50 Years Later, Remembering the Fall of Saigon

• It's been 50 years since the fall of Saigon, a moment that marked the end of the Vietnam War and left an indelible mark on American history. The images of US sailors and Marines pushing helicopters overboard into the sea remain a haunting reminder of the chaos and desperation that defined the final days of the war.

In April 1975, as North Vietnamese regulars pressed to take Saigon, the U.S. assembled a naval task force off the coast to aid in evacuations. Operation Frequent Wind was underway, and the USS Midway aircraft carrier, commanded by Rear Adm. Larry Chambers, played a key role in the operation.

"We brought them in two at a time," Chambers recalled of the helicopters flying out of Saigon, packed with civilians and the few belongings they could carry. "Not a single thing I pushed over the side had U.S. Navy on it -- there was Air Force, Army, Air America and more all over the side," Chambers said, estimating that 40-50 helicopters were pushed overboard during the operation.

Marine 2nd Lt. Mark Cancian, who was aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Dubuque, remembered the scene vividly. "Everything that could fly was flying out of Saigon, but there was no room on the flight deck to put them. As soon as it landed, we took anything salvageable and pushed it over into the water," Cancian said.

The operation was a complex and challenging one, with 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third-country nationals flown out to the ships from various locations in Saigon. The pre-planned signal for the evacuees to begin moving to extraction points came when American Forces Radio began playing Bing Crosby's “White Christmas.”

In Washington, then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger reflected on the war, saying "it is clear that the war did not achieve the objectives of those who started the original involvement." The war ultimately claimed the lives of over 58,000 U.S. service members, and its legacy continues to be felt today.

As Vietnam marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, there are mixed emotions. Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Nen said "it must be affirmed that it was a war of national defense, not about winning or losing." In the U.S., ceremonies were held to honor the rescue missions flown as part of Operation Frequent Wind, including one on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego.