Enlarged
My
boss and good friend, Bob Goodpaster took this of me while I was
covering a demonstration. May he RIP and also the American, VNCH and
allied troops who breathed their last here.
The Fall of Saigon Slideshow - Powerful
| Vietnam Babylift, My Story |
THE SUICIDES ON APRIL 30, 1975
I have a great respect for you & the other men sent over there Brock. My uncle just turned 70 and flew Hueys in the Army. He hasn't mentioned ten words about Vietnam in the 40 years I've been around him.
ReplyDeleteRed
Here is what pisses me off about
ReplyDeletethis program: The piece of shit local PBS affiliate
in my AO did not broadcast this program until 3 am,
3 FUCKING am!!!
What person with a normal daytime schedule is
awake at 3 am waiting to watch PBS.
Honestly, PBS is so worthless in my AO, there is
nothing worth watching at any time of the day, let
alone prime time.
Just an attempt by the commies to denigrate all who were involved in the war. I couldn't bring myself to watch, but will buy it and one day have enough guts to view it. Thanks.
DeleteThank you, but I spent all the years there because I liked it, though I too have the greatest respect for those in the field everyday and I still break up when I think of all that was lost. Don't guess your uncle flew out of Bien Hoa, did he?
ReplyDeleteI sit in silence as I watch the slide show of the fall of Saigon. Very tough to view the images, and wonder of the fate of most. It's going to take a bit before I watch the others on the list that you've provided for us to view. A friend of mine was on the U.S.S. Midway, (he was a dental tech) and took a bunch of pictures of all the people that were being unloaded of choppers onto the deck of the ship. He said that it was a human disaster! People on the deck, who had left (or lost) family behind. Fear, and tears.... Heart breaking!
ReplyDeleteI sit in silence as I watch the slide show of the fall of Saigon. Very tough to view the images, and wonder of the fate of most.
DeleteAbsolutely and there are so many other stories both published and not. One airplane leaving Danang had the pilot's family on it along with many others. His wife fell off and was crushed under the airplane wheels.They didn't tell the pilot until he reached Saigon. I remember being at the train station when one pulled in with refugees from the northern part of South Vietnam. A family disembarked and were met by relatives who all were crying tears of joy because they believed they were now safe. There are many other links on NamSouth also.
When we went to the airport, one of my wife's brothers came with us, and I found out at the terminal, he wanted to go, but I stated that he was a naval officer, his country was still fighting, and I wouldn't do this. I told him to tell all his family to go to Vung Tau and try to get out on the ships there, but they didn't. Fortunately, they all got here safely later on, as "Boat People." One of his sons was born on board a boat that was named Aguna, and that was the name he was given.
http://www.namsouth.com/viewtopic.php?t=274&highlight=evacuation
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A friend of mine was on the U.S.S. Midway, (he was a dental tech) and took a bunch of pictures of all the people that were being unloaded off choppers onto the deck of the ship. He said that it was a human disaster! People on the deck, who had left (or lost) family behind. Fear, and tears.... Heart breaking!
Indeed and here is one of the saddest to me.
By noon on March 16, a mass of humanity; troops, dependents and civilians was clogging the old road. Some 400,000 civilians, 60,000 ARVN, and 7,000 Rangers began the attempted escape to the sea.
By the time that the last straggling men, women, and children had reached Tuy Hoa on the coast; 300,000 civilians, 40,000 ARVN, and 6,300 Rangers were missing, never to be accounted for.
http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-pregnant-lady-abandoned-by-her-lover.html
373,000 people just 'disappear'.... horrifying! The human costs are incalculable.
ReplyDeleteThe VC/NVA deliberately targeted the civilians which of course caused turmoil of the highest degree. Trying to retreat with a city of civilians is something that the best armies in the world might not be able to accomplish. I can only imagine the horror which you can see plainly in the mother's face at the link.
Delete