martin. Instead of completing his mission in one trip, Berry was told the Ambassador wasn't ready to go. More than 18 hours later, he was one of only two pilots still making evacuation runs. With tanks from the North Vietnamese rolling in, he knew time was running out. Vietnam Veterans mark 50 years since the war ended 'Go tell the Ambassador that Lady 09 is not leaving the roof until he's on board. And then in my best aviator voice, I said, the President sends. I have no authority to do that, but I did it anyway,' said Berry. Ordered out of Saigon, not by the President or the Secretary of State or the Admiral of the Navy. 'I always tell people, no, he was ordered out by that roguishly handsome global soldier, the sea captain Gerry Berry from Des Moines, Iowa. So that's how I ended our involvement in Vietnam,' he explained. Ending a war and fulfilling a duty to his country, yet never forgetting the sacrifice of so many others. 'What I would like never forget is that we had a tremendous amount of anti-war protesters. We had people burning their draft cards. But I'll tell you, we still had that loyal Americans who went to fight for their government and did what they were told. And I think we should always appreciate those who are willing to serve. So, it's a little different. The Vietnam war was very different from everything else we've had,' said Berry. The husband, father, and grandfather has dozens of medals from his two tours of duty. From three Distinguished Flying Crosses, 46 Air Medals, two single-mission Air Medals, the list goes on. As Berry returns home to Iowa this time, he can't help feeling a little more sentimental as he marks a milestone to the end of the Vietnam War. 'It's gone too fast, I think, and I look back and think, how could it go that fast?' Before he returns to Florida, Berry has one more stop this week in Iowa. He will visit the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown where the majority of the residents are fellow Vietnam veterans. Iowa News: Bison baby boom! New stars bring visitors flocking to Neal Smith NWR Iowa veteran credited with ending the Vietnam War 50 years ago shares his story Iowa lawmaker believes DCI geofenced State Capitol to prep for sports betting investigation Vietnam Veterans mark 50 years since the war ended Iowa House lawmakers send state Medicaid work requirements governor's desk Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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First Post
03-05-2025
- General
- First Post
Five decades after the Fall of Saigon: Wounds of war and hard lessons for the world
The Vietnam War's aftermath still impacts the US, Vietnam, and the wider world, and despite the hard lessons, violent conflicts continue to erupt—many unnecessary, some partly justified, but all costly read more Vietnamese troops march during a parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, April 30, 2025. REUTERS/Minh Nguyen At 7:53 am on April 30, 1975, a Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter evacuated the last Marine security guards from the roof of the US Embassy in Saigon. Master Sergeant Juan Valdez was the last Marine to board. Valdez had previously served a long tour of duty in Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. A CIA officer helps evacuees up a ladder onto an Air America helicopter at 22 Gia Long Street on April 29, 1975. Image: Wikimedia Commons Later that day, around 10:00 am, Saigon fell to the communist armies of North Vietnam—just two years after the Paris Peace Accords and the withdrawal of American forces from South Vietnam. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Operation Frequent Wind This final evacuation flight was part of Operation Frequent Wind—arguably the world's largest helicopter evacuation—which airlifted 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third-country nationals out of Saigon on April 29 and 30, 1975. The evacuation marked the final retreat of the US from Saigon, 20 years after the arrival of the first US advisors in South Vietnam and nearly three years after the last US combat troops had exited the country. This final, chaotic, and terrifying scene represented a deeply humiliating moment for the US—a nation that had never previously lost a war. Story in This Piece This article traces the history of the Vietnam War, the damage it inflicted on the perception of US invincibility, and the massive loss of life on both sides. It concludes with reflections relevant to today's ongoing conflicts in Europe (Russia–Ukraine war), the Middle East (Israel–Hamas war), and across Africa. A War Reporter Reports Among the foreign journalists who witnessed the collapse of Saigon was Loren Jenkins, a Newsweek reporter at the time (later with NPR's foreign desk), who documented the final hours of the US presence in Vietnam. In a recent NPR interview, Jenkins stated: 'It was a stupid war. Never should have been waged. It was vicious, nasty to everybody—to the Americans who were sent to fight it and to the poor Vietnamese who were bombed.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Futility of Invasion As Jenkins rightly noted, it was an unwanted and futile war with no true victors. It became a permanent stain on the image of the world's greatest superpower. Though America considered Operation Frequent Wind a logistical success, it was, in essence, a colossal failure. The chaotic evacuation—with people scrambling for flights to safety—evoked haunting parallels to the Kabul airport crisis in August 2021, following the Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan. In both Saigon (April 30, 1975) and Kabul (August 15, 2021), many eligible evacuees were left behind. But the clearest lesson from the disordered evacuation was the fundamental futility of America's initial involvement in Vietnam. Vietnam Celebrates Wednesday, April 30, marked fifty years since America's ignominious final retreat in what the world remembers as the 'Fall of Saigon' and what Vietnam celebrates as the end of the 'American War'. The anniversary was marked in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), now a thriving metropolis of nine million, with a grand parade featuring soldiers, dancers, and leaders' speeches praising what the country's communist leadership called 'the triumph of justice'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From Friends to Foes After World War II, many Vietnamese admired the US for helping to repel the Japanese. Even Ho Chi Minh, the nationalist and communist revolutionary, initially leaned pro-American. But through the tenures of five US presidents, that relationship soured, eventually culminating in a brutal war between the two nations. Prelude to the War Why did the war begin at all? Vietnam was thousands of miles from American shores, and many Americans couldn't even locate it on a map. Yet, driven by fears over the spread of communism, the US got involved. In 1947, President Harry S Truman declared that American foreign policy would assist any country whose stability was threatened by communism. Soon after, fearing Vietnam would follow a similar path, Truman sent military advisors, transport planes, and jeeps as part of a multimillion-dollar aid package. That marked the beginning of America's deepening involvement in Vietnam. The War Begins In 1954, the French suffered a catastrophic defeat at Dien Bien Phu, ending their colonial rule in Vietnam. President Eisenhower, Truman's successor, was initially hesitant about involvement, especially after the Korean War. He noted in his diary, 'I am convinced no military victory is possible in that kind of theatre.' Yet, he persisted due to his belief in the 'domino theory'—that if one country fell to communism, its neighbours would follow. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Vietnam was partitioned: Ho Chi Minh controlled the North, while US-backed Ngo Dinh Diem ruled the South. Eisenhower strongly supported the authoritarian Diem, and before the end of his presidency, open conflict broke out between Diem's forces and the Viet Cong—South Vietnamese communist insurgents supported by the North. Both sides engaged in brutal tactics, including torture and political assassinations. Thus, the Vietnam War escalated, and the US was drawn deeper into the conflict. Escalation Until President Kennedy's assassination, US involvement remained relatively limited. But that changed drastically in August 1964, when the Gulf of Tonkin incident prompted Congress to grant President Lyndon B Johnson sweeping war powers. With the South Vietnamese government on the brink of collapse, Johnson deployed US combat troops in early 1965 and launched a relentless bombing campaign—Operation Rolling Thunder—that would continue for years. The draft call surged, and by 1967, nearly 500,000 American troops were deployed in Vietnam. That same year, anti-war protests erupted across US cities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A Tale of Five Presidents It's striking that five American presidents—Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon—oversaw the Vietnam War. Privately, each expressed doubts about the war's purpose and viability. Yet none wanted to be remembered as the one who 'lost Vietnam to the communists'. Collateral Damage The Vietnam War ended in early 1973, after nearly eight years of combat and the deaths of almost 60,000 American soldiers. It also claimed the lives of over three million Vietnamese civilians and soldiers. Beyond the human toll, America suffered a staggering loss of credibility, capped by the humiliating images of evacuation from the US Embassy rooftop. Unwarranted Fifty years later, public opinion still reflects the war's unpopularity. A recent Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll found the Vietnam War to be the least-supported major American conflict of the past century. Among Vietnam veterans, 46 per cent said it wasn't justified, while 41 per cent believed it was. Among the general public, 44 per cent said it wasn't justified, 29 per cent said it was, and about 27 per cent were unsure. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Stubborn Wound While Americans mourn the fall of Saigon, few believe staying longer would have changed the outcome. The Vietnam War lasted nearly 15 years, cost $140 billion, and claimed 58,220 American lives—yet ended in defeat. As The New York Times observed on the 50th anniversary, 'The Vietnam War became a stubborn wound in American life.' Vietnam Today While the war remains a lingering wound in America, Vietnam has rebuilt. Despite losing over three million people, the country has moved on. With a 6 per cent GDP growth rate and nearly $5,000 per capita income, Vietnam is now a top-10 US trading partner, with $49 billion in two-way trade—though the US faces a $23 billion trade deficit. Fifty years after unification, Vietnam remains a one-party communist state, yet it is relatively prosperous. Ironically, Vietnam is again being courted—by both America and China. But it cannot choose just one; it needs both. Time to Learn the Hard Lessons STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD War has been part of human civilisation since the beginning. But it inflicts immense suffering on nations and innocent civilians. Every year, Vietnam remembers its dead and celebrates how it defeated the French, the Americans, and ultimately the South Vietnamese. For America, the fall of Saigon triggered a period of soul-searching that redefined how the nation viewed its global role. Still, that reflection did not stop America from entering more wars—some overt, some covert. The Vietnam War's aftermath still impacts the US, Vietnam, and the wider world. And despite the hard lessons, violent conflicts continue to erupt—many unnecessary, some partly justified, but all costly. Make no mistake: in today's world, where conflict is widespread, humanity remains the ultimate loser. The only winners are the arms manufacturers. It is time to reject war and embrace peace and harmony. The author is a multi-disciplinary thought leader with Action Bias and an India based impact consultant. He is a keen watcher of changing national and international scenarios. He works as President Advisory Services of Consulting Company BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fall of Saigon, rise of Vietnam
AP photo At 7.53am on April 30, 1975, a US Marine Corps chopper made its final frantic flight out of Saigon , carrying the last US soldiers on Vietnamese soil. ' Operation Frequent Wind ' – named in an agony of flatulence, maybe – had ended with the safe removal of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 others from the besieged city over 30-odd hours. And with it, America's disastrous intervention in 'Nam. It's been 50 years, the world has moved on, and there are no new Vietnam ballads – 'I had a brother at Khe Sanh/ Fightin' off the Viet Cong/ They're still there, he's all gone.' Which is why a recap now is timely. What was the Vietnam war all about? Nothing really. In the words of a former US Senate majority leader, it was 'one of the most tragic, if not the most tragic, episodes in American history. It was unnecessary, uncalled for, it wasn't tied to our security or a vital interest.' But it was sold to Americans as a fight against communism. Dwight Eisenhower (US president 1953-61) pushed the 'Domino Theory', essentially that if one country turned communist, its neighbours could follow. So how did America get sucked into it? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo Vietnam became a French colony in 1858, the same year that India came under the British Crown. But France's grip weakened when the Nazis defeated it in 1940. When WW-II ended in Aug 1945, Vietnam's communist leader Ho Chi Minh declared independence. The French were in no mood to give up, although the US under Franklin Roosevelt said no. They retook Saigon – now called Ho Chi Minh City – with some British help, and the First Indochina War with the communists started. Where's the American connection? America grew alarmed when China also turned communist in 1949. Vietnam lies directly to the south of China's Yunnan province. Mongolia and Russia above China were communist too. The map looked dreadful to the West. So, on May 8, 1950, America announced aid for the French, and wasted $4bn by the time