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the question,
the burning question was,
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"Who goes,
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and who gets left behind?"
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I borrowed a truck
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and I basically sent
the signal to my folks,
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00:02:00,730 --> 00:02:03,860
and this meant a group
of South Vietnamese majors,
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00:02:03,860 --> 00:02:07,030
lieutenant colonels, colonels
and their families
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to muster at an address
in downtown Saigon.
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I drove down there,
they loaded up onto the truck,
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and I drove them to the airbase.
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And I had told them,
"When you hear three thumps,
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"that means
hold the babies' mouths.
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"Don't breathe, don't talk,
don't make any noise
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because we're going through
the gatepost."
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I saluted in uniform
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as a captain
of the United States Army.
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The guard waved me through,
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and I drove straight out
to the flight line
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to an aircraft
that was awaiting.
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One Vietnamese colonel that was
putting his family on the plane,
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he had wanted to stay in Vietnam
to defend the country.
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And this full colonel had,
like, eight kids and a wife.
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And he was in tears,
the family...
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The family were in tears,
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and I said to him,
"Get on the plane.
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"Just... go.
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Go."
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It was a terrible,
terrible, terrible moral dilemma
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for everybody.
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We today have concluded
an agreement to end the war
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and bring peace with honor
in Vietnam.
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NIXON: We have adopted a plan
for the complete withdrawal
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00:03:54,850 --> 00:03:58,560
of all U.S. combat
ground forces.
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We are finally bringing
American men home.
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00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,940
HENRY KISSINGER:
We who made the agreement
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00:04:08,940 --> 00:04:11,360
thought that it would be
the beginning
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00:04:11,370 --> 00:04:13,360
not of peace
in the American sense,
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00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,620
but the beginning of a period
of coexistence
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00:04:16,620 --> 00:04:22,870
which might evolve as it did
in Korea into two states.
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00:04:22,870 --> 00:04:26,670
Reconciliation between
North and South Vietnam
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00:04:26,670 --> 00:04:29,550
we knew would be
extremely difficult.
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00:04:29,550 --> 00:04:33,520
But I was hopeful.
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00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,220
HERRINGTON:
Because of the Paris Agreement,
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American soldiers
were going home.
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00:04:42,270 --> 00:04:45,190
But I was on my way back
to Vietnam.
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I was assigned to Saigon
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in the first week
of August 1973,
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so about six months
after the ceasefire.
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00:05:06,580 --> 00:05:09,260
I would say that between
the State Department people
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00:05:09,260 --> 00:05:11,380
and CIA people,
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00:05:11,380 --> 00:05:14,260
the contractors who were there
to maintain infrastructure,
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00:05:14,260 --> 00:05:15,510
maintain aircraft,
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00:05:15,510 --> 00:05:18,260
as well as people like me,
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we had 5,000 to 7,000 Americans
in country.
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00:05:24,770 --> 00:05:29,060
A lot of the guys had Vietnamese
girlfriends and wives,
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in many cases with children.
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00:05:32,780 --> 00:05:37,410
In general,
things were eerily calm
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00:05:37,410 --> 00:05:42,120
and in many ways normal
in Saigon.
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00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,620
My sense was that
we were gonna be there,
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00:05:44,620 --> 00:05:47,800
you know, pretty much
for a long time to come.
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00:05:49,790 --> 00:05:54,090
I was assigned to the
American embassy in Saigon.
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00:05:54,090 --> 00:05:56,880
I was in charge
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00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,260
of the 84 Marine security guards
that were there,
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00:06:01,260 --> 00:06:03,060
making sure that they kept up
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00:06:03,060 --> 00:06:04,530
with their physical fitness
training.
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00:06:06,270 --> 00:06:10,020
We were there to protect
American lives
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00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:12,480
as well as American property.
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00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,360
It was just a day-to-day job.
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00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:22,950
FRANK SNEPP: The Ambassador there
was a guy named Graham Martin,
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00:06:22,950 --> 00:06:25,500
a North Carolinian,
just as I was.
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He spoke with a slow
Southern drawl.
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He was a great gentleman.
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He was a cold warrior
in the old stripe.
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00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:37,920
He'd lost an adopted son
in Vietnam to combat.
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00:06:37,930 --> 00:06:41,930
And he was not gonna give up
South Vietnam to the Communists.
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00:06:41,930 --> 00:06:45,930
He was determined
to keep U.S. aid
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00:06:45,930 --> 00:06:47,780
flowing into Saigon.
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00:06:50,690 --> 00:06:53,980
When the ceasefire occurred
in 1973,
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everybody toasted it
with Bloody Marys
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00:06:57,030 --> 00:06:58,860
in the U.S. embassy.
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It was a grand party.
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00:07:00,990 --> 00:07:04,410
We thought peace was at hand.
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00:07:04,410 --> 00:07:09,540
But the Paris Peace Accord
was a masterpiece of ambiguity.
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HERRINGTON: In order to get President
Thieu and the South Vietnamese
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00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:17,710
to go along
with the Paris Agreement,
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00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,060
President Nixon
pulled out all the stops,
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00:07:20,060 --> 00:07:22,640
and in a letter
to President Thieu,
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he promised that
if the North Vietnamese
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were to substantially violate
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00:07:27,350 --> 00:07:29,400
the terms
of the Paris Agreement,
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00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,980
the United States would respond
with full force.
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00:07:32,980 --> 00:07:37,360
In other words, reenter the war.
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00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,990
SNEPP: The North Vietnamese
viewed Nixon as a madman.
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00:07:41,990 --> 00:07:45,910
They were terrified of him.
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They believed that Nixon,
if necessary,
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00:07:49,580 --> 00:07:51,670
would bring back
American air power.
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00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:57,800
But in August 1974, he was gone.
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00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,090
Nixon resigned
because of Watergate.
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00:08:02,090 --> 00:08:05,470
And overnight,
everything changed.
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Hanoi suddenly saw the road
to Saigon as being open.
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00:08:12,310 --> 00:08:14,110
(CHEERING)
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(GUNFIRE)
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(EXPLOSION)
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00:08:33,460 --> 00:08:37,460
(GUNFIRE)
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00:08:37,460 --> 00:08:38,590
(EXPLOSION)
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HERRINGTON:
The South Vietnamese population
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had ample reason to fear
the Vietnamese Communists.
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00:08:48,010 --> 00:08:51,730
The Communist conduct
throughout the course of the war
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00:08:51,730 --> 00:08:55,150
had been violent
and unforgiving.
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00:08:55,150 --> 00:08:57,150
For example,
when the city of Hue
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00:08:57,150 --> 00:08:59,440
was taken over
by the North Vietnamese,
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00:08:59,450 --> 00:09:02,200
several thousand people
on a long blacklist
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00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:03,530
were rounded up...
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00:09:03,530 --> 00:09:05,910
School teachers,
government civil servants,
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00:09:05,910 --> 00:09:08,080
people who were known
anti-Communists...
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00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,910
And they were executed,
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00:09:10,910 --> 00:09:12,910
in some cases even buried alive.
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(CRYING)
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00:09:17,460 --> 00:09:20,260
So panic was
but a millimeter away.
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00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,390
WALTER CRONKITE: Hundreds
of thousands of refugees
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00:09:28,390 --> 00:09:30,600
are in a blind rush
to flee even further
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00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,730
from the rapidly advancing
Communists.
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00:09:32,730 --> 00:09:34,070
Bruce Dunning reports.
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00:09:34,070 --> 00:09:38,400
BRUCE DUNNING: President Thieu
broadcast a strong appeal
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00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,620
to the soldiers and the people
of Da Nang,
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00:09:40,620 --> 00:09:43,240
urging them to stay and fight.
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00:10:00,710 --> 00:10:02,460
As the enemy approaches,
the panic has swept
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00:10:02,460 --> 00:10:04,720
from the coastal city's
crowded backstreets and pagodas
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00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:06,430
onto runways at the airport.
130
00:10:06,430 --> 00:10:08,390
REPORTER:
Our plane is surrounded here.
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00:10:08,390 --> 00:10:11,390
I don't know how the hell
we're gonna get out.
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00:10:11,390 --> 00:10:12,890
We're racing down the runway,
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00:10:12,890 --> 00:10:15,560
leaving behind hundreds
and thousands of people.
134
00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:19,730
Another dozen of them
running along,
135
00:10:19,740 --> 00:10:21,860
grabbing at the air stair.
136
00:10:21,860 --> 00:10:25,030
We're pulling them on
as fast as we can.
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00:10:25,030 --> 00:10:27,570
There's a sea of humanity
jamming on.
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00:10:27,570 --> 00:10:30,660
Impossible to stop the crowd.
139
00:10:30,660 --> 00:10:32,280
We're pulling away.
140
00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:33,580
We're leaving them behind.
141
00:10:33,580 --> 00:10:34,790
We're pulling up with the...
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00:10:34,790 --> 00:10:36,920
People are falling
off the air stairs!
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00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,460
The plane is taking off.
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00:10:39,460 --> 00:10:43,090
HERRINGTON:
It was every man for himself.
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00:10:43,090 --> 00:10:46,090
So you saw
the World Airways flight
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00:10:46,090 --> 00:10:50,680
being mobbed
by South Vietnamese soldiers.
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00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:55,430
You saw ships
with thousands of refugees,
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00:10:55,430 --> 00:10:57,850
including lots of soldiers.
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00:10:57,850 --> 00:10:59,600
You saw out-of-control panic.
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00:11:01,810 --> 00:11:04,610
Basically
any boats, trucks, airplanes,
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00:11:04,610 --> 00:11:07,990
or anything going south
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00:11:07,990 --> 00:11:11,290
were besieged by people
wanting to get onboard.
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00:11:14,660 --> 00:11:19,000
SNEPP: The Americans were gone,
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00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:22,590
and as a result, the house
of cards began to collapse.
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00:11:26,260 --> 00:11:31,090
The North Vietnamese
decided to escalate,
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00:11:31,090 --> 00:11:34,010
escalate, escalate, escalate
at every turn
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00:11:34,010 --> 00:11:36,110
to see if the United States
would react.
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00:11:41,690 --> 00:11:46,020
RON NESSEN: In April of '75, I
was with President Gerald Ford,
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00:11:46,030 --> 00:11:49,620
and we were flying across
the country on Air Force One
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00:11:49,620 --> 00:11:52,360
when one of the airplane's crew
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00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,620
comes and hands me a note,
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and it says,
"Da Nang has fallen."
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00:11:56,990 --> 00:12:01,080
Ford was bombarded
by questions from the press
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00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,580
after he got off Air Force One.
165
00:12:04,590 --> 00:12:07,340
Around 150,000 to 175,000
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00:12:07,340 --> 00:12:12,010
well-trained North Vietnamese
regular forces
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00:12:12,010 --> 00:12:14,010
in violation
of the Paris Peace Accords
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00:12:14,010 --> 00:12:16,510
moved into South Vietnam.
169
00:12:16,510 --> 00:12:20,220
We have objected
to that violation.
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00:12:20,230 --> 00:12:26,230
It's a tragedy unbelievable
in its ramifications.
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00:12:26,230 --> 00:12:31,530
SNEPP: We are now in a crisis.
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00:12:31,530 --> 00:12:33,530
We had a wave of humanity:
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00:12:33,530 --> 00:12:41,080
500,000 refugees rolling,
rolling south towards Saigon,
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00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:47,800
and 160,000 North Vietnamese
troops moving right behind them.
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00:12:51,380 --> 00:12:55,130
I had become so concerned,
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00:12:55,140 --> 00:12:57,810
I decided to pull
our best Vietnamese agents in
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00:12:57,810 --> 00:12:59,470
out of the woodwork
178
00:12:59,470 --> 00:13:02,060
to try to see
what they could tell us
179
00:13:02,060 --> 00:13:05,980
about Communist planning, which
obviously was rapidly evolving.
180
00:13:05,990 --> 00:13:09,980
On the 8th of April,
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00:13:09,980 --> 00:13:13,070
I met with one of our
best agents,
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00:13:13,070 --> 00:13:16,570
who said, "The Communists
are gonna drive on Saigon."
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00:13:16,580 --> 00:13:19,040
They're gonna be in there
by Ho Chi Minh's birthday,"
184
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:23,160
which was May 19th,
literally a month away.
185
00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,420
Communist forces
in South Vietnam,
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00:13:25,420 --> 00:13:28,260
already solidly in control
of 11 provinces,
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00:13:28,260 --> 00:13:31,670
began working on yet
another one today: Binh Dinh.
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00:13:31,670 --> 00:13:34,630
(EXPLOSIONS)
189
00:13:34,630 --> 00:13:36,930
(GUNFIRE)
190
00:13:40,680 --> 00:13:42,850
KIEM DO:
191
00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,890
HERRINGTON:
I kept a map every day
192
00:14:17,890 --> 00:14:20,890
on the progress of the North
Vietnamese onslaught.
193
00:14:20,890 --> 00:14:22,930
By the 5th of April,
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00:14:22,930 --> 00:14:26,680
the North Vietnamese had 15,
even 16 divisions
195
00:14:26,690 --> 00:14:28,730
heading in the direction
of Saigon.
196
00:14:28,730 --> 00:14:30,900
They were bringing
SA-2 missiles down
197
00:14:30,900 --> 00:14:35,820
to provide anti-aircraft cover
for their forces.
198
00:14:35,820 --> 00:14:37,320
There were people
who were saying,
199
00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,870
"Look, we've gotta do
some heavy, heavy planning here
200
00:14:39,870 --> 00:14:41,540
"because depending
on how this goes,
201
00:14:41,540 --> 00:14:45,000
and it doesn't look good now,
we may all have to evacuate."
202
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,500
And Ambassador Martin
203
00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:49,840
wouldn't tolerate or countenance
such thought.
204
00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:51,290
That was defeatism.
205
00:14:51,290 --> 00:14:53,290
That was poisonous
to the prospects
206
00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:56,840
of the people
we're here to help.
207
00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:02,180
But people could see
what was going on
208
00:15:02,180 --> 00:15:07,520
and they started leaving,
especially the Americans.
209
00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:08,820
I'm leaving Vietnam.
210
00:15:08,820 --> 00:15:09,850
Why?
211
00:15:09,850 --> 00:15:11,570
I'm kind of scared,
to be honest with you.
212
00:15:11,570 --> 00:15:13,440
To be perfectly honest with you,
I'm really scared.
213
00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,540
I think the situation's
a lot worse than we know about.
214
00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:23,370
SNEPP: There was always a standing
evacuation plan in the embassy.
215
00:15:23,370 --> 00:15:25,740
It held that in an emergency,
216
00:15:25,740 --> 00:15:28,200
all Americans
still in the country,
217
00:15:28,210 --> 00:15:32,790
about 6,000 people,
would be evacuated
218
00:15:32,790 --> 00:15:39,050
and that no South Vietnamese
would be evacuated with them.
219
00:15:41,590 --> 00:15:43,930
BINH PHO: I was a student.
220
00:15:43,930 --> 00:15:45,680
The school's not closing,
221
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:47,900
but it seemed like nobody's
interested in school anymore.
222
00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:51,140
You can't stay here.
223
00:15:51,150 --> 00:15:53,070
You can't live
with the Communists,
224
00:15:53,070 --> 00:15:57,360
especially if you have
a connection with the Americans.
225
00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,080
Then you really gotta get out.
226
00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:09,050
HERRINGTON: If we really made up a
list of endangered South Vietnamese,
227
00:16:09,050 --> 00:16:14,670
the ones who really worked
closely with us during the war,
228
00:16:14,670 --> 00:16:17,800
this number could be
150,000, 200,000.
229
00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,340
Including their families,
many more than that.
230
00:16:22,340 --> 00:16:24,690
But the idea
of talking about an evacuation
231
00:16:24,690 --> 00:16:28,560
and of planning
for an evacuation of Americans,
232
00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,310
let alone an evacuation
of Vietnamese,
233
00:16:31,310 --> 00:16:35,520
was still anathema
in the embassy.
