On this date in History .... 1975:
The fall of Saigon began.
 |
South vietnamese civilians try to climb the wall
of the U.S. Embassy in a desperate bid to board
one of the last evacuation flights out of Saigon.
Photo source: www.navymemorieshop.com |
In
Dec 1974 the North Vietnamese were making a rapid advancement
and by early January had overtaken the capital of Phuoc Binh. Pres. Ford was
unable to convince a “hostile Congress” to make good on the U.S.’s previous
promise to provide aid in such a situation. When North Vietnam saw the U.S. was
backing off of their earlier promise and doing nothing, they pushed forward
toward Saigon, defeating the fledgling South Vietnam military at each
encounter.
The population of Saigon became a maddening mob as everyone tried to
get a spot on evacuation transportation.
(It really got to me … really … when I
watched THIS VIDEO and saw grown men shove a young woman & child out of the
way as they tried to get thru the Embassy gates …. marker 0:31 thru 0:44.)
The U.S. military on board the aircraft carrier "USS Blue Ridge" pushing the helicopter into the sea off the coast of Vietnam, to make room for evacuees from Saigon.
Photo taken April 29, 1975.
Photo source: www.namvietnews.wordpress.com
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