of their defeat at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954. With the French out of the picture, it became America's war. Why did it go so badly for the Yanks? Vietnamese on both sides of the 17th parallel – line dividing areas controlled by Ho Chi Minh and the French/Americans – wanted an end to colonialism. While American money brought prosperity to Saigon city in the south, the countryside was sympathetic to the nationalists. American troops had been drafted – 'they put a rifle in my hand/ Sent me off to a foreign land/ To go and kill the yellow man' – and sent to fight a meaningless war that had diminishing support at home. Although Americans exited completely on April 30, 1975, they had started withdrawing in June 1969, when 541,000 US troops were on the ground. By March 29, 1973 – eight years and 22 days after it joined the fight – America had withdrawn its combat troops. Only a few thousand personnel stayed behind in Saigon to assist the South Vietnamese against the North. So, how much did the war cost America? At least 58,200 men killed, over 303,000 wounded, more than $150bn in 1975 dollars, and thousands of psychologically scarred 'veterans'. Travis Bickle, the protagonist in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, is a Vietnam vet. As for the Vietnamese, over a million dead on Ho Chi Minh's side, and about 200,000 in the South, plus millions of wounded. That's after 90% of the 7.5mn tonnes of airdropped bombs missed their target. What happened after America withdrew? Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City. Govt took over farming and factories – Coca-Cola had left behind five – and entrepreneurs fled. Communist China briefly invaded Vietnam, and Vietnam invaded communist Cambodia, its western neighbour, and nearly bankrupted itself. So much for the brotherhood of nations. The food crisis and the US embargo made life so hard that the communist party in 1986 did a rethink. Why not remain communist in name, like China, keeping people on a tight leash, but allowing market forces to work? Maybe, even cosy up to America. How did things pan out after the change? Economically, very well. America lifted its trade embargo in 1994, but it was only a formality, judging by the fact that Pepsi rolled out its first lot of bottled-in-Vietnam drinks seven hours – that's right – after the ink dried. 'Su Lua Chon Cua The He Moi' – The Choice of a New Generation – its advertising said. Coke returned officially a few weeks later with the greeting 'Vui Mung Gap Lai Cac Ban' – Good to See You Again. Vietnam now makes half of Nike's shoes. It exports $52bn worth of Samsung phones. Per capita income is higher than India's. It's an export powerhouse. With a GDP of $429bn – about one-ninth of India's – it exported $137bn worth of goods to America, as against $90bn worth of goods from India. The $124bn trade deficit is why Trump slapped a 46% 'reciprocal' tariff on Vietnam. But for all its economic success, Vietnam remains a one-party state with no direct elections. There's 'systemic suppression of citizens' basic rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, movement, and religion,' according to Human Rights Watch. The Communist Party 'severely punishes anyone who challenges its monopoly on power'. Why should you care? As the crow flies, Aizawl is a lot closer to Hanoi than Jaisalmer. So, Vietnam is practically in our neighbourhood. And it feels threatened by China, which is why, like India, it kept Huawei out of its 5G network. Territorial disputes between Vietnam and China have repeatedly occurred since 1974. Meanwhile, in 2016, India and Vietnam raised their bilateral ties to the level of a 'comprehensive strategic partnership'. On the business front, mutual trade is limited to around $15bn, but India has invested $2bn in Vietnam. Also, both countries are fast-growing economies, wooing investors looking to shift some production out of China. That makes us natural allies, and competitors. Haven't you been there yet? The Thai baht is 2.5 times stronger than the Indian rupee, but the Vietnamese dong is a lot weaker, which makes Vietnam a good travel destination for Indians. Last year, more than five lakhIndians visited the country, and the increase in weekly flights – 74 currently – makes travelling easier. While cuisine and sightseeing are major draws, Vietnam's ancient ties with India are also a reason to visit. Buddhism is a major religion, of course, but the Cham dynasty built several Hindu temples that have survived the war and general decay.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
50 years later: Refugee shares her story of survival as USS Midway crucial in rescuing thousands after Fall of Saigon