234
00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,900
If you mean, "Is South Vietnam"
235
00:16:37,900 --> 00:16:41,280
on the imminent verge
of collapse?"
236
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,360
I think the answer
is quite definitely no.
237
00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,620
STEVE HASTY: We were
dealing with an ambassador
238
00:16:48,620 --> 00:16:52,620
who was just convinced
that somehow,
239
00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:55,540
he was going to be able
to pull this out
240
00:16:55,540 --> 00:16:58,290
and that there wouldn't have
to be an evacuation
241
00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:00,390
and therefore, there wouldn't
have to be a concern
242
00:17:00,390 --> 00:17:02,930
about evacuating
South Vietnamese.
243
00:17:05,590 --> 00:17:11,060
GERALD FORD: The situation in South
Vietnam has reached a critical phase
244
00:17:11,060 --> 00:17:15,520
requiring immediate and positive
decisions by this government.
245
00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,360
There are tens of thousands
246
00:17:19,360 --> 00:17:23,490
of South Vietnamese employees
of the United States government,
247
00:17:23,490 --> 00:17:26,110
of news agencies,
248
00:17:26,110 --> 00:17:30,160
of contractors and businesses
for many years
249
00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,870
whose lives,
with their dependents,
250
00:17:34,870 --> 00:17:39,500
are in very grave peril.
251
00:17:39,500 --> 00:17:43,550
I'm therefore
asking the Congress
252
00:17:43,550 --> 00:17:47,180
to appropriate without delay
$722 million
253
00:17:47,180 --> 00:17:51,760
for emergency military
assistance for South Vietnam.
254
00:17:51,770 --> 00:17:55,520
If the very worst
were to happen,
255
00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:01,480
at least allow the orderly
evacuation of Americans
256
00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:07,570
and endangered South Vietnamese
to places of safety.
257
00:18:07,570 --> 00:18:10,370
There was no way in 1975
258
00:18:10,370 --> 00:18:12,500
that the Congress
was going to vote any money
259
00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:15,540
to go to the aid
of South Vietnam.
260
00:18:15,540 --> 00:18:18,540
We had pulled out our troops
in 1973
261
00:18:18,540 --> 00:18:22,420
and public opinion
at that point shifted.
262
00:18:22,420 --> 00:18:26,510
The people of the United States,
having seen Watergate,
263
00:18:26,510 --> 00:18:29,590
having seen the deception
of the generals,
264
00:18:29,590 --> 00:18:34,220
weren't about to give any help
in Southeast Asia.
265
00:18:34,220 --> 00:18:37,730
And you know,
Kissinger knew this.
266
00:18:37,730 --> 00:18:41,400
We knew we were not going to get
the $722 million.
267
00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:45,480
By that time
it made no big difference,
268
00:18:45,490 --> 00:18:48,900
but President Ford said
269
00:18:48,910 --> 00:18:51,820
he owed it to Vietnam
to make a request.
270
00:18:51,830 --> 00:18:55,790
We've sent, so to speak,
battleship after battleship
271
00:18:55,790 --> 00:18:59,750
and bomber after bomber
and 500,000 and more men
272
00:18:59,750 --> 00:19:03,420
and billions and billions
of dollars.
273
00:19:03,420 --> 00:19:06,300
If billions and billions
didn't do
274
00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:09,090
at a time when we had
all our men there,
275
00:19:09,090 --> 00:19:12,100
how can $722 million
save the day?
276
00:19:15,270 --> 00:19:19,100
HERRINGTON: This is the way
my map looked in mid-April.
277
00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:23,110
The North Vietnamese
just rolled down the coast.
278
00:19:23,110 --> 00:19:26,860
Saigon was clearly threatened.
279
00:19:26,860 --> 00:19:29,700
The situation was urgent.
280
00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:30,990
Urgent understates it.
281
00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:38,290
SNEPP: At this time, Ambassador
Martin had been back in Washington
282
00:19:38,290 --> 00:19:40,960
trying to persuade Congress
to vote additional aid.
283
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:44,130
REPORTER: Do you have anything
to say on your arrival?
284
00:19:44,130 --> 00:19:46,300
He has no statement to make.
285
00:19:46,300 --> 00:19:49,880
SNEPP: He came back to Saigon,
286
00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,010
and my boss,
the CIA station chief, said,
287
00:19:52,010 --> 00:19:54,480
"Go down and tell the old man
what's happening."
288
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,820
I went and I said,
"Mr. Ambassador,
289
00:19:56,820 --> 00:20:00,940
"half of the South Vietnamese
Army has disintegrated.
290
00:20:00,940 --> 00:20:03,100
"We're in grave trouble.
291
00:20:03,110 --> 00:20:05,770
"Please, sir,
plan for an evacuation.
292
00:20:05,770 --> 00:20:08,610
"At least allow us
to begin putting together
293
00:20:08,620 --> 00:20:11,330
lists of South Vietnamese
we should rescue."
294
00:20:11,330 --> 00:20:15,870
And he saw, "No, Frank.
295
00:20:15,870 --> 00:20:18,330
"It's not so bleak.
296
00:20:18,330 --> 00:20:23,210
And I won't have
this negative talk."
297
00:20:23,210 --> 00:20:26,340
Young officers in the embassy
298
00:20:26,340 --> 00:20:30,510
began to mobilize
a black operation,
299
00:20:30,510 --> 00:20:36,430
meaning a makeshift
underground railway evacuation
300
00:20:36,430 --> 00:20:39,470
using outgoing cargo aircraft
301
00:20:39,470 --> 00:20:44,690
that would be totally below
the radar of the Ambassador.
302
00:20:44,690 --> 00:20:46,820
HERRINGTON:
People like myself and others
303
00:20:46,820 --> 00:20:50,940
took the bull by the horns
and organized an evacuation.
304
00:20:50,940 --> 00:20:53,820
In my case,
that meant friends of mine
305
00:20:53,820 --> 00:20:57,870
who were senior officers in
the South Vietnamese military.
306
00:20:57,870 --> 00:21:03,000
As the North Vietnamese came
closer and closer to Saigon,
307
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,970
these people
were dead men walking.
308
00:21:09,250 --> 00:21:11,050
I had arranged a signal
309
00:21:11,050 --> 00:21:12,890
with my intelligence
community friends
310
00:21:12,890 --> 00:21:15,100
that if I said,
"I'm having a barbecue,"
311
00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:17,770
that meant come to a certain
pre-designated place
312
00:21:17,770 --> 00:21:20,230
and bring your families
and only bring one suitcase
313
00:21:20,230 --> 00:21:22,390
because we're going
to have a party.
314
00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,390
But it was understood
the party meant
315
00:21:24,390 --> 00:21:26,020
I was going to get them out.
316
00:21:29,150 --> 00:21:32,900
Black Ops were essentially
violating the rules...
317
00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:34,780
In this case meaning,
318
00:21:34,780 --> 00:21:38,000
you're not allowed to bring out
Vietnamese military people
319
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,290
who were under obligation
to stand and fight.
320
00:21:42,290 --> 00:21:45,500
We were fully expecting
if we got caught doing this
321
00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:47,220
that we would be run
out of country.
322
00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:49,250
End of career, do not pass go.
323
00:21:49,250 --> 00:21:54,630
But sometimes there's an issue
not of legal and illegal,
324
00:21:54,630 --> 00:21:56,510
but right or wrong.
325
00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:02,560
SNEPP: The deputy defense attaché
moved out Vietnamese personnel
326
00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:07,520
and their families to Clark Air
Base in the Philippines
327
00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,240
without any approval whatsoever,
328
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,200
without any immigration papers,
anything...
329
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,780
Passports, you name it.
330
00:22:13,780 --> 00:22:16,530
And when they began showing up
in the Philippines,
331
00:22:16,530 --> 00:22:18,950
Martin hit the roof
and fired him!
332
00:22:18,950 --> 00:22:23,660
But that didn't stop
other State Department people
333
00:22:23,660 --> 00:22:28,370
who had Vietnamese friends
and family members.
334
00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:32,100
They continued to organize
these makeshift airlifts.
335
00:22:43,220 --> 00:22:45,980
TERRY McNAMARA:
That April, I was in Can Tho,
336
00:22:45,980 --> 00:22:49,190
which was about 100 miles
from Saigon.
337
00:22:49,190 --> 00:22:50,900
And we were getting reports
338
00:22:50,900 --> 00:22:54,490
of this town falling and
that province falling and so on.
339
00:22:54,490 --> 00:22:58,450
And then we were attacked.
340
00:22:58,450 --> 00:23:03,620
Sergeant Hasty came by to
give me a report on the damage.
341
00:23:03,620 --> 00:23:07,620
Can Tho came under pretty
intense artillery bombardment.
342
00:23:07,620 --> 00:23:10,500
The North Vietnamese had overrun
343
00:23:10,500 --> 00:23:15,000
some South Vietnamese
artillery batteries
344
00:23:15,010 --> 00:23:20,180
and managed to turn those around
and shell the center of Can Tho.
345
00:23:24,350 --> 00:23:26,570
TERRY MCNAMARA: I was in regular
contact with the embassy,
346
00:23:26,570 --> 00:23:29,310
and I was told that
when the time came,
347
00:23:29,310 --> 00:23:31,810
I should be ready to evacuate,
348
00:23:31,810 --> 00:23:35,110
and that I should not try
to take any Vietnamese out
349
00:23:35,110 --> 00:23:37,110
because it was too dangerous,
350
00:23:37,110 --> 00:23:38,990
and I should only
restrict myself
351
00:23:38,990 --> 00:23:45,080
to evacuating Americans
using my three helicopters.
352
00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,500
Well, I'd been there for almost
five years at this point,
353
00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:52,290
and I was committed
to the Vietnamese.
354
00:23:52,290 --> 00:23:54,800
I did have a responsibility,
I thought,
355
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,720
for the people
who had worked for us
356
00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,510
and who had given their loyal
service to us over many years.
357
00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:06,220
So I decided that
despite the order from Saigon,
358
00:24:06,220 --> 00:24:08,400
we're gonna really
make an effort
359
00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:11,270
to evacuate the people
in Can Tho
360
00:24:11,270 --> 00:24:14,690
who I thought might be
in mortal danger.
361
00:24:14,690 --> 00:24:18,400
This could be hundreds
of people.
362
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:23,200
So I spent one sleepless night
worrying about this.
363
00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:24,700
"How am I going to do this?"
364
00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:28,870
And then I thought,
"Hell, we're on a river.
365
00:24:28,870 --> 00:24:30,700
"We don't need helicopters.
366
00:24:30,710 --> 00:24:33,250
We can go down the river."
367
00:24:33,250 --> 00:24:37,170
It's 70 miles from Can Tho
down to the mouth of the river.
368
00:24:39,590 --> 00:24:46,270
So I found two invasion barges
and got them ready to go.
369
00:24:48,970 --> 00:24:53,270
We knew that
the situation was bad.
370
00:24:53,270 --> 00:24:59,020
We could see that the South
Vietnamese Army was eroding.
371
00:24:59,030 --> 00:25:01,440
Supplies had been cutoff
372
00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,660
and you could see
the armaments dwindling.
373
00:25:08,790 --> 00:25:12,670
MCNAMARA: We were, under the
terms of the Paris Agreement,
374
00:25:12,670 --> 00:25:16,630
committed to resupplying
the South Vietnamese.
375
00:25:16,630 --> 00:25:19,550
They lacked simple things,
like barbed wire
376
00:25:19,550 --> 00:25:21,800
and bags for sand bags.
377
00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,090
(ARTILLERY FIRE)
378
00:25:24,090 --> 00:25:27,680
They were rationing
their artillery shells
379
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,310
because they were running out.
380
00:25:30,310 --> 00:25:32,600
The military support,
the material support,
381
00:25:32,610 --> 00:25:34,640
was not coming.
382
00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:39,650
HENRY KISSINGER: When President
Ford went before the Congress,
383
00:25:39,650 --> 00:25:44,820
he had two major concerns.
384
00:25:44,820 --> 00:25:51,740
The first was to save
as many people as we could.
385
00:25:51,750 --> 00:25:54,340
He cared for the human beings
involved;
386
00:25:54,340 --> 00:25:56,420
They were not just pawns
387
00:25:56,420 --> 00:26:01,250
that once they had lost their
military power were abandoned.
388
00:26:01,250 --> 00:26:06,380
The second was the honor
of America,
389
00:26:06,380 --> 00:26:12,890
that we would not be seen at
the final agony of South Vietnam
390
00:26:12,890 --> 00:26:16,490
as having stabbed it
in the back.
391
00:26:21,020 --> 00:26:24,150
RON NESSEN:
Congress wouldn't pass it.
392
00:26:24,150 --> 00:26:26,570
They said, "No more."
393
00:26:26,570 --> 00:26:31,700
No more troops, no more money,
no more aid to the Vietnamese."
394
00:26:31,700 --> 00:26:39,630
Well, I had to go into President
Ford's office to tell him.
395
00:26:39,630 --> 00:26:42,880
I had never heard Ford
use a curse word
396
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:44,760
in all the time I'd known him.
397
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:49,260
But when I showed him
this story, he said,
398
00:26:49,260 --> 00:26:51,140
"Those sons of bitches."
399
00:27:08,740 --> 00:27:10,910
I think there were a total
of 50 ships that were there.
400
00:27:10,910 --> 00:27:12,910
I mean, it wasn’t just us;
It was a whole bunch of ships.
401
00:27:12,910 --> 00:27:18,460
We were standing by
for the evacuation of Americans.
402
00:27:21,580 --> 00:27:23,920
I was a terrible letter writer.
403
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,510
I would write one letter
for my wife's ten letters,
404
00:27:26,510 --> 00:27:28,220
and she didn't like that,
so she said,
405
00:27:28,220 --> 00:27:30,140
"We're going to exchange tapes."
406
00:27:30,140 --> 00:27:32,220
So I would run
into my stateroom,
407
00:27:32,230 --> 00:27:34,310
turn the tape recorder on
for a couple of minutes
408
00:27:34,310 --> 00:27:35,680
and tell her what's happening.
409
00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:37,980
DOYLE (ON TAPE): I really
don‘t know where to start.
410
00:27:37,980 --> 00:27:41,810
It's been such an unusual
couple days for us.
411
00:27:41,810 --> 00:27:46,780
We went with the rest
of this huge task force of ours
412
00:27:46,780 --> 00:27:51,070
up into about, oh,
20 miles off the coast,
413
00:27:51,070 --> 00:27:52,420
basically east of Saigon.
414
00:27:56,830 --> 00:28:01,620
As most Navy operations are,
it was very carefully planned.
415
00:28:01,620 --> 00:28:03,300
We planned it to death.
416
00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:09,380
The chain of command,
as I understood it
417
00:28:09,380 --> 00:28:11,810
as a captain of the United
States Marine Corps,
418
00:28:11,810 --> 00:28:14,720
and I think I got it right,
419
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,100
is that for any evacuation,
420
00:28:17,100 --> 00:28:19,600
that decision
is the Ambassador's decision.
421
00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:25,480
Graham Martin
is the responsible guy.
422
00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:27,150
But the military is responsible
423
00:28:27,150 --> 00:28:28,780
forgiving him
all kinds of plans.
424
00:28:28,780 --> 00:28:32,740
And this is how we got
into the four options.
425
00:28:32,740 --> 00:28:35,740
The first option was
426
00:28:35,740 --> 00:28:38,960
you would take commercial ships
right up the Saigon River
427
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,370
to a couple blocks
from the embassy.
428
00:28:41,380 --> 00:28:42,870
You would load
whoever you wanted
429
00:28:42,870 --> 00:28:49,090
to bring out on these ships
and you'd be done with it.
430
00:28:49,090 --> 00:28:50,840
The second option was, you know,
431
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,930
United and Continental
and Flying Tiger Airlines
432
00:28:54,930 --> 00:28:57,680
were still using Tan Son Nhut
Air Force Base at the time,
433
00:28:57,680 --> 00:28:59,980
and you could've brought
anybody you wanted out
434
00:28:59,980 --> 00:29:03,850
by commercial aviation.
435
00:29:03,850 --> 00:29:06,610
The third option was military
fixed-wing aviation...
436
00:29:06,610 --> 00:29:10,190
The C5As, the C-141s,
which carry a lot of people.
437
00:29:10,190 --> 00:29:13,040
You could've brought them
out of Tan Son Nhut on those.
438
00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,870
The very last option,
the very last option,
439
00:29:18,870 --> 00:29:20,710
was helicopters off the carriers
440
00:29:20,710 --> 00:29:22,880
in the Tan Son Nhut
Air Force Base.
441
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,540
We had 75 Marine Corps
helicopters out there.
442
00:29:26,540 --> 00:29:27,920
The helicopter option,
443
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:29,800
that was absolutely
the last resort.
444
00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:31,340
You know,
they don't go very fast,
445
00:29:31,340 --> 00:29:33,260
they don't carry
that many people.
446
00:29:33,260 --> 00:29:35,100
That was if everything else
failed.
447
00:29:45,980 --> 00:29:51,400
RICHARD ARMITAGE: I got into Vietnam
late on the 24th of April, 1975.
448
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:56,950
Saigon was full of rumor,
of false stories,
449
00:29:56,950 --> 00:29:59,540
whether we were going to have
a last attempt
450
00:29:59,540 --> 00:30:02,450
to draw a line
across the country,
451
00:30:02,450 --> 00:30:05,250
that Saigon and the south
would remain a free republic,
452
00:30:05,250 --> 00:30:06,460
all of these things,
453
00:30:06,460 --> 00:30:08,000
and it was all churning
all around.
454
00:30:08,010 --> 00:30:11,960
The fighting was close to Saigon
455
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:16,510
but hadn't shown up
in the streets of Saigon.
456
00:30:16,510 --> 00:30:18,720
I served as a naval officer
457
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,260
in three and a half tours
in Vietnam,
458
00:30:21,260 --> 00:30:23,730
two of those years
as a Special Forces advisor
459
00:30:23,730 --> 00:30:28,270
with a 20-boat River Division,
all Vietnamese.
460
00:30:28,270 --> 00:30:32,020
I could tell jokes
and hear jokes in Vietnamese.
461
00:30:32,030 --> 00:30:33,900
And once you start off
like that,
462
00:30:33,900 --> 00:30:39,030
you eventually end up being able
to dream in Vietnamese.
463
00:30:39,030 --> 00:30:43,950
In 1975, my mission was
to remove or destroy
464
00:30:43,950 --> 00:30:46,290
as many ships, swift boats,
465
00:30:46,290 --> 00:30:50,420
anything that I considered
to be a benefit to the enemy.
466
00:30:50,420 --> 00:30:53,300
I met with Captain Do Kiem,
467
00:30:53,300 --> 00:30:56,800
who was the operations officer
of the Vietnamese Navy.
468
00:31:13,820 --> 00:31:16,230
ARMITAGE: The plan was to sail
469
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,330
all the large ships
of the South Vietnamese Navy
470
00:31:19,330 --> 00:31:22,620
down the Saigon River to the sea
471
00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:26,700
and rendezvous
at Con Son Island.
472
00:31:26,700 --> 00:31:29,750
We had to keep this secret.
473
00:31:29,750 --> 00:31:33,340
If word got out,
it would have had an effect
474
00:31:33,340 --> 00:31:35,050
on the morale of the people
in the street.
475
00:31:41,180 --> 00:31:45,180
JOE MCBRIDE: We knew that there
were roughly 5,000 Americans
476
00:31:45,180 --> 00:31:48,060
still in the country.
477
00:31:48,060 --> 00:31:52,350
Many of them had Vietnamese
wives, mistresses, whatever.
478
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,690
Just hadn't left.
479
00:31:55,690 --> 00:31:57,820
And they were basically
letting us know,
480
00:31:57,820 --> 00:32:00,490
"We're not leaving
without our families."
481
00:32:00,490 --> 00:32:05,200
Finally, we were given authority
by the Ambassador
482
00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:08,870
to bypass the immigration laws
483
00:32:08,870 --> 00:32:11,550
and send these Vietnamese
out of the country.
484
00:32:14,380 --> 00:32:16,300
So then we started an operation
485
00:32:16,300 --> 00:32:20,260
basically to get out
the Americans
486
00:32:20,260 --> 00:32:22,100
and their Vietnamese dependents.
487
00:32:27,140 --> 00:32:28,860
SNEPP: It was not an
official evacuation.
488
00:32:28,860 --> 00:32:33,400
We still had no organized plan
489
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:37,690
for evacuating high-risk
South Vietnamese
490
00:32:37,690 --> 00:32:39,240
because we had an ambassador
491
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,070
who was making up his mind
on the wing.
492
00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,410
GARRICK UTLEY: The President
also asked Congress
493
00:32:43,410 --> 00:32:45,330
for authorization to use
American troops here
494
00:32:45,330 --> 00:32:46,660
to evacuate Americans
495
00:32:46,660 --> 00:32:48,250
and Vietnamese
who worked for Americans.
496
00:32:48,250 --> 00:32:49,790
If it were necessary.
497
00:32:49,790 --> 00:32:51,380
Do you have plans for that?
498
00:32:51,380 --> 00:32:54,210
Well, of course, every embassy
in the world has plans for it.
499
00:32:54,210 --> 00:32:55,930
Do you think
it will be necessary?
500
00:32:55,930 --> 00:32:59,210
That again, you see,
is a judgment
501
00:32:59,210 --> 00:33:04,090
that I can’t possibly make
at this time.
502
00:33:04,090 --> 00:33:07,100
We have been reducing
the population here
503
00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:09,260
as measure of prudency
504
00:33:09,270 --> 00:33:11,310
and will take measures
to reduce it further
505
00:33:11,310 --> 00:33:14,560
as a question of prudence.
506
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,900
The Ambassador
was extremely skittish,
507
00:33:17,900 --> 00:33:21,870
and I guess understandably so,
about talking about evacuation,
508
00:33:21,870 --> 00:33:24,160
about sending signals
that an evacuation
509
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,160
was being planned
or even executed.
510
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,790
He feared it would trigger
a panic.
511
00:33:34,670 --> 00:33:37,130
BINH PHO: It time to get out.
512
00:33:37,130 --> 00:33:42,260
And in Saigon at that time,
it was like, "Who do you know?"
513
00:33:42,260 --> 00:33:44,100
The the key word
would be "connection."
514
00:33:46,300 --> 00:33:50,140
There's a lot of people,
they try to get their money
515
00:33:50,140 --> 00:33:52,600
because if the people
have money,
516
00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,650
maybe they will find
a connection to get out.
517
00:33:56,650 --> 00:33:59,310
You know, and so,
"You want to go?
518
00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,160
Give me this kind of money."
519
00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:04,150
One guy said to me,
520
00:34:04,150 --> 00:34:06,410
"Your family, tell them
to come to the boat dock.
521
00:34:06,410 --> 00:34:08,530
I'll be waiting for them."
522
00:34:08,530 --> 00:34:12,500
Of course they took the money,
but they never got us.
523
00:34:15,670 --> 00:34:19,830
DAM PHAM: There was chaos
in Saigon at that time.
524
00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:25,670
Everybody was looking for ways
to get out as soon as possible.
525
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:29,220
Of course, the Americans
we worked with
526
00:34:29,220 --> 00:34:31,890
had a plan in place for us.
527
00:34:31,890 --> 00:34:37,230
They told us to get
to the meeting place,
528
00:34:37,230 --> 00:34:44,650
which was a safe house
near the American embassy,
529
00:34:44,650 --> 00:34:48,530
and to wait for buses
to come to pick us up.
530
00:34:57,790 --> 00:34:59,380
If we were gonna get people out,
531
00:34:59,380 --> 00:35:01,000
we were gonna have
to make it happen
532
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,050
and deliver the Vietnamese
to the big airplanes
533
00:35:04,050 --> 00:35:07,800
in some form or fashion.
534
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:09,640
And the only way
we could do that
535
00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:13,190
was keeping the airport open
as long as we could.
536
00:35:29,410 --> 00:35:33,410
HERRINGTON: Ambassador Martin
still hoped that somehow,
537
00:35:33,410 --> 00:35:37,330
this thing would not end
with the North Vietnamese
538
00:35:37,330 --> 00:35:42,580
humiliating the United States
by attacking Saigon.
539
00:35:42,590 --> 00:35:47,510
But it seemed like the North
Vietnamese had other ideas.
540
00:35:52,430 --> 00:35:54,310
(EXPLOSIONS)
541
00:35:58,930 --> 00:36:02,730
(EXPLOSIONS)
542
00:36:09,950 --> 00:36:13,120
What may be the final battle
of Saigon has begun.
543
00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:15,990
Communist ground forces
have started moving in
544
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,210
on Saigon's
Tan Son Nhut Airport.
545
00:36:18,210 --> 00:36:20,830
REPORTER: Rockets exploded
all over the base,
546
00:36:20,830 --> 00:36:23,800
touching off three major fires.
547
00:36:25,340 --> 00:36:27,840
HERRINGTON: The air base was
under continuous artillery fire.
548
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:29,840
I felt the rounds.
549
00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:32,470
They were so close,
550
00:36:32,470 --> 00:36:35,970
the shrapnel was plinking
against the fence behind us.
551
00:36:35,970 --> 00:36:41,520
It was abundantly clear that
it was a whole new ball game.
552
00:36:47,780 --> 00:36:50,780
JUAN VALDEZ: We never expected
any trouble out there.
553
00:36:50,780 --> 00:36:55,120
And then, of course,
fear a little bit set in
554
00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:58,340
because now we knew that it
really meant business, you know?
555
00:36:58,340 --> 00:37:02,000
Were they gonna continue
shelling Tan Son Nhut?
556
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,960
They had given us a warning,
you know?
557
00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:07,680
"Get out."
558
00:37:10,380 --> 00:37:14,300
HERRINGTON: As the sun
came up, General Smith,
559
00:37:14,300 --> 00:37:17,390
who was our defense attaché
out at Tan Son Nhut,
560
00:37:17,390 --> 00:37:19,520
contacted the Ambassador
and said,
561
00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:21,190
"The plan to use the fixed-wing
562
00:37:21,190 --> 00:37:22,810
"to get a few thousand people
out today
563
00:37:22,810 --> 00:37:25,020
"isn't gonna work.
564
00:37:25,020 --> 00:37:28,860
"And we need to consider
that this is it.
565
00:37:28,860 --> 00:37:30,190
"Option 4:
566
00:37:30,190 --> 00:37:33,820
A heavy-lift
helicopter evacuation."
567
00:37:33,820 --> 00:37:38,580
And Ambassador Martin
wouldn’t hear of it.
568
00:37:38,580 --> 00:37:40,200
He said,
"l want to come out there.
569
00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:42,130
I want to see it,"
and which he did.
570
00:37:42,130 --> 00:37:44,040
He got in a sedan.
571
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:45,790
He didn't lack for guts.
572
00:37:45,790 --> 00:37:49,500
There were still rounds
coming in...
573
00:37:49,500 --> 00:37:52,050
Sporadic, but there was still
artillery fire.
574
00:37:54,590 --> 00:37:57,680
And he could see that
the main runway
575
00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:01,600
was full of craters
from North Vietnamese artillery.
576
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:04,560
And it was understood
that General Smith
577
00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:09,070
was not being premature with the
recommendation for Option 4.
578
00:38:12,190 --> 00:38:16,240
MCBRIDE: Ambassador Martin's
concern very clearly up to now
579
00:38:16,240 --> 00:38:19,910
was that once we started
an official evacuation,
580
00:38:19,910 --> 00:38:25,410
it's pretty obvious that
the game is over.
581
00:38:25,410 --> 00:38:27,590
You've got to remember,
this is an ambassador
582
00:38:27,590 --> 00:38:32,920
who had lost his only son
in combat in Vietnam.
583
00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:37,220
One becomes pretty invested
in that country.
584
00:38:37,220 --> 00:38:40,050
He had been holding out hope
585
00:38:40,050 --> 00:38:44,770
that some kind of third-party
solution could be worked out
586
00:38:44,770 --> 00:38:48,100
so that South Vietnam
could continue
587
00:38:48,100 --> 00:38:52,730
with some form of independence
or autonomy.
588
00:38:52,730 --> 00:38:55,110
And he was being encouraged
589
00:38:55,110 --> 00:38:58,740
to think that
this might be possible.
590
00:38:58,740 --> 00:39:01,320
But the morning of the 29th,
591
00:39:01,330 --> 00:39:06,050
he came to accept the fact that
that wasn’t going to happen.
592
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,170
And I picked up the phone
593
00:39:12,170 --> 00:39:16,970
and told Secretary Kissinger
to inform the President
594
00:39:16,970 --> 00:39:20,390
that I had decided we would have
to go to Option 4.
595
00:39:22,890 --> 00:39:27,190
HENRY KISSINGER: When I tell President
Ford the airport is being shelled
596
00:39:27,190 --> 00:39:31,310
and that it's now time
to pull the plug,
597
00:39:31,310 --> 00:39:34,480
he keeps coming back
time and again,
598
00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:36,990
"You really think
we have to do it?"
599
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,990
That's how heartbreaking
it was for him.
600
00:39:42,990 --> 00:39:49,500
He finally reluctantly
gave the go-ahead
601
00:39:49,500 --> 00:39:51,880
for the final evacuation.
602
00:39:55,090 --> 00:39:59,510
RADIO DJ: This is the American
Forces Vietnam Network.
603
00:39:59,510 --> 00:40:03,510
SNEPP: The prearranged
signal for the evacuation
604
00:40:03,510 --> 00:40:06,930
was broadcast on American radio
in Saigon.
605
00:40:06,930 --> 00:40:08,890
The message was,
606
00:40:08,890 --> 00:40:12,270
"The temperature
is 105 and rising,"
607
00:40:12,270 --> 00:40:16,940
and then Bing Crosby's
"White Christmas.“"
608
00:40:16,940 --> 00:40:20,450
And sure enough,
about 10:00 in the morning,
609
00:40:20,450 --> 00:40:23,070
I believe, on the 29th,
610
00:40:23,070 --> 00:40:28,040
there was Bing Crosby
on the airwaves.
611
00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:36,040
CROSBY: ♪ I'm dreaming
of a white Christmas ♪
612
00:40:37,380 --> 00:40:42,380
♪ Just like the ones
I used to know ♪
613
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:52,640
♪ Where the treetops glisten
and children listen ♪
614
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:06,400
♪ To hear sleigh bells
in the snow... ♪
615
00:41:06,830 --> 00:41:10,790
HERRINGTON: The plan was
when the signal was given,
616
00:41:10,790 --> 00:41:14,080
Americans still in Saigon
617
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,800
would immediately go
to pick-up zones around the city
618
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:21,090
so that buses could then come
to these 13 locations
619
00:41:21,090 --> 00:41:23,590
and get everybody
out to the airbase,
620
00:41:23,590 --> 00:41:27,680
where they would be helicoptered
to the fleet.
621
00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:31,430
We had prepared
three or four landing zones
622
00:41:31,430 --> 00:41:33,430
right across the street
from the main runway
623
00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:35,560
of Tan Son Nhut airbase...
624
00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:39,520
Areas which had not been
under artillery fire,
625
00:41:39,530 --> 00:41:43,320
where heavy lift helicopters
could come in.
626
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,660
It was a good plan,
627
00:41:45,660 --> 00:41:49,700
they had good facilities,
they had good security.
628
00:41:49,700 --> 00:41:52,000
Now that Option 4
had been declared,
629
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,540
I don't think anyone said,
630
00:41:53,540 --> 00:41:58,420
"Okay, we have 7,000,
6,000, 5,000," or what have you
631
00:41:58,420 --> 00:41:59,750
left to evacuate.
632
00:41:59,750 --> 00:42:02,050
I think it was,
"We are going to bring out
633
00:42:02,050 --> 00:42:05,800
"everybody we have left
at the airport
634
00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:09,220
"and everybody
who might show up,
635
00:42:09,220 --> 00:42:10,970
"and at a point in time,
636
00:42:10,970 --> 00:42:14,150
"the embassy will evacuate
its few hundred by buses to us
637
00:42:14,150 --> 00:42:15,640
and it'll be over."
638
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:21,320
But unfortunately,
the plan was compromised.
639
00:42:23,150 --> 00:42:26,700
JIM LAURIE: Vietnamese would
come up to these pick-up points
640
00:42:26,700 --> 00:42:31,280
and just my to get on the buses.
641
00:42:31,290 --> 00:42:33,660
It was word of mouth.
642
00:42:41,590 --> 00:42:45,840
Everybody in Saigon that day
seemed to want to leave.
643
00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:49,560
And by the time I got to my
pick-up point, it was chaos.
644
00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:51,680
Take it easy now, one at a time!
645
00:43:14,370 --> 00:43:16,700
LAURIE:
Everybody knew these buses
646
00:43:16,710 --> 00:43:20,370
were going to be going out
to Tan San Nhut airbase
647
00:43:20,380 --> 00:43:24,100
and there would be an escape
from Vietnam.
648
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:45,230
MCNAMARA: I got a telephone
call from Saigon
649
00:43:45,230 --> 00:43:48,200
saying that the president
had given an order for us
650
00:43:48,210 --> 00:43:51,030
to evacuate all Americans.
651
00:43:51,030 --> 00:43:54,120
Everybody was alerted,
652
00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:59,370
including all the Vietnamese
that l had informed.
653
00:43:59,370 --> 00:44:03,710
We got everybody
down to the boats.
654
00:44:03,710 --> 00:44:07,590
Our plan was that my deputy
would bring up the rear,
655
00:44:07,590 --> 00:44:10,840
and he would go through
the consulate buildings
656
00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:13,640
and make sure
that we had destroyed
657
00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:16,350
all of the sensitive materials.
658
00:44:16,350 --> 00:44:20,020
Staff Sergeant Hasty stayed
and helped him.
659
00:44:20,020 --> 00:44:24,150
HASTY:
I made the last broadcast.
660
00:44:24,150 --> 00:44:27,200
You know, "Saigon
and any monitoring station",
661
00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,490
"this is Can Tho Consulate,
signing off the air.
662
00:44:30,490 --> 00:44:33,990
We are evacuating."
663
00:44:33,990 --> 00:44:35,830
And then we drove down
664
00:44:35,830 --> 00:44:38,120
to where Terry McNamara
was loading people
665
00:44:38,130 --> 00:44:41,830
onboard the landing craft.
666
00:44:41,830 --> 00:44:46,250
We were trying to be, um...
667
00:44:46,250 --> 00:44:49,300
as unobtrusive as possible
in doing so.
668
00:44:49,300 --> 00:44:51,390
We did not want a repeat
of Da Nang.
669
00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:57,100
We set sail
with two landing craft
670
00:44:57,100 --> 00:45:03,140
packed with 18 Americans and
BOO-and-something Vietnamese.
671
00:45:03,150 --> 00:45:06,940
The biggest concern, of course,
672
00:45:06,940 --> 00:45:09,690
was basically
the North Vietnamese
673
00:45:09,690 --> 00:45:11,570
or what remnants
oi the VG were there
674
00:45:11,570 --> 00:45:16,030
would ambush us
at the narrowest portion,
675
00:45:16,030 --> 00:45:18,000
and basically we'd get our ass
handed to us.
676
00:45:23,790 --> 00:45:26,880
MCNAMARA: We got some
distance from Can Tho
677
00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:31,710
and suddenly, there were
some boats that came along,
678
00:45:31,720 --> 00:45:34,010
and they fired across our bow.
679
00:45:34,010 --> 00:45:35,510
(GUNSHOTS)
680
00:45:35,510 --> 00:45:37,890
HASTY: They were South
Vietnamese navy boats
681
00:45:37,890 --> 00:45:41,600
and they told us to heave to,
682
00:45:41,600 --> 00:45:44,950
which we did because they were
extremely well armed.
683
00:45:44,950 --> 00:45:48,650
Evidently, the orders
had gone out from on high
684
00:45:48,650 --> 00:45:52,690
to stop, you know,
anybody going out.
685
00:45:52,690 --> 00:45:57,070
MCNAMARA: They had been given
orders to bring us back to Can Tho
686
00:45:57,070 --> 00:46:00,620
because they thought that
we had deserters on board...
687
00:46:00,630 --> 00:46:05,040
You know, military officers
and people of military age.
688
00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:06,670
There actually were a couple,
689
00:46:06,670 --> 00:46:09,710
including the deputy
air force commander
690
00:46:09,710 --> 00:46:13,710
who put on civilian clothes
and snuck on the boat.
691
00:46:13,720 --> 00:46:17,840
But I wasn't going to go back
to Can Tho,
692
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:21,270
so there was a standoff
in the middle of the river.
693
00:46:21,270 --> 00:46:25,810
I asked the Vietnamese officer
in charge
694
00:46:25,810 --> 00:46:32,610
to get in touch with the navy
commander, Commodore Thang.
695
00:46:32,610 --> 00:46:37,410
I had gotten Commodore Thang's
wife and children out of Saigon.
696
00:46:37,410 --> 00:46:41,580
I was hoping that he would
reciprocate.
697
00:46:41,580 --> 00:46:43,450
And he did.
698
00:46:43,450 --> 00:46:47,330
He came down finally and
in a very loud voice, he said,
699
00:46:47,330 --> 00:46:50,080
"You don't have any
military people on here
700
00:46:50,090 --> 00:46:51,710
or people of military age?"
701
00:46:51,710 --> 00:46:53,390
And I said,
"Oh no, of course not."
702
00:46:53,390 --> 00:46:58,180
Well, he told the sailors
to stand down,
703
00:46:58,180 --> 00:47:03,140
and we continued down the river.
704
00:47:03,140 --> 00:47:06,110
The chances of success
of going down the river
705
00:47:06,110 --> 00:47:07,890
were 50/50 at best.
706
00:47:07,890 --> 00:47:12,370
But we continued on nonetheless.
707
00:47:26,750 --> 00:47:29,670
HERRINGTON:
As the morning progressed,
708
00:47:29,670 --> 00:47:34,170
the helicopter evacuation
was pretty well underway.
709
00:47:34,170 --> 00:47:37,470
But the timing
of when it would be over
710
00:47:37,470 --> 00:47:39,220
wasn't really our timing.
711
00:47:39,220 --> 00:47:42,310
It was, frankly, what the North
Vietnamese would tolerate.
712
00:47:42,310 --> 00:47:46,810
How long would they stand by
and let us do this?
713
00:47:50,810 --> 00:47:54,280
But that morning, Ambassador
Martin received a message
714
00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:56,940
that said within 24 hours,
715
00:47:56,940 --> 00:47:59,740
the U.S. presence in Vietnam
had to be closed out.
716
00:47:59,740 --> 00:48:02,950
Meaning, we had to be gone.
717
00:48:02,950 --> 00:48:06,910
I was part of the Four-Party
Joint Military Team,
718
00:48:06,910 --> 00:48:11,210
which was stationed out
at Tan Son Nhut.
719
00:48:11,210 --> 00:48:13,630
We thought, "We're going
to get ordered to leave."
720
00:48:13,630 --> 00:48:18,170
But instead, we got orders
from the ambassador
721
00:48:18,170 --> 00:48:20,550
to go to the embassy
722
00:48:20,550 --> 00:48:25,350
and be prepared to stay
after the embassy evacuated.
723
00:48:25,350 --> 00:48:31,100
We were to be the sole U.S.
military presence in Vietnam
724
00:48:31,100 --> 00:48:36,360
once the embassy evacuated
and the ambassador was gone.
725
00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:38,070
You know, lock ourselves
in a room
726
00:48:38,070 --> 00:48:40,660
and then come out
when the dust is settled
727
00:48:40,660 --> 00:48:43,700
and introduce ourselves
to the North Vietnamese.
728
00:48:43,700 --> 00:48:46,790
This was not a popular plan.
729
00:48:48,370 --> 00:48:50,080
But we complied.
730
00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:54,920
And around 11:00, 11:30,
we drove to the embassy.
731
00:48:54,920 --> 00:48:58,640
And when we got there,
it was teeming with people.
732
00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:08,060
MCBRIDE: That morning, there
must have been, I would guess,
733
00:49:08,060 --> 00:49:12,480
at least 10,000 people
literally ringing the embassy.
734
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:16,810
The embassy compound
was the size of a city block.
735
00:49:16,820 --> 00:49:18,400
It was big.
736
00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:23,820
And all sides of it were filled
200, 300 feet back.
737
00:49:23,820 --> 00:49:27,740
Fortunately, people were
by and large very controlled.
738
00:49:27,740 --> 00:49:31,250
They were very patient.
739
00:49:31,250 --> 00:49:35,420
They were just hoping
desperately to get in.
740
00:49:35,420 --> 00:49:38,840
PHO:
It's like the whole of Saigon
741
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:42,670
want to get inside
the American embassy.
742
00:49:42,670 --> 00:49:45,720
So you have to know somebody,
you know?
743
00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:49,890
If you're like me,
I find my friend
744
00:49:49,890 --> 00:49:54,560
and got a little paper
to ensure us to get in.
745
00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:57,350
So several of us
went to the embassy.
746
00:49:57,360 --> 00:49:59,570
Then my friend, he showed
the paper to the guard,
747
00:49:59,570 --> 00:50:02,740
and he's just kind of pointing
at each one of us,
748
00:50:02,740 --> 00:50:06,280
and we, one by one,
could go inside of the embassy.
749
00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:10,780
When I first got in,
I feel so good.
750
00:50:10,790 --> 00:50:14,750
"I'm in America...
I'm almost there."
751
00:50:14,750 --> 00:50:17,880
They have a courtyard
and a swimming pool,
752
00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:21,460
and we mostly gather
around the swimming pool.
753
00:50:21,460 --> 00:50:26,470
And 1,000 people there,
and they just keep coming in.
754
00:50:30,180 --> 00:50:34,890
SNEPP: That morning, CIA choppers
began picking up evacuees
755
00:50:34,890 --> 00:50:37,650
off the roofs of buildings
around the city
756
00:50:37,650 --> 00:50:40,490
and bringing them
to the embassy.
757
00:50:43,150 --> 00:50:47,660
There was an old pilot
named O.B. Harnage.
758
00:50:47,660 --> 00:50:51,830
He was blind in one eye
and lame in one leg.
759
00:50:51,830 --> 00:50:57,080
And I said, "Harnage,
we got people at 6 Gia Long."
760
00:50:57,080 --> 00:51:00,790
You gotta go pick them up."
761
00:51:00,790 --> 00:51:07,470
It was the deputy CIA station
chief's apartment building.
762
00:51:07,470 --> 00:51:11,300
There were a number
of very high-risk Vietnamese,
763
00:51:11,300 --> 00:51:14,520
including the defense minister
of South Vietnam,
764
00:51:14,530 --> 00:51:17,770
all waiting to be rescued.
765
00:51:17,770 --> 00:51:21,860
As they climbed up the ladder
to the roof,
766
00:51:21,860 --> 00:51:25,570
a photographer took
that famous photograph.
767
00:51:25,570 --> 00:51:28,780
Many people thought
that was the U.S. embassy.
768
00:51:28,780 --> 00:51:30,410
It wasn't.
769
00:51:30,410 --> 00:51:34,370
But it indicated to what extent
chaos had descended
770
00:51:34,370 --> 00:51:36,870
on this entire operation.
771
00:51:41,540 --> 00:51:45,170
HERRINGTON: So the CIA choppers
were bringing people to the embassy
772
00:51:45,170 --> 00:51:50,930
who where then supposed to go
to Tan Son Nhut airbase by bus,
773
00:51:50,930 --> 00:51:53,060
where they would magically
find their way
774
00:51:53,060 --> 00:51:54,480
to heavy lift helicopters.
775
00:51:56,640 --> 00:51:59,180
It was very clear
to the citizenry
776
00:51:59,190 --> 00:52:01,900
that something was up,
777
00:52:01,900 --> 00:52:04,740
and that something was probably
the Americans are leaving.
778
00:52:07,190 --> 00:52:09,610
Inside the embassy,
we discovered
779
00:52:09,610 --> 00:52:12,990
as we walked through the
buildings and the outbuildings
780
00:52:12,990 --> 00:52:16,290
and the swimming pool area
and the social club area,
781
00:52:16,290 --> 00:52:20,210
everywhere we looked
was teeming with Vietnamese.
782
00:52:20,210 --> 00:52:22,880
We counted them,
and the total number
783
00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:26,340
was about 2,800.
784
00:52:26,340 --> 00:52:29,130
There was no hiding it
that somehow,
785
00:52:29,130 --> 00:52:31,680
people had to have let
these people into the embassy.
786
00:52:31,680 --> 00:52:33,760
Was it, you know,
787
00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:36,860
Marine security guards who kind
of looked the other way?
788
00:52:36,860 --> 00:52:39,600
Was it American employees
in the embassy
789
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:42,320
who were doing kind of
what we did with black ops
790
00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:45,110
and taking care of their own?
791
00:52:45,110 --> 00:52:47,520
We never got
to the bottom of that
792
00:52:47,530 --> 00:52:51,610
and frankly,
we never pursued it.
793
00:52:51,610 --> 00:52:53,160
One of my Marines said to me,
794
00:52:53,160 --> 00:52:54,660
"You know, we should take out
the tailor."
795
00:52:54,660 --> 00:52:59,620
There was a tailor who made
all our civilian clothes.
796
00:52:59,620 --> 00:53:01,410
So I said,
797
00:53:01,410 --> 00:53:03,420
"Why don't we
take out the cook too?"
798
00:53:03,420 --> 00:53:05,340
He said, "Well, you should
take out the cook too",
799
00:53:05,340 --> 00:53:06,680
"and all the other cooks.
800
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:08,170
"They should get out.
801
00:53:08,170 --> 00:53:10,390
They had business
with Americans."
802
00:53:10,390 --> 00:53:12,380
So they took the bread truck
803
00:53:12,380 --> 00:53:15,850
and they rounded up the tailor,
the cooks and the dishwashers,
804
00:53:15,850 --> 00:53:17,970
a few others and their families,
805
00:53:17,970 --> 00:53:21,980
and drove them
into the embassy compound.
806
00:53:24,850 --> 00:53:28,030
STUART HERRINGTON:
The embassy had become a refuge.
807
00:53:28,030 --> 00:53:31,440
People were hoping to get in,
808
00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:34,820
and we were hoping
to get people out
809
00:53:34,820 --> 00:53:37,200
and down to the airbase.
810
00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:39,240
(BUS HONKING)
811
00:53:39,240 --> 00:53:44,580
JOE MCBRIDE: You couldn't have gotten
to the airfield if you wanted to.
812
00:53:44,580 --> 00:53:49,420
The roads were totally blocked.
813
00:53:49,420 --> 00:53:54,050
It forced the buses
to come back.
814
00:53:54,050 --> 00:53:57,800
So what if the master plan
815
00:53:57,800 --> 00:54:01,680
to take people out by air
from Tungshen doesn't work?
816
00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:02,900
Where's our fallback?
817
00:54:02,900 --> 00:54:03,980
Where's Plan B?
818
00:54:06,230 --> 00:54:08,610
HERRINGTON: If we were going
to bring out everybody
819
00:54:08,610 --> 00:54:11,860
who was inside the embassy,
it was obvious
820
00:54:11,860 --> 00:54:17,410
that there was the need for
a hasty plan to be developed
821
00:54:17,410 --> 00:54:21,660
for a helicopter airlift
out of the embassy to the fleet.
822
00:54:21,660 --> 00:54:26,510
And we had less than 24 hours
to pull it off.
823
00:54:31,670 --> 00:54:34,640
SNEPP: There was in the
parking lot of the embassy
824
00:54:34,640 --> 00:54:37,220
a great tamarind tree,
825
00:54:37,220 --> 00:54:40,220
which the Ambassador
had often referred to
826
00:54:40,220 --> 00:54:45,350
as "steadfast as the American
commitment in Vietnam."
827
00:54:45,350 --> 00:54:47,730
The CIA station chief
that last morning said,
828
00:54:47,730 --> 00:54:49,900
"Mr. Ambassador,
we have to cut this tree down."
829
00:54:52,900 --> 00:54:56,910
VALDEZ: You could not land any large
helicopters on the parking lot
830
00:54:56,910 --> 00:55:01,410
unless the tree and all
the shrubbery was all gone.
831
00:55:01,410 --> 00:55:05,910
The Ambassador had resisted us
cutting that tree
832
00:55:05,910 --> 00:55:10,250
because he did not want anybody
to be alerted
833
00:55:10,250 --> 00:55:12,750
that we were doing
any sort of evacuation
834
00:55:12,750 --> 00:55:14,430
or were going to do
any sort of evacuation.
835
00:55:17,970 --> 00:55:20,680
SULLIVAN: He was upset.
836
00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:24,890
But finally he succumbed,
you know, to just common sense
837
00:55:24,890 --> 00:55:26,770
and gave up his, uh...
838
00:55:26,770 --> 00:55:28,610
I guess you could call it
a dream.
839
00:55:28,610 --> 00:55:30,810
And we cut it down.
840
00:55:30,810 --> 00:55:32,690
(CHAINSAWS BUZZING)
841
00:55:36,030 --> 00:55:38,700
SNEPP: He had also, for
the past few days,
842
00:55:38,700 --> 00:55:41,910
prevented us from burning
classified documents
843
00:55:41,910 --> 00:55:45,210
for fear that it would panic
the South Vietnamese.
844
00:55:45,210 --> 00:55:48,120
So that morning of the 29th,
845
00:55:48,120 --> 00:55:52,250
we had thousands of pages
of classified documents
846
00:55:52,250 --> 00:55:56,960
we had failed to destroy
beforehand.
847
00:55:56,970 --> 00:56:00,180
Our next job was just looking
at that classified document idea
848
00:56:00,180 --> 00:56:01,720
and getting rid of that.
849
00:56:01,720 --> 00:56:04,390
So we went to every office
850
00:56:04,390 --> 00:56:06,890
and told them to start
pulling stuff,
851
00:56:06,890 --> 00:56:10,560
and piles and piles of paper
began coming out.
852
00:56:10,560 --> 00:56:13,160
And we began shredding.
853
00:56:18,780 --> 00:56:23,570
There was a small building
where we handled the pay
854
00:56:23,580 --> 00:56:27,660
for the Vietnamese
who worked for the embassy.
855
00:56:27,660 --> 00:56:29,450
And in this building,
856
00:56:29,460 --> 00:56:32,330
there was over $1 million
in U.S. currency.
857
00:56:32,340 --> 00:56:37,000
So we had to send a message
to the Navy,
858
00:56:37,010 --> 00:56:38,680
who sent it
to the Treasury Department,
859
00:56:38,680 --> 00:56:40,300
who came back and said,
"Destroy it."
860
00:56:40,300 --> 00:56:45,850
Sol assigned a few Marines
to get rid of the money.
861
00:56:45,850 --> 00:56:49,020
And I said, "Oh, by the way,
we're gonna lock you in there."
862
00:56:49,020 --> 00:56:51,440
It took them eight hours
to burn a million dollars.
863
00:56:53,770 --> 00:56:56,230
ARMITAGE: That morning,
864
00:56:56,230 --> 00:57:00,280
fear and desperation
were the order of the day.
865
00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:01,740
But I had a job to do,
866
00:57:01,740 --> 00:57:04,120
and it was an important job
to do, I thought,
867
00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:07,710
to deny the enemy the South
Vietnamese Naval ships.
868
00:57:34,100 --> 00:57:36,200
ARMITAGE:
We had expected, frankly,
869
00:57:36,200 --> 00:57:38,730
a longer time period
to get ready.
870
00:57:38,730 --> 00:57:41,820
We had been told by people
in our intelligence community
871
00:57:41,830 --> 00:57:43,870
that we might have as long
as the 4th of May,
872
00:57:43,870 --> 00:57:48,330
but the North Vietnamese
were closing in quite tightly,
873
00:57:48,330 --> 00:57:51,300
and clearly it was time
to send the signal to leave.
874
00:58:16,940 --> 00:58:19,770
ARMITAGE: I knew this,
875
00:58:19,770 --> 00:58:21,900
but I didn't know
how many civilians
876
00:58:21,900 --> 00:58:23,440
were gonna be on board.
877
00:58:23,440 --> 00:58:25,450
I had no idea.
878
00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:29,200
KIEM DO:
879
00:59:08,160 --> 00:59:11,700
GERALD BERRY: I was the
first one into the embassy.
880
00:59:11,700 --> 00:59:14,160
And my only mission
at this time,
881
00:59:14,160 --> 00:59:16,290
this is early in the afternoon,
was to bring the Ambassador out.
882
00:59:16,290 --> 00:59:20,330
It was actually a mission that
was called "Embassy Snatch."
883
00:59:20,330 --> 00:59:23,500
I was just supposed
to get the Ambassador.
884
00:59:23,500 --> 00:59:25,670
I land and I said to the people,
885
00:59:25,670 --> 00:59:29,130
I said, "I'm here to get
the Ambassador."
886
00:59:29,140 --> 00:59:31,340
Well, not quite.
887
00:59:31,350 --> 00:59:36,180
SNEPP: The Ambassador refused
to leave until he could get
888
00:59:36,180 --> 00:59:41,020
as many Vietnamese
on as many choppers as possible.
889
00:59:41,020 --> 00:59:45,320
The evacuation
of Vietnamese happened
890
00:59:45,320 --> 00:59:48,910
because Graham Martin
wanted it to happen.
891
00:59:59,370 --> 01:00:04,170
BERRY: So they loaded some
Vietnamese onto my helicopter
892
01:00:04,170 --> 01:00:06,010
and because I'm supposed to have
the Ambassador on board,
893
01:00:06,010 --> 01:00:08,050
we go right to the command ship,
the USS Blue Ridge.
894
01:00:10,890 --> 01:00:14,430
We land on the Blue Ridge,
General Carey comes out,
895
01:00:14,430 --> 01:00:16,270
wants to know where
the Ambassador is.
896
01:00:16,270 --> 01:00:18,060
I said,
"Well, he didn't get on."
897
01:00:18,060 --> 01:00:19,940
I mean, I don’t know
who I'm supposed to tell,
898
01:00:19,940 --> 01:00:21,860
but I told everybody I was
supposed to get the Ambassador
899
01:00:21,860 --> 01:00:23,230
but the Ambassador
didn't get on.
900
01:00:23,230 --> 01:00:25,070
So that starts the lift.
901
01:00:27,610 --> 01:00:32,160
Like I say, we had
75 Marine Corps helicopters.
902
01:00:32,160 --> 01:00:35,080
You and your wingman
would fly into the embassy,
903
01:00:35,080 --> 01:00:38,080
get your passengers loaded,
904
01:00:38,080 --> 01:00:40,960
and fly back out to the ships.
905
01:00:49,420 --> 01:00:52,220
It was a little over an hour
back and forth.
906
01:01:07,020 --> 01:01:09,700
PAUL JACOBS: On the USS
Kirk, our mission was
907
01:01:09,700 --> 01:01:11,530
to protect
the helicopters moving
908
01:01:11,530 --> 01:01:13,700
from the embassy out
to the aircraft carriers
909
01:01:13,700 --> 01:01:15,740
and back and forth.
910
01:01:15,740 --> 01:01:17,620
We were very close
to the action.
911
01:01:20,790 --> 01:01:23,210
HUGH DOYLE: You could
stand there on the deck
912
01:01:23,210 --> 01:01:26,290
and you could
watch it all happening.
913
01:01:26,290 --> 01:01:28,970
We thought that the USS Kirk
was just going to be
914
01:01:28,970 --> 01:01:32,260
an observer to this whole thing
915
01:01:32,260 --> 01:01:33,600
and when all of a sudden
916
01:01:33,600 --> 01:01:36,140
on radar we started seeing
these little blips
917
01:01:36,140 --> 01:01:38,560
coming out from the shore.
918
01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:40,810
MAN: I really don't
know where to start.
919
01:01:40,810 --> 01:01:43,110
We looked up at the horizon
and all you could see
920
01:01:43,110 --> 01:01:46,860
were helicopters all heading
toward us.
921
01:01:46,860 --> 01:01:49,200
DOYLE: These were not
Marine Corps helicopters.
922
01:01:49,200 --> 01:01:52,200
They were small helicopters,
the little Hueys,
923
01:01:52,200 --> 01:01:55,990
which were never part
of the evacuation plan.
924
01:01:55,990 --> 01:01:58,490
But they were flying
over top of us.
925
01:01:58,490 --> 01:01:59,490
We were watching them fly
926
01:01:59,490 --> 01:02:02,120
over top over and over
and over again.
927
01:02:05,460 --> 01:02:09,340
JACOBS: We viewed them as enemy
until we could verify who it was.
928
01:02:11,630 --> 01:02:13,970
Then we realized that these
929
01:02:13,970 --> 01:02:18,140
were South Vietnamese
trying to escape.
930
01:02:18,140 --> 01:02:19,560
I figured if we could save one,
931
01:02:19,560 --> 01:02:22,680
at least we'd save
15, 20 people.
932
01:02:22,680 --> 01:02:27,520
They were packed in there
like sardines.
933
01:02:27,520 --> 01:02:29,690
Sol made the decision.
934
01:02:29,690 --> 01:02:32,900
Land the helicopter.
935
01:02:32,900 --> 01:02:35,740
DOYLE: One of our sailors could
speak rudimentary Vietnamese.
936
01:02:35,740 --> 01:02:38,870
So we put him on the radio
and he started broadcasting.
937
01:02:38,870 --> 01:02:40,660
"This is ship 1087.
938
01:02:40,660 --> 01:02:44,450
Land here."
939
01:02:44,460 --> 01:02:47,120
So, we got his attention.
940
01:02:47,120 --> 01:02:50,710
He came flying over
and landed on our flight deck.
941
01:02:50,710 --> 01:02:53,720
And it turned out that
the pilot, he was the pilot
942
01:02:53,720 --> 01:02:57,380
for the deputy chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
943
01:02:57,390 --> 01:02:59,550
Real high up.
944
01:02:59,550 --> 01:03:02,850
And he had the general with him,
who was a two-star general,
945
01:03:02,850 --> 01:03:06,520
and the two-star general's
nephew, three women,
946
01:03:06,520 --> 01:03:08,900
and about four children.
947
01:03:08,900 --> 01:03:12,110
It was a big deal for us.
948
01:03:12,110 --> 01:03:14,150
When it landed,
we got everything off.
949
01:03:14,160 --> 01:03:16,070
And I looked up
because there were five, six,
950
01:03:16,080 --> 01:03:19,660
seven stacked up ready to land.
951
01:03:19,660 --> 01:03:22,910
DOYLE: Turned out all throughout
the southern part of Vietnam
952
01:03:22,910 --> 01:03:27,210
there were South Vietnamese Army
and Air Force installations
953
01:03:27,210 --> 01:03:29,430
with one or two or three
or four helicopters.
954
01:03:29,430 --> 01:03:32,340
And those helicopters
were flyable.
955
01:03:32,340 --> 01:03:34,460
Their pilots were there.
956
01:03:34,460 --> 01:03:37,550
And when they realized that
the evacuation was happening
957
01:03:37,560 --> 01:03:39,800
and they weren't going
to be part of it, they said,
958
01:03:39,800 --> 01:03:42,430
"Oh yeah, we are."
959
01:03:42,430 --> 01:03:45,930
JACOBS: These young Vietnamese
pilots would go to their homes,
960
01:03:45,940 --> 01:03:49,360
land right in their front yards,
pick up their families
961
01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:51,650
and anybody else,
and head out to sea,
962
01:03:51,650 --> 01:03:53,450
hoping they can rendezvous
with a ship.
963
01:03:53,450 --> 01:03:57,160
Well, we're one of the
first ships they saw.
964
01:04:00,610 --> 01:04:02,620
DOYLE:
Our flight deck will only take
965
01:04:02,620 --> 01:04:04,580
one helicopter at a time
landing.
966
01:04:04,580 --> 01:04:06,080
There are no wheels on them.
967
01:04:06,080 --> 01:04:07,580
They just have skids.
968
01:04:07,580 --> 01:04:09,830
We couldn't think of what else
to do and these other planes
969
01:04:09,830 --> 01:04:11,580
were looking for a place to land
970
01:04:11,580 --> 01:04:14,790
so we just physically
pushed them.
971
01:04:14,800 --> 01:04:17,140
Of course, this was a big old
helicopter, thousands of pounds,
972
01:04:17,140 --> 01:04:19,800
so we had to figure out how
to get it 15 feet over
973
01:04:19,800 --> 01:04:21,550
to the edge of the flight deck.
974
01:04:25,640 --> 01:04:27,230
You don't have time to think
about what you did,
975
01:04:27,230 --> 01:04:28,230
you just had to do it.
976
01:04:29,480 --> 01:04:32,820
So, we open up our flight deck
and they begin to land,
977
01:04:32,820 --> 01:04:36,360
one right after the other.
978
01:04:36,360 --> 01:04:39,240
Some of them were shot at,
holes in them.
979
01:04:42,490 --> 01:04:45,490
DOYLE: Most of the Vietnamese
who came out, I'm talking
980
01:04:45,500 --> 01:04:49,000
about the flight crews,
they were heavily armed,
981
01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:51,590
all with side arms,
some with M-16 rifles.
982
01:04:51,590 --> 01:04:55,010
They had no idea what was going
to happen so they came out
983
01:04:55,010 --> 01:04:57,840
ready for anything, really.
984
01:04:57,840 --> 01:05:00,680
So we had to disarm them.
985
01:05:05,260 --> 01:05:07,430
None of them had ever landed
on a ship before.
986
01:05:07,430 --> 01:05:08,900
They were Vietnamese Air Force.
987
01:05:08,900 --> 01:05:11,730
Everybody had a gun and we took
all the guns away from them.
988
01:05:11,730 --> 01:05:14,030
Then about five minutes later
another one came in and landed.
989
01:05:14,030 --> 01:05:17,200
And we pushed his airplane
over the side.
990
01:05:20,030 --> 01:05:22,360
That was the second one.
991
01:05:22,360 --> 01:05:25,120
I helped push that one over,
too.
992
01:05:25,120 --> 01:05:26,710
Then the third plane came in.
993
01:05:26,710 --> 01:05:27,990
It landed also.
994
01:05:27,990 --> 01:05:29,490
We pushed it over the side.
995
01:05:29,500 --> 01:05:32,750
So meanwhile, we've thrown three
helicopters in the water so far.
996
01:05:32,750 --> 01:05:34,120
This is incredible.
997
01:05:34,130 --> 01:05:36,750
I know you probably
don't believe any of this,
998
01:05:36,750 --> 01:05:37,920
but it's all true.
999
01:05:51,770 --> 01:05:53,730
HERRINGTON: By late afternoon,
1000
01:05:53,730 --> 01:05:56,730
the chopper flow at the embassy
really started.
1001
01:06:00,070 --> 01:06:01,570
And each time a bird came in,
1002
01:06:01,570 --> 01:06:03,740
here would go another
40, 50 people.
1003
01:06:03,740 --> 01:06:08,580
But did the right mix of people
get out?
1004
01:06:10,330 --> 01:06:12,700
You know, who says that
these were the people
1005
01:06:12,710 --> 01:06:15,080
who either deserved
or should have gone out?
1006
01:06:15,080 --> 01:06:18,920
At the embassy a lot
of the people who got out
1007
01:06:18,920 --> 01:06:21,970
happened to be good
wall jumpers.
1008
01:06:24,260 --> 01:06:27,430
VALDEZ: The choppers started
coming in at ten-minute intervals.
1009
01:06:27,430 --> 01:06:29,430
One would land on the roof
1010
01:06:29,430 --> 01:06:32,220
and one would land
on the parking lot.
1011
01:06:32,220 --> 01:06:34,850
They would put all
the Vietnamese in groups,
1012
01:06:34,850 --> 01:06:37,070
they would search them,
and if they had any weapons
1013
01:06:37,070 --> 01:06:40,570
all those weapons were thrown
into the swimming pool.
1014
01:06:40,570 --> 01:06:44,160
And as soon as the chopper
would land they would be brought
1015
01:06:44,160 --> 01:06:48,780
into the restricted area where
a couple of the Marines
1016
01:06:48,780 --> 01:06:50,960
would escort them
into the aircraft.
1017
01:06:54,500 --> 01:06:59,630
Then they would raise
the ramp up and take off.
1018
01:07:04,420 --> 01:07:06,640
BINH PHO:
I remember l talked to my friend
1019
01:07:06,640 --> 01:07:08,720
and he said,
"Oh, it's our turn now.
1020
01:07:08,730 --> 01:07:09,840
We're almost there."
1021
01:07:09,850 --> 01:07:11,270
You know, so we're all excited.
1022
01:07:13,430 --> 01:07:15,310
And I remember very
distinctively that every time
1023
01:07:15,310 --> 01:07:17,440
the helicopter coming down
it just blew us away.
1024
01:07:17,440 --> 01:07:18,900
We have to kind of duck down
1025
01:07:18,910 --> 01:07:21,780
to fight with the wind
of the chopper.
1026
01:07:28,110 --> 01:07:31,290
HERRINGTON: Three of the choppers
that came in each landed a platoon
1027
01:07:31,290 --> 01:07:33,830
of 40 Marines
from the task force.
1028
01:07:33,830 --> 01:07:36,880
And they had to be brought in
because we didn't have enough.
1029
01:07:36,880 --> 01:07:41,000
Marines in the embassy security
guard to secure the walls.
1030
01:07:46,260 --> 01:07:50,480
PHAM: I went with my
wife to the embassy.
1031
01:07:52,010 --> 01:07:58,230
A lot of people, they clenched
to the top of the wall,
1032
01:07:58,230 --> 01:07:59,440
but they couldn't get in.
1033
01:08:09,150 --> 01:08:13,620
HERRINGTON: Each gate
was besieged like that,
1034
01:08:13,620 --> 01:08:18,200
although the side gate was the
principal place where they came.
1035
01:08:18,210 --> 01:08:21,040
People holding letters saying,
1036
01:08:21,040 --> 01:08:22,630
you know,
"l worked for the Americans.
1037
01:08:22,630 --> 01:08:23,670
Please let me in."
1038
01:08:27,630 --> 01:08:31,630
Journalists were arriving
and counting on being recognized
1039
01:08:31,640 --> 01:08:33,510
to be let in by the Marines.
1040
01:08:44,230 --> 01:08:47,070
There was a sea of people
1041
01:08:47,070 --> 01:08:51,490
wanting to get out
by helicopters.
1042
01:08:51,490 --> 01:08:57,910
But, well, they looked up
at the helicopters leaving
1043
01:08:57,910 --> 01:09:01,870
and I could see their eyes.
1044
01:09:01,870 --> 01:09:03,800
Desperate eyes.
1045
01:09:15,010 --> 01:09:16,980
MIKI NGUYEN:
My dad flew a Chinook helicopter
1046
01:09:16,980 --> 01:09:20,350
in the South Vietnamese
Air Force.
1047
01:09:20,350 --> 01:09:24,270
He had been waiting for orders
but his captain had,
1048
01:09:24,270 --> 01:09:27,070
you know, basically just left.
1049
01:09:27,070 --> 01:09:29,900
So he and some other pilots
1050
01:09:29,900 --> 01:09:33,780
picked out the best Chinooks
and took off.
1051
01:09:38,450 --> 01:09:41,300
He said it was the Wild West
at this point.
1052
01:09:44,080 --> 01:09:47,460
Just you and your horse and you
just do what you had to do
1053
01:09:47,460 --> 01:09:50,090
to survive
and take care of your family.
1054
01:09:50,090 --> 01:09:53,220
He had given my mom a heads-up
1055
01:09:53,220 --> 01:09:58,300
that if she did hear
a Chinook coming, to get ready.
1056
01:09:58,310 --> 01:10:01,310
I was six and a half years old.
1057
01:10:01,310 --> 01:10:03,150
I can still hear the rumbling,
1058
01:10:03,150 --> 01:10:07,360
a very, you know, familiar
rumbling of a Chinook.
1059
01:10:07,360 --> 01:10:09,400
When you hear the Chinook
coming, you know it's coming.
1060
01:10:09,410 --> 01:10:10,490
I knew my dad was coming.
1061
01:10:14,240 --> 01:10:16,610
In Saigon, during my childhood,
1062
01:10:16,620 --> 01:10:21,490
it was like, say, living in
the middle of busy L.A.
1063
01:10:21,500 --> 01:10:26,210
So, there's really not
a big area to land the Chinook.
1064
01:10:26,210 --> 01:10:32,760
So he came in and landed
in a playfield.
1065
01:10:32,760 --> 01:10:36,590
Caused a lot of wind,
caused a lot of commotion.
1066
01:10:36,590 --> 01:10:39,680
My mom grabbed my little sister,
1067
01:10:39,680 --> 01:10:41,980
who was about six months
at that time,
1068
01:10:41,980 --> 01:10:43,850
and I have a little brother
who was
1069
01:10:43,850 --> 01:10:46,730
about three or four years old,
and myself.
1070
01:10:46,730 --> 01:10:53,190
We quickly ran into the Chinook
and we all flew off
1071
01:10:53,190 --> 01:10:57,070
out into the Pacific Ocean.
1072
01:10:59,120 --> 01:11:02,620
My dad was afraid
for not having enough fuel,
1073
01:11:02,620 --> 01:11:05,830
afraid for a lot of things.
1074
01:11:05,830 --> 01:11:08,210
He was just flying blind.
1075
01:11:08,210 --> 01:11:11,050
And then he saw a ship
out there.
1076
01:11:13,380 --> 01:11:16,380
DOYLE: In the middle of the
day, after we had taken
1077
01:11:16,390 --> 01:11:18,840
those first helicopters aboard,
1078
01:11:18,840 --> 01:11:22,050
this huge helicopter called
a Chinook,
1079
01:11:22,060 --> 01:11:24,900
it came out and tried to land on
the ship.
1080
01:11:24,900 --> 01:11:27,650
And oh, we almost... the thing
almost crashed onboard our ship.
1081
01:11:27,650 --> 01:11:29,650
JACOBS:
This big Chinook showed up.
1082
01:11:29,650 --> 01:11:33,400
There's no way he could land
1083
01:11:33,400 --> 01:11:35,070
on Kirk without impacting
the ship.
1084
01:11:35,070 --> 01:11:39,070
He would have killed everybody
on this helicopter plus my crew.
1085
01:11:39,070 --> 01:11:42,410
DOYLE:
It was way too big to land.
1086
01:11:42,410 --> 01:11:46,080
We thought that the helicopter
would just fly away.
1087
01:11:46,080 --> 01:11:49,550
But as the ship was moving
forward probably four, five,
1088
01:11:49,550 --> 01:11:52,390
six knots, something like that,
the pilot communicated
1089
01:11:52,390 --> 01:11:54,840
that he was running low on fuel.
1090
01:11:54,840 --> 01:11:58,720
JACOBS: He opened up the port side
of the helicopter and he hovered
1091
01:11:58,720 --> 01:12:00,890
across the stern of the Kirk.
1092
01:12:00,890 --> 01:12:04,390
Then, all of a sudden,
here comes a human.
1093
01:12:06,430 --> 01:12:09,190
NGUYEN: One by one, we jump out.
1094
01:12:09,190 --> 01:12:11,190
I jumped out,
my brother jumped out.
1095
01:12:11,190 --> 01:12:17,780
My mom was holding my sister,
obviously very scared.
1096
01:12:17,780 --> 01:12:23,280
And she just, you know, just
trustingly, just with one hand,
1097
01:12:23,280 --> 01:12:27,040
with her right hand, holding on
with her left to brace herself,
1098
01:12:27,040 --> 01:12:31,540
you know,
just dropped my baby sister.
1099
01:12:31,540 --> 01:12:34,670
DOYLE: One fella is standing
there and he said he looked up
1100
01:12:34,670 --> 01:12:37,140
and he saw this big bundle
of stuff come flying out
1101
01:12:37,140 --> 01:12:38,670
and it was a baby.
1102
01:12:38,670 --> 01:12:39,930
It was the one-year-old baby.
1103
01:12:42,970 --> 01:12:47,310
And then the mother jumped out
and he caught her, too.
1104
01:12:47,310 --> 01:12:52,440
Then the pilot flew out
on our starboard, right side.
1105
01:12:52,440 --> 01:12:57,570
He hovered with his wheels
in and out of the water.
1106
01:12:57,570 --> 01:12:59,660
He hovered there for like
ten minutes and we couldn't
1107
01:12:59,660 --> 01:13:01,280
figure out what he was doing
and it turned out
1108
01:13:01,280 --> 01:13:03,500
what he was doing was taking
his flight suit off.
1109
01:13:03,500 --> 01:13:07,870
Here's a man flying a twin rotor
helicopter by himself,
1110
01:13:07,870 --> 01:13:11,540
and at the same time
he's taking off a flight suit.
1111
01:13:11,540 --> 01:13:13,630
How you do it, I've talked
to helicopter pilots
1112
01:13:13,630 --> 01:13:16,170
and they can't figure out how he
did that, you know, how...
1113
01:13:16,170 --> 01:13:18,340
like a Houdini,
trying to get out of this thing.
1114
01:13:18,340 --> 01:13:21,390
And finally, he made
the helicopter roll to the right
1115
01:13:21,390 --> 01:13:26,180
as he stepped out the door
on the left.
1116
01:13:26,180 --> 01:13:29,970
(LOUD CRASH)
1117
01:13:29,980 --> 01:13:33,060
NGUYEN:
Just thunderous loud noise.
1118
01:13:33,060 --> 01:13:38,860
The shrapnel is just blowing up.
1119
01:13:38,860 --> 01:13:40,160
And suddenly just quiet.
1120
01:13:43,570 --> 01:13:44,860
And he pops up.
1121
01:13:44,870 --> 01:13:46,200
And he's alive.
1122
01:13:46,200 --> 01:13:49,160
(APPLAUSE)
1123
01:13:49,160 --> 01:13:51,620
DOYLE: And he swam away.
1124
01:13:51,620 --> 01:13:53,340
And the helicopter
was only about 20 feet from him
1125
01:13:53,340 --> 01:13:54,930
when it hit the water;
It was amazing.
1126
01:13:54,930 --> 01:13:57,710
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
1127
01:13:57,710 --> 01:13:59,210
We went out and picked him up.
1128
01:13:59,210 --> 01:14:00,760
He was none,
no worse for the wear.
1129
01:14:00,760 --> 01:14:02,840
He was a little bit wet.
1130
01:14:02,840 --> 01:14:06,100
Only one unfortunate thing is
he had some small bars of gold,
1131
01:14:06,100 --> 01:14:08,020
which was all his worldly
possessions,
1132
01:14:08,020 --> 01:14:11,390
that were in his shirt pocket
and it sank.
1133
01:14:11,390 --> 01:14:12,810
So he lost everything.
1134
01:14:12,810 --> 01:14:14,480
He didn’t own
a thing but his underwear
1135
01:14:14,480 --> 01:14:17,270
when he finally came aboard
the ship.
1136
01:14:17,270 --> 01:14:21,230
He was a tremendous pilot.
1137
01:14:21,230 --> 01:14:24,950
The guy was just so cool
and calm.
1138
01:14:24,950 --> 01:14:30,160
We've so far taken a total
of 17 helicopters.
1139
01:14:30,160 --> 01:14:33,410
We ended up with 157 people
aboard this ship.
1140
01:14:40,710 --> 01:14:43,050
JACOBS:
And that crew was very special.
1141
01:14:43,050 --> 01:14:46,100
They went, they took their
money, went to the Navy exchange
1142
01:14:46,100 --> 01:14:49,520
and commissary, bought all the
clothes and food they could get,
1143
01:14:49,520 --> 01:14:52,640
took it up and gave it to the
refugees they had befriended.
1144
01:14:52,640 --> 01:14:55,520
They were unbelievable.
1145
01:14:57,650 --> 01:15:01,110
DOYLE: We laid mats and all
kinds of blankets and stuff out
1146
01:15:01,110 --> 01:15:02,690
on the deck for the babies.
1147
01:15:02,690 --> 01:15:04,620
And there were all kinds of...
there were infants
1148
01:15:04,620 --> 01:15:06,780
and children and women,
1149
01:15:06,780 --> 01:15:09,950
and oh, it was a scene
I'll never forget.
1150
01:15:12,410 --> 01:15:13,910
NGUYEN: We were happy.
1151
01:15:13,910 --> 01:15:17,080
My mom was just, you know, wow.
1152
01:15:17,080 --> 01:15:19,430
Symbolically, it was like,
you know, the first step
1153
01:15:19,430 --> 01:15:23,800
onto not American soil,
but American freedom.
1154
01:16:00,500 --> 01:16:05,840
HASTY: We continued down the river,
our landing craft in the lead.
1155
01:16:05,840 --> 01:16:11,760
We were, at this point,
four or five hours from Can Tho.
1156
01:16:11,760 --> 01:16:14,600
It's a metal landing craft.
1157
01:16:14,600 --> 01:16:19,440
The sun is beating down,
it's hotter than hell.
1158
01:16:19,440 --> 01:16:23,980
A less than pleasant voyage.
1159
01:16:23,980 --> 01:16:27,940
When suddenly, whoosh, bam!
1160
01:16:27,940 --> 01:16:29,530
(LOUD EXPLOSION)
1161
01:16:29,530 --> 01:16:32,780
Somebody fired
a B40 rocket at us.
1162
01:16:32,780 --> 01:16:36,410
We immediately started
returning fire.
1163
01:16:36,410 --> 01:16:42,040
We weren't sure who the dip-wad
was that was opening up on us,
1164
01:16:42,040 --> 01:16:47,000
but we continued blazing away
as we got past the ambush site.
1165
01:16:47,010 --> 01:16:50,550
(GUNSHOTS CONTINUE)
1166
01:16:50,550 --> 01:16:54,600
We said, "All right, that was
just a taste of what's coming."
1167
01:16:54,600 --> 01:16:57,970
"Once we hit the absolute
narrowest portion,
1168
01:16:57,970 --> 01:17:02,390
"that's where we're going
to really be in danger.
1169
01:17:02,400 --> 01:17:05,400
Stack the ammo because
this one's gonna be ugly."
1170
01:17:08,400 --> 01:17:12,700
MCNAMARA: The people on
the boat were scared.
1171
01:17:12,700 --> 01:17:16,120
We had to go through narrow
channels between the islands.
1172
01:17:16,120 --> 01:17:22,330
If we're gonna really get hit,
it'll be there.
1173
01:17:22,330 --> 01:17:30,090
But just at that point,
dark clouds formed in the sky
1174
01:17:30,090 --> 01:17:32,590
and it started raining
like hell.