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — All week, people across the country and in San Diego are remembering the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. The USS Midway took part in one of its most daring missions in history, Operation Frequent Wind, and became the first stop to freedom for more than 3,000 Vietnamese refugees that began April 29, 1975. USS Midway Museum commemorates 50th anniversary of Fall of Saigon The USS Midway was stationed off the coast of Vietnam during that time. 'My dad said, 'let's go, get ready,'' recalled Stephanie Dinh. Dinh fled South Vietnam on that day with her five siblings and parents. Her father was part of the South Vietnamese Army and when word broke that Saigon was about to fall to the North Communist forces, she and her family were among thousands fleeing their homeland with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. 'I had three very close friends. It's very hard as kids and you feel you want to tell them, 'I might never see you again,' said Dinh. Veteran returns to Vietnam, finds peace with former enemy She and her family escaped on a helicopter and landed on the flight deck of the USS Midway where she and other evacuees were fed and treated with medical care. 'It was complete pandemonium,' said USS Midway Museum Historian, Karl Zingheim, of the pilots that were fleeing with families crammed inside their cabins. 'None of them had been trained on shipboard operations, so how are you going to handle people you probably can't talk to on the radio. There's no air traffic control. They've got helicopters that are dangerously overloaded,' he said. The Midway crew stopped at nothing to clear the flight deck and accept as many helicopters as possible, including a pilot who crammed his family of seven into a small Cessna and showed up the following day asking the crew to clear the deck of helicopters so he could land. Full special: Vietnam – A Lost Generation Dinh recalls the crew pushing helicopters into the water with their bare hands so they could create space for him to land his family. 'I saw them pushing them over the flight deck. I saw them floating and they sink really fast. I said wow, what is this, what is going on? And I hear all this screaming and yelling on the flight deck and here comes another one after another one and then here comes a plane coming in,' Dinh said. That safe landing would become a symbol of courage and hope for so many Vietnamese families as they started a new life. 'Every time I see the ship I kind of relive that day when it was out there waiting for us,' said Dinh. 'I don't look back. This is my country. I move forward, and I repay what they have given me.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
30-04-2025
- General
- CNN
US officers who broke rank to save lives recall the fall of Saigon 50 years ago
As servicemen aboard the US Navy aircraft carrier dumped millions of dollars of military hardware into the South China Sea, the commander chose not to watch. Capt. Larry Chambers knew his order to push helicopters off the flight deck of the USS Midway could cost him his military career, but it was a chance he was willing to take. Above his head, a South Vietnamese air force major, Buang-Ly, was circling the carrier in a tiny airplane with his wife and five children aboard and needed space to land. It was April 29, 1975. To the west of where the Midway was operating, communist North Vietnamese forces were closing in for the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, which the US had supported for more than a decade. Buang feared his family would pay a terrible price if captured by the communists. So, he jammed his family aboard the single-engine Cessna Bird Dog he found on minor airstrip near Saigon, headed out to sea – and hoped. And luckily Buang ran into another 'idiot,' as Chambers puts it. 'I figured, well, if he's brave enough or dumb enough to come out and think some other idiot is going to clear the deck (of a US Navy aircraft carrier) of a whole bunch of helicopters to give him a personal runway to land on …' Chambers told CNN, with a chuckle and a scratch of his head as if still not believing the crazy episode. The Midway's deck was crowded with helicopters that Tuesday because it was assisting in Operation Frequent Wind, the helicopter evacuation of Saigon. Some 7,000 South Vietnamese and Americans would make their way onto US Navy ships on April 29 and 30 in frenzied escapes from Saigon. Some 2,000 of them found their way onto Midway. But few could rival the drama of the family of seven in that two-seat Cessna. Buang had no radio and so the only way to let the captain of the Midway know he needed help was to drop a handwritten note onto its deck as he flew overhead. Several attempts failed before finally one found its mark. 'Can you mouve [sic] these Helicopter to the other side, I can land on your runway, I can fly 1 hour more, we have enough time to mouve. Please rescue me, Major Buang wife and 5 child,' it read. Capt. Chambers had a choice to make: clear the deck as Buang requested; or let him ditch in the ocean. He knew the aircraft, with its fixed landing gear, would flip over once it hit the water. Even if it held together, flipping would doom the family to drowning. He couldn't let that happen, he said, even though his superiors did not want the small aircraft to land on the carrier. Neither did the Midway's air boss, who ran flight deck operations. 'When I told the air boss we're going to make a ready deck (for the small plane), the words he had to say to me I wouldn't want to print,' Chambers said. Chambers said he ordered all of the ship's 2,000-person air wing up to the deck to prepare to receive the small plane and turned his ship into the wind to make a landing possible. Crewmen pushed helicopters – worth $30 million by some accounts – off the deck. American, South Vietnamese, even CIA choppers splashed into the waves. Chambers still doesn't know exactly how many. 'In the middle of chaos, nobody was counting,' he said. And he wasn't looking. Because he was disobeying the orders of his superiors in the US fleet, he knew his decision could land him a punishment that included being kicked out of the Navy. 'I knew that I was going to have to face a (court martial) board. And I wanted to be able to say, even with the lie detector, that I didn't know how many we actually pushed over the side,' Chambers told CNN, explaining his decision not watch as his orders were executed. 'So that was my defense. It was kind of a stupid idea at the time, but at least it gave me the confidence to go ahead and do it.' With enough space cleared, Buang touched down on the Midway. Crewman grabbed onto the light plane with their bare hands to make sure it wasn't blown off the deck in the strong winds coming across it. The rest of the crew cheered. 'He's probably the bravest son of a bitch I've run into in my whole life,' said of Buang, adding that the South Vietnamese pilot was trying save his family by landing on an aircraft carrier – something he'd never done before – in a plane not designed for that. 'I was just clearing the runway for him … that's all you can do.' And life came before hardware, he said. 'We do the best we can saving human lives. That's the only thing you can do.' The fall of Saigon brought the final curtain down on a grinding conflict that unleashed devastation across the region, cost more than 58,000 American and millions of Vietnamese lives, saw the might of US military power fought to a bloody stalemate and triggered huge social unrest at home. The 50th anniversary on Wednesday will trigger complex and mixed emotions for those who lived through it. For Vietnam's government, still run by the same Communist Party that swept to victory, it will be a week of huge parades and celebrations, officially known as 'Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day.' For those South Vietnamese who had to flee, many of whom settled in the US, the anniversary has long been dubbed 'Black April.' For US veterans, it will once again raise the age-old question – what was it all for? Chaos ruled Saigon in the last week of April 1975. Though more than a decade of US military involvement in the Vietnam War had officially ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam in January 1973, the deal didn't guarantee an independent state in the South. The administration of US President Richard Nixon had pledged to keep up military aid for the government in Saigon, but it was a hollow promise that would not last into the era of his successor Gerald Ford. Americans, tired of a divisive war that had cost so many lives and hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars, were broadly unsupportive of the South Vietnamese regime. In early March 1975, North Vietnam launched an offensive into the South that its leaders expected would lead to the capture of Saigon in about two years. Victory would come in two months. On April 28, North Vietnamese forces attacked Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon, making an evacuation by airplane impossible. There was no other place in the city that could handle large aircraft. With helicopter evacuation the only option, Washington launched Operation Frequent Wind. When Bing Crosby's seasonal classic 'White Christmas' played over the radio, that was the signal for Americans and select Vietnamese civilians to go to designated pickup spots to be airlifted out of the city. More than 100 helicopters, operated by the US Marine Corps, the US Air Force and the CIA, would deliver evacuees to US Navy ships waiting offshore. While Capt. Chambers was making