1175
01:17:32,590 --> 01:17:37,140
(RAIN POURING)
1176
01:17:37,140 --> 01:17:40,980
HASTY: Could not see the bow of
the landing craft from the stern,
1177
01:17:40,990 --> 01:17:42,940
and that's 60 feet.
1178
01:17:42,940 --> 01:17:49,530
The noise of the rain
hitting the water on the river
1179
01:17:49,530 --> 01:17:54,410
was so loud that it muffled
the sound of our engines.
1180
01:17:54,410 --> 01:17:59,160
And this continued on
for about 25 minutes.
1181
01:17:59,160 --> 01:18:01,790
It was long enough
to get us through
1182
01:18:01,790 --> 01:18:05,120
the most dangerous part
of the trip.
1183
01:18:05,130 --> 01:18:08,630
And as the rain started
to let up,
1184
01:18:08,630 --> 01:18:10,800
we had reached the area
of the river past the channel,
1185
01:18:10,800 --> 01:18:12,390
past the little islands,
1186
01:18:12,390 --> 01:18:16,390
where it opened up
into a broad river again.
1187
01:18:16,390 --> 01:18:19,980
So somebody was looking out
for us that day.
1188
01:18:25,480 --> 01:18:28,480
MCNAMARA: I remember looking
back at the sun setting
1189
01:18:28,480 --> 01:18:32,480
over the Mekong Delta,
which is a beautiful place,
1190
01:18:32,490 --> 01:18:35,240
and thinking, "Well,
I'll never see this again."
1191
01:18:37,410 --> 01:18:41,620
I had gotten very attached
to Vietnam.
1192
01:18:41,620 --> 01:18:44,910
HASTY: As we came out
into the South China Sea,
1193
01:18:44,920 --> 01:18:48,130
it got dark,
and every now and then,
1194
01:18:48,130 --> 01:18:52,340
I would fire off
a couple of flares,
1195
01:18:52,340 --> 01:18:57,220
just in hopes that, you know,
maybe there is a ship out there.
1196
01:18:57,220 --> 01:18:58,840
Nothing.
1197
01:18:58,850 --> 01:19:01,270
And then we saw a faint light
on the horizon,
1198
01:19:01,270 --> 01:19:03,230
and as we got
a little bit closer,
1199
01:19:03,230 --> 01:19:06,520
we could see that they were
the lights of a ship's rigging.
1200
01:19:06,520 --> 01:19:08,110
So we said, "What the heck?"
1201
01:19:08,110 --> 01:19:09,860
So we made for it.
1202
01:19:14,950 --> 01:19:17,610
We came up alongside
1203
01:19:17,610 --> 01:19:20,580
and somebody shouted,
"Get rid of your weapons.
1204
01:19:20,590 --> 01:19:24,450
Nobody comes aboard
with weapons."
1205
01:19:24,450 --> 01:19:26,660
Sol yelled, "We're Marines"
1206
01:19:26,670 --> 01:19:30,080
and we're coming aboard
with our weapons."
1207
01:19:30,090 --> 01:19:32,710
Well, as it turned out, the guys
yelling down were Marines.
1208
01:19:32,710 --> 01:19:37,930
MCNAMARA: It was an American
freighter, the Pioneer Contender.
1209
01:19:37,930 --> 01:19:40,430
They took us aboard.
1210
01:19:40,430 --> 01:19:43,680
And I had 300 people with me.
1211
01:19:43,680 --> 01:19:47,860
They got them
into the hold of the ship.
1212
01:19:51,770 --> 01:19:56,240
HASTY: All our Vietnamese remained
on the Pioneer Con tender.
1213
01:19:56,240 --> 01:19:59,530
We made sure
they were taken care of
1214
01:19:59,530 --> 01:20:03,160
and the Pioneer Contender
was going to Guam.
1215
01:20:03,160 --> 01:20:05,080
We knew they were safe.
1216
01:20:26,730 --> 01:20:28,650
BERRY:
When we started the evacuation
1217
01:20:28,650 --> 01:20:31,070
we were very, very excited
about it.
1218
01:20:31,070 --> 01:20:33,810
Then your next emotion
probably was
1219
01:20:33,820 --> 01:20:37,190
just determined to get this job
done and get these people out.
1220
01:20:39,990 --> 01:20:42,910
And then, later as it went on
you became fatigued
1221
01:20:42,910 --> 01:20:46,130
and frustrated that you could
never make a dent in the amount
1222
01:20:46,130 --> 01:20:49,670
of people that were coming out
of the embassy.
1223
01:20:52,210 --> 01:20:54,300
You’d ask questions like, was
the crowd getting any smaller?
1224
01:20:54,300 --> 01:20:56,470
"When are we going
to finish this?" you know.
1225
01:20:56,470 --> 01:20:57,960
And they'd say,
1226
01:20:57,960 --> 01:20:59,840
"You know, we're under orders
from the Ambassador.
1227
01:20:59,840 --> 01:21:02,630
We're doing the best we can."
1228
01:21:02,640 --> 01:21:04,010
HERRINGTON:
Carrier pilots were saying,
1229
01:21:04,010 --> 01:21:07,890
look, it's an uncontrollable sea
of people
1230
01:21:07,890 --> 01:21:11,140
and Ambassador Martin has lost
his objectivity,
1231
01:21:11,140 --> 01:21:13,270
that Ambassador Martin is trying
to evacuate
1232
01:21:13,270 --> 01:21:15,520
all of Saigon
through the U.S. embassy.
1233
01:21:17,980 --> 01:21:21,830
But he was doing his best
under terrible circumstances.
1234
01:21:25,330 --> 01:21:27,250
JOSEPH MCBRIDE: Ambassador Martin
was dragging out the evacuation
1235
01:21:27,250 --> 01:21:28,910
as long as he could
1236
01:21:28,910 --> 01:21:32,710
to get as many South Vietnamese
out as possible.
1237
01:21:32,710 --> 01:21:36,760
Each helicopter took
about 40 people.
1238
01:21:38,050 --> 01:21:41,260
He knew that once the Americans
were gone,
1239
01:21:41,260 --> 01:21:44,140
the evacuation would be over.
1240
01:21:46,390 --> 01:21:51,230
So they just put one or two
Americans on each one.
1241
01:21:58,940 --> 01:22:02,370
You're very tired and you're
not seeing an end to this thing.
1242
01:22:02,370 --> 01:22:04,070
Sol got the word out,
1243
01:22:04,070 --> 01:22:07,910
"You know, we could use
some help out here.
1244
01:22:07,910 --> 01:22:09,710
We only have 75 helicopters."
1245
01:22:09,710 --> 01:22:13,120
And the word comes back, "No."
1246
01:22:13,120 --> 01:22:15,380
No, Marine pilots
don't get tired."
1247
01:22:22,300 --> 01:22:25,640
Back at the embassy under
the Ambassador's direction,
1248
01:22:25,640 --> 01:22:28,760
we, of course, were taking
advantage
1249
01:22:28,760 --> 01:22:32,230
of the presence of the aircraft
to evacuate threatened folks.
1250
01:22:36,020 --> 01:22:40,240
But there were other independent
efforts to get people out.
1251
01:22:42,400 --> 01:22:46,750
MCBRIDE: Several of us at the embassy
agreed that we would drive vans
1252
01:22:46,750 --> 01:22:50,590
down to the docks
on the Saigon River.
1253
01:22:53,120 --> 01:22:57,500
I had an assigned assembly point
in the middle of Saigon,
1254
01:22:57,500 --> 01:23:01,750
and I crammed about 15 people
into a nine-person van
1255
01:23:01,750 --> 01:23:05,010
and then drove through
the streets of Saigon
1256
01:23:05,010 --> 01:23:11,640
through various checkpoints
down to the docks.
1257
01:23:14,230 --> 01:23:16,020
People would get out
1258
01:23:16,020 --> 01:23:19,740
and go running for these
commercial boats and get on.
1259
01:23:21,270 --> 01:23:25,150
I made a number of runs
and there‘d just be more
1260
01:23:25,150 --> 01:23:27,250
and more and more people.
1261
01:23:36,830 --> 01:23:38,960
Finally, as the sun
was going down,
1262
01:23:38,960 --> 01:23:41,170
we were running out of light.
1263
01:23:41,170 --> 01:23:45,880
Man came up to me.
1264
01:23:45,880 --> 01:23:50,840
I turned to him and said,
"This is my last load.
1265
01:23:50,850 --> 01:23:52,810
L, you know,
I can't take anymore."
1266
01:23:52,810 --> 01:23:54,310
I said, "Well, get your family."
1267
01:23:54,310 --> 01:23:55,520
And he said, "Can’t do it."
1268
01:23:55,530 --> 01:23:56,980
"My family's too big.
1269
01:23:56,980 --> 01:23:59,820
My family's too big."
1270
01:24:03,070 --> 01:24:08,200
And he just shook my hand
and said, "Thanks for trying,"
1271
01:24:08,200 --> 01:24:09,570
and walked away.
1272
01:24:09,570 --> 01:24:15,910
Sol came back to the embassy
and parked the van.
1273
01:24:15,910 --> 01:24:19,790
It was already getting
well into twilight.
1274
01:24:19,790 --> 01:24:21,590
Got my way through the crowd.
1275
01:24:21,590 --> 01:24:23,180
It was a big crowd.
1276
01:24:27,510 --> 01:24:29,680
I had nothing more I could do.
1277
01:24:29,680 --> 01:24:33,430
So I went to get
on the helicopter
1278
01:24:33,430 --> 01:24:37,020
and Ambassador Martin pulled me
out of line and he said,
1279
01:24:37,020 --> 01:24:38,810
"l know what you've been doing.
1280
01:24:38,810 --> 01:24:40,190
"l know you’ve been out there.
1281
01:24:40,190 --> 01:24:41,480
"We've been talking.
1282
01:24:41,480 --> 01:24:43,480
I want to thank you."
1283
01:24:43,480 --> 01:24:46,330
I thought that
was a kind gesture.
1284
01:24:49,700 --> 01:24:51,660
By that time
it was definitely dark.
1285
01:24:51,670 --> 01:24:55,990
The lights of the...
of the helicopter inside
1286
01:24:55,990 --> 01:24:58,910
radiated very clearly.
1287
01:24:58,910 --> 01:25:01,250
I sat down, looked around.
1288
01:25:01,250 --> 01:25:04,840
I was one of maybe
two or three Americans.
1289
01:25:04,840 --> 01:25:08,210
The rest were all Vietnamese.
1290
01:25:08,210 --> 01:25:11,060
And we flew out.
1291
01:25:13,680 --> 01:25:16,100
PHO: It was very dark.
1292
01:25:16,100 --> 01:25:17,470
I remember that.
1293
01:25:17,470 --> 01:25:19,820
And people started to elbow
each other and try to get
1294
01:25:19,820 --> 01:25:22,600
in the front line.
1295
01:25:22,600 --> 01:25:25,110
And that's when
the Captain Herrington started
1296
01:25:25,110 --> 01:25:27,400
speaking to us in Vietnamese.
1297
01:25:27,400 --> 01:25:29,320
(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)
1298
01:25:29,320 --> 01:25:31,570
"Nobody is going to be
left behind."
1299
01:25:31,570 --> 01:25:34,910
(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)
1300
01:25:34,910 --> 01:25:39,290
PHO: And then he said, "when
you are in American embassy",
1301
01:25:39,290 --> 01:25:41,370
"you are in American soil.
1302
01:25:41,370 --> 01:25:44,420
"l promise, me and my soldier
will be the last one
1303
01:25:44,420 --> 01:25:45,960
leave the embassy."
1304
01:25:45,960 --> 01:25:49,760
So after that announcement
everybody feel relaxed.
1305
01:25:49,760 --> 01:25:51,760
Literally, we totally relaxed.
1306
01:25:51,760 --> 01:25:53,230
We have nothing to worry about.
1307
01:25:53,230 --> 01:25:54,940
Yeah.
1308
01:25:57,470 --> 01:25:59,220
HENRY KISSINGER: We were told
1309
01:25:59,230 --> 01:26:03,640
that the North Vietnamese tanks
were coming very close.
1310
01:26:03,640 --> 01:26:06,110
So we asked,
we in the White House, asked
1311
01:26:06,110 --> 01:26:11,820
the Defense Department how many
South Vietnamese were left.
1312
01:26:11,820 --> 01:26:15,780
"“Left" meant inside
the embassy compound.
1313
01:26:15,780 --> 01:26:18,250
And then we calculated
how many helicopters
1314
01:26:18,250 --> 01:26:22,370
it would take to get them out.
1315
01:26:22,370 --> 01:26:28,920
We told Martin that he had
to be on the last helicopter.
1316
01:26:28,920 --> 01:26:31,170
HERRINGTON:
All I know is that in Washington
1317
01:26:31,170 --> 01:26:33,350
there was confusion
about the numbers on the ground.
1318
01:26:35,890 --> 01:26:40,850
At 1:00 a.m. there were
1,100 people left to evacuate.
1319
01:26:40,850 --> 01:26:42,560
After we'd had a flurry
of choppers
1320
01:26:42,560 --> 01:26:44,780
and cleaned out
more than half of them
1321
01:26:44,780 --> 01:26:47,310
and there were 420 people left,
1322
01:26:47,310 --> 01:26:50,110
we received an order
from Washington
1323
01:26:50,110 --> 01:26:52,070
that the lift was over
1324
01:26:52,070 --> 01:26:54,950
other than the extraction
of the remaining Americans.
1325
01:26:56,990 --> 01:26:58,830
BERRY:
About 4:00 in the morning, 4:30,
1326
01:26:58,830 --> 01:27:01,240
I land on the
USS Blue Ridge again.
1327
01:27:01,240 --> 01:27:05,660
So, General Carey comes out,
gives me an apple
1328
01:27:05,670 --> 01:27:07,750
and a cup of coffee
or something and says,
1329
01:27:07,750 --> 01:27:09,340
"We're under orders
from the President.
1330
01:27:09,340 --> 01:27:11,880
You got to get
the Ambassador out."
1331
01:27:11,880 --> 01:27:13,760
So we fly in.
1332
01:27:13,760 --> 01:27:17,680
I land on the roof exactly at
4:50 in the morning and I said,
1333
01:27:17,680 --> 01:27:23,220
"I'm not leaving until
the Ambassador's onboard."
1334
01:27:23,220 --> 01:27:26,230
VALDEZ: One of the Marines
lowered the flag, folded it up
1335
01:27:26,230 --> 01:27:29,320
and escorted the Ambassador
up to the landing zone
1336
01:27:29,320 --> 01:27:30,690
up on top of the embassy
1337
01:27:30,690 --> 01:27:33,690
and he gave him the flag
1338
01:27:33,690 --> 01:27:36,290
and, uh, that was it.
1339
01:27:39,370 --> 01:27:41,960
HERRINGTON: Major Kean came to
Colonel Madison, said, "No more."
1340
01:27:41,960 --> 01:27:43,950
Only Americans
from this point on."
1341
01:27:43,950 --> 01:27:47,040
And Madison said,
"The hell you say.
1342
01:27:47,040 --> 01:27:49,040
We've got these people
over here."
1343
01:27:49,040 --> 01:27:53,040
And Kean said,
"Sir, not going to happen.
1344
01:27:53,050 --> 01:27:55,710
It's a presidential order."
1345
01:27:55,720 --> 01:27:58,060
And Madison said, "I'll take
this up with the Ambassador."
1346
01:27:58,060 --> 01:27:59,850
He was very hot
under the collar.
1347
01:27:59,850 --> 01:28:04,720
And Kean said,
"You can't, that's him,"
1348
01:28:04,720 --> 01:28:08,450
and pointed to the CH-46
that was just flying away.
1349
01:28:14,400 --> 01:28:18,490
BERRY:
So the Ambassador's on board.
1350
01:28:18,490 --> 01:28:19,870
And out we go.
1351
01:28:24,870 --> 01:28:27,660
We land on the Blue Ridge.