command decisions at sea, American helicopter pilots were doing so above Saigon. Marine Corps Maj. Gerry Berry flew from a US ship offshore to Saigon 14 times during the evacuation, the last of those flights marking the official end of the US presence in South Vietnam. But getting to that point wasn't straightforward. Berry, the pilot of a twin-rotor CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter, got orders on the afternoon of April 29 to fly to the US Embassy in Saigon and get Ambassador Graham Martin out. But nobody seemed to have told Martin or the US Marines guarding the embassy. Upon touchdown, when he told the guards he was there to pick up the ambassador, they ushered about 70 Vietnamese evacuees aboard the aircraft instead, he said. Subsequent flights from an offshore US Navy ship were greeted with more and more evacuees – and no US envoy. With each flight to and from the embassy, Berry could see the crowds outside the it growing – and North Vietnamese forces drawing closer. 'I remember thinking at the time, 'Well, we can't finish this,'' he told CNN. But he knew someone had to take charge, to at least get the ambassador out. Around 4 a.m., he could see the North Vietnamese forces closing on the embassy. 'The tanks were coming down the road. We could see them. The ambassador was still in there,' he said. Landing on the roof, the Sea Knight took on another stream of evacuees – and no Ambassador Martin. Berry called a Marine guard sergeant over to the cockpit – and told him he had direct orders from President Ford for the ambassador to get on the helicopter. 'I had no authorization to do that,' Berry said. But he knew time was short, and his frustration at making this trip more than a dozen times was boiling over. 'I basically ordered him out, when I said in my best aviator voice, 'The president sends. You have got to go now,'' using military terminology for how an order is handed down. He said Martin seemed happy to finally get a direct order, even if it came from a Marine pilot. 'It looked like an Olympic sprint team getting on that (aircraft). So you know, I've always said that all he wanted to do was be ordered out by somebody,' Berry said. With the envoy aboard, the Sea Knight headed out to the USS Blue Ridge, ending Berry's 14th flight of Operation Frequent Wind, some 18 hours after he started. Hours later North Vietnamese tanks would break through the gates of the South Vietnamese presidential palace, not far from the US Embassy. The Vietnam War was over. Berry and Chambers were both officers who had to make decisions – outside or against the chain of command – that saved lives during the fall of Saigon, which was soon renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the victorious North Vietnamese. And Chambers says it is a quality that sets the US military apart from its adversaries to this day. 'We have young kids … taught initiative to do things and to take responsibility, unlike some of the other militaries where the commissar, or whoever it is,' looms over every decision, Chambers said. 'We want everybody to think, and everybody to act,' said Chambers, who as a Black man was the first person of color to command a US Navy aircraft carrier. 'You've got to be the guy in charge. You can't run things all the way up through the Pentagon every time you have to do something,' Berry said. Chambers never faced any disciplinary action for his decisions aboard the Midway off Saigon. He's not sure if that's because the Midway wasn't the only ship dumping helicopters overboard that day or because he was quickly dispatched on another rescue mission. And it certainly didn't hurt his naval career. Two years after dumping those helicopters into the sea, he was promoted to rear admiral. Pilot Berry, who also served a combat tour in Vietnam in 1969 and '70, is also left with sadness at the war's futility. 'I hate to think all those deaths were for naught, the 58,400,' he said. 'What did we gain by all that, you know? And we killed more than a million Vietnamese.' 'Those people not only lost that life, but they lost the life where they would have had families and all those things,' Berry said. As the 50th anniversary of his evacuation flights neared, Berry, now 80, was asked how long Americans would remember the Fall of Saigon, which brought to a close one of the US military's greatest failures. 'With the number of lives we lost… it can't be called a victory. It just can't be,' Berry said. But Vietnam also provides lessons 50 years later about keeping your trust with allies and friends, like NATO and Ukraine, he said. 'We had all that promised aid for South Vietnam that never came after the final assault' began in March 1975, he said. 'We never, never delivered. 'You promise something, you should follow through.'