1352
01:28:27,660 --> 01:28:32,040
15 or 20, maybe 25 people
get off with the Ambassador
1353
01:28:32,040 --> 01:28:33,920
and that was the end of it.
1354
01:28:36,050 --> 01:28:38,760
I flew 18.3 hours
straight through.
1355
01:28:38,760 --> 01:28:43,090
Graham Martin looked very tired,
extremely haggard.
1356
01:28:43,100 --> 01:28:46,310
I mean, he looked like... I'm
sure the pressure was immense.
1357
01:28:46,310 --> 01:28:49,190
REPORTER: And at what time
were you to cease evacuation?
1358
01:28:49,190 --> 01:28:51,440
Cease evacuation?
1359
01:28:51,440 --> 01:28:54,320
BERRY: We could still be flying if
we hadn't gotten the Ambassador out
1360
01:28:54,320 --> 01:28:59,610
because he refused to stop
the lift.
1361
01:28:59,610 --> 01:29:00,660
I think about 3:00.
1362
01:29:00,660 --> 01:29:01,950
REPORTER: 3:00 in the morning?
1363
01:29:01,950 --> 01:29:03,290
No, 3:45.
1364
01:29:08,910 --> 01:29:13,420
HERRINGTON: Colonel Madison
says to me, "We're screwed."
1365
01:29:13,420 --> 01:29:16,040
"Stu, you stay down here
in the parking lot
1366
01:29:16,050 --> 01:29:18,960
and keep these 420 people warm"-
1367
01:29:18,970 --> 01:29:22,430
meaning if they see us
all leave at the same time
1368
01:29:22,430 --> 01:29:26,430
they'll panic-"and then make
your way to the roof.
1369
01:29:26,430 --> 01:29:28,310
We gotta go."
1370
01:29:28,310 --> 01:29:32,560
And he was very angry
and very disappointed.
1371
01:29:32,560 --> 01:29:36,690
So they disappeared
into the embassy.
1372
01:29:36,690 --> 01:29:38,440
And I went to where
the remaining Vietnamese
1373
01:29:38,440 --> 01:29:40,940
who were waiting and told
them...
1374
01:29:40,950 --> 01:29:44,910
(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)
1375
01:29:44,910 --> 01:29:52,710
"Big helicopters about to come,"
and waited a few minutes.
1376
01:29:52,710 --> 01:29:56,290
Then I saw a chopper take off
and I thought,
1377
01:29:56,290 --> 01:29:59,880
"Shit, was I supposed to be
on that one?"
1378
01:29:59,880 --> 01:30:02,430
So, I looked at the Vietnamese
and I said...
1379
01:30:02,430 --> 01:30:03,930
(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)
1380
01:30:03,930 --> 01:30:06,680
"l got to take a leak."
1381
01:30:06,680 --> 01:30:10,100
And I left into the shadows.
1382
01:30:10,100 --> 01:30:12,900
I made my way around
in a circuitous route
1383
01:30:12,900 --> 01:30:14,990
and went into the embassy.
1384
01:30:16,980 --> 01:30:22,830
I thought about how this
really, really was wrong.
1385
01:30:24,410 --> 01:30:27,380
I thought maybe I should
just say, "I'm not leaving"
1386
01:30:27,380 --> 01:30:30,950
till they go,
because I promised them."
1387
01:30:30,950 --> 01:30:33,370
And then I said,
"Don't be a fool.
1388
01:30:33,370 --> 01:30:34,920
"Maybe they've started
shooting down helicopters
1389
01:30:34,920 --> 01:30:36,120
"for all you know.
1390
01:30:36,130 --> 01:30:39,250
"You're not going to get
anybody else out.
1391
01:30:39,250 --> 01:30:41,880
"It's a presidential order.
1392
01:30:41,880 --> 01:30:44,880
This decision has been made."
1393
01:30:44,880 --> 01:30:50,310
So, I got to the roof and a
CH-46 alighted on the rooftop,
1394
01:30:50,310 --> 01:30:55,400
put its ramp down
and we got on board.
1395
01:30:59,360 --> 01:31:02,440
As it took off,
the door was open.
1396
01:31:02,440 --> 01:31:04,280
And down in the parking lot
1397
01:31:04,280 --> 01:31:06,410
I could see the group
of 420 of them.
1398
01:31:06,410 --> 01:31:08,410
They were right were we had
left them marshaled
1399
01:31:08,410 --> 01:31:11,910
on this little patch of grass.
1400
01:31:11,910 --> 01:31:14,950
I felt absolutely awful.
1401
01:31:14,960 --> 01:31:21,180
It was just so...
serious and deep a betrayal.
1402
01:31:34,850 --> 01:31:37,810
JACOBS: Later that night I was
quite surprised that I got
1403
01:31:37,810 --> 01:31:39,410
a call to
"Come alongside the flagship.
1404
01:31:39,410 --> 01:31:42,320
The Admiral wants to speak
to you."
1405
01:31:42,320 --> 01:31:46,900
My first reaction, as any CO,
is, "What did we do?"
1406
01:31:46,900 --> 01:31:52,330
not realizing we had been picked
for a special mission.
1407
01:31:52,330 --> 01:31:55,120
DOYLE: We were supposed
to pick up this person.
1408
01:31:55,120 --> 01:31:58,380
He was 30 years old,
came aboard, civilian clothes.
1409
01:31:58,380 --> 01:32:00,670
And the Captain was just told
1410
01:32:00,670 --> 01:32:05,710
to take his direction
from this guy.
1411
01:32:05,720 --> 01:32:09,680
RICHARD ARMITAGE: I went aboard the
Kirk and met with Captain Paul Jacobs.
1412
01:32:09,680 --> 01:32:12,150
And the first thing he said
to me is,
1413
01:32:12,150 --> 01:32:15,140
"Young man, I'm not accustomed
1414
01:32:15,140 --> 01:32:17,640
"to strange civilians coming
aboard my ship armed
1415
01:32:17,650 --> 01:32:19,230
in the middle of the night."
1416
01:32:19,230 --> 01:32:21,530
And I said, "Captain,
I assure you, neither am l."
1417
01:32:21,530 --> 01:32:25,110
JACOBS: He smelled like a
Naval officer, you know.
1418
01:32:25,110 --> 01:32:26,740
You know, one officer
can smell another one.
1419
01:32:26,740 --> 01:32:28,660
So, I looked him up
in the blue book.
1420
01:32:28,660 --> 01:32:31,280
He's a graduate
of the Naval Academy.
1421
01:32:31,280 --> 01:32:33,080
So from that point on
we were fine.
1422
01:32:33,080 --> 01:32:34,330
"What do you want to do?"
1423
01:32:34,330 --> 01:32:37,050
And we worked together
as a team.
1424
01:32:40,460 --> 01:32:43,930
ARMITAGE: We steamed down to Con
Son Island and we could see
1425
01:32:43,930 --> 01:32:48,050
on the radar display that
there were a lot of blips.
1426
01:32:48,050 --> 01:32:50,720
And I remember dawn breaking
and the sun coming up,
1427
01:32:50,720 --> 01:32:54,600
and seeing what I had seen
as a radar display in person.
1428
01:32:56,890 --> 01:33:00,310
There were dozens of ships.
1429
01:33:00,310 --> 01:33:05,190
And not just Vietnamese
naval ships,
1430
01:33:05,190 --> 01:33:08,400
but also civilian ships.
1431
01:33:08,400 --> 01:33:12,280
And they were all totally
crammed with people.
1432
01:33:15,870 --> 01:33:19,540
JACOBS:
There are no words to describe
1433
01:33:19,540 --> 01:33:22,620
what a ship looks like
that holds 200
1434
01:33:22,630 --> 01:33:25,040
and it’s got 2,000 on it.
1435
01:33:25,040 --> 01:33:30,630
I don't think anybody really
understood the magnitude of it
1436
01:33:30,630 --> 01:33:33,760
until we looked at what
we got in front of us.
1437
01:33:35,430 --> 01:33:37,560
It looked like something
out of Exodus.
1438
01:33:39,730 --> 01:33:45,100
Our mission was to help the
ships into international waters.
1439
01:33:45,110 --> 01:33:49,440
But now they had
all these people.
1440
01:33:49,440 --> 01:33:53,320
My reaction is, "How the hell
are we going to do this?"
1441
01:33:55,620 --> 01:33:59,000
Most of the Vietnamese Navy
ships were dead in the water,
1442
01:33:59,000 --> 01:34:04,420
some were anchored,
some were just adrift.
1443
01:34:04,420 --> 01:34:06,540
So, we sent over our
engineering, technical people
1444
01:34:06,540 --> 01:34:12,510
to see what we could do to help
them and get them underway.
1445
01:34:12,510 --> 01:34:15,350
Some of these ships
had been hit by enemy fire
1446
01:34:15,350 --> 01:34:16,810
coming down the Saigon River.
1447
01:34:16,810 --> 01:34:20,930
One of the boats had been hit
and sinking,
1448
01:34:20,930 --> 01:34:24,020
so it went alongside one of the
other Vietnamese Navy ships.
1449
01:34:24,030 --> 01:34:27,110
A wooden plank was thrown
between the two ships
1450
01:34:27,110 --> 01:34:30,950
for the civilians and naval
personnel on the damaged ship
1451
01:34:30,950 --> 01:34:33,400
to cross onto the ship
that wasn't.
1452
01:34:33,400 --> 01:34:38,580
The seas were rolling and it was
a somewhat precarious passage.
1453
01:34:38,580 --> 01:34:43,080
At one point,
a young Vietnamese man panicked
1454
01:34:43,080 --> 01:34:47,290
as a young girl, I remember,
was walking across this plank,
1455
01:34:47,290 --> 01:34:48,670
and he kind of rushed ahead
of her
1456
01:34:48,670 --> 01:34:50,300
and she fell
between the two ships.
1457
01:34:50,300 --> 01:34:54,270
DOYLE (ON TAPE): Apparently one of
the Vietnamese men pushed a girl.
1458
01:34:54,270 --> 01:34:55,680
She was killed.
1459
01:34:55,680 --> 01:34:57,800
She was drowned
between the two ships,
1460
01:34:57,810 --> 01:35:00,850
and that almost started a panic.
1461
01:35:00,850 --> 01:35:04,100
A Vietnamese sailor
immediately shot this guy,
1462
01:35:04,100 --> 01:35:05,730
and then order was restored.
1463
01:35:05,730 --> 01:35:08,480
DOYLE (ON TAPE): They said,
"There will be no pushing
1464
01:35:08,480 --> 01:35:11,440
and there will be no shoving
on this ship."
1465
01:35:11,440 --> 01:35:13,620
People calmed down greatly
after that.
1466
01:35:18,570 --> 01:35:24,750
ARMITAGE: We had worked a plan out to
sail the ships to the Philippines.
1467
01:35:24,750 --> 01:35:30,000
And the Kirk was going
to escort them.
1468
01:35:30,000 --> 01:35:32,000
But the fact that
they're going to be crammed
1469
01:35:32,000 --> 01:35:34,010
with an unknown number
of civilians
1470
01:35:34,010 --> 01:35:36,670
was somewhat problematic.
1471
01:35:36,680 --> 01:35:39,390
The U.S. government already had
a refugee problem
1472
01:35:39,400 --> 01:35:41,430
with the U.S. Naval ships.
1473
01:35:41,430 --> 01:35:44,860
This was another 30,000
or more people to deal with.
1474
01:35:44,860 --> 01:35:48,520
JACOBS: We were up all
night talking about it.
1475
01:35:48,520 --> 01:35:51,110
And I'm convinced that if we
sent them back or took them back
1476
01:35:51,110 --> 01:35:52,360
they would have killed them all.
1477
01:35:52,360 --> 01:35:57,650
And Armitage decided
to bring them.
1478
01:35:57,660 --> 01:36:01,530
And he didn't get permission
from Washington to do that.
1479
01:36:01,530 --> 01:36:05,380
ARMITAGE: I thought it was a
lot easier to beg forgiveness
1480
01:36:05,380 --> 01:36:07,370
than to get permission.
1481
01:36:09,380 --> 01:36:11,880
So the decision was made.
1482
01:36:11,880 --> 01:36:13,970
And they all went with us.
1483
01:36:41,410 --> 01:36:44,830
MIKE SULLIVAN: We had finally got
out the last of the refugees
1484
01:36:44,830 --> 01:36:46,660
that we could get out.
1485
01:36:46,660 --> 01:36:49,540
Now we had to evacuate
the Marines.
1486
01:36:52,130 --> 01:36:56,960
They were all inside the embassy
building except for us.
1487
01:36:56,960 --> 01:37:00,680
I was still on the embassy
grounds with two of my sergeants
1488
01:37:00,680 --> 01:37:02,680
and I said,
"You two stay right with me.
1489
01:37:02,680 --> 01:37:04,100
Don't leave my side."
1490
01:37:04,100 --> 01:37:07,930
We slowly walked backwards
to the embassy door
1491
01:37:07,930 --> 01:37:10,810
and a couple of Vietnamese
came towards me.
1492
01:37:10,810 --> 01:37:12,770
I said,
"We have no more helicopters.
1493
01:37:12,770 --> 01:37:13,770
"That's it.
1494
01:37:13,770 --> 01:37:15,110
"I'm sorry.
1495
01:37:15,110 --> 01:37:17,440
We cannot take you."
1496
01:37:17,440 --> 01:37:19,110
And they began to argue with me.
1497
01:37:19,120 --> 01:37:20,910
They spoke good English, too.
1498
01:37:20,910 --> 01:37:22,660
"We can ride
in your helicopter."
1499
01:37:22,660 --> 01:37:26,830
I said, "I'm sorry, no more."
1500
01:37:26,830 --> 01:37:30,160
So we spun around and slammed
these huge doors,
1501
01:37:30,160 --> 01:37:33,590
and we locked it from behind.
1502
01:37:39,630 --> 01:37:41,730
PHO: I kind of fall
asleep off and on,
1503
01:37:41,730 --> 01:37:44,930
but what gets me woke up
is the noise.
1504
01:37:44,930 --> 01:37:46,680
It's a different noise.
1505
01:37:46,680 --> 01:37:49,350
Sol kind of look up.
1506
01:37:49,350 --> 01:37:52,060
And the first thing
in my sight was
1507
01:37:52,060 --> 01:37:58,270
I didn't see that soldier there
anymore on that wall.
1508
01:37:58,280 --> 01:38:02,030
There were people throwing
blankets or jackets
1509
01:38:02,030 --> 01:38:03,700
and materials
over the barbed wire
1510
01:38:03,700 --> 01:38:07,580
so they can climb over
the wire to come in.
1511
01:38:07,580 --> 01:38:11,040
It was like,
"Where are the soldiers?"
1512
01:38:11,040 --> 01:38:14,670
SULLIVAN:
We were going up the stairs.
1513
01:38:14,670 --> 01:38:18,130
Below me I could hear
feet running on the stairway.
1514
01:38:18,130 --> 01:38:21,680
When we got to the roof, Master
Sergeant Valdez was there.
1515
01:38:21,680 --> 01:38:23,550
He says, "We got everybody?"
1516
01:38:23,550 --> 01:38:25,050
"Yeah."
1517
01:38:25,050 --> 01:38:28,850
I said, "Man, there's somebody
chasing me up those stairs."
1518
01:38:28,850 --> 01:38:32,680
VALDEZ: There were wall
lockers up on the roof
1519
01:38:32,680 --> 01:38:36,480
and those big fire extinguishers
with wheels so we tilted
1520
01:38:36,480 --> 01:38:38,950
all those wall lockers
and the fire extinguishers,
1521
01:38:38,950 --> 01:38:42,070
put them against the door.
1522
01:38:42,070 --> 01:38:44,910
There was a little window there
that we could see them in there,
1523
01:38:44,910 --> 01:38:50,160
all the Vietnamese trying
to get to the roof.
1524
01:38:50,160 --> 01:38:54,870
The Marines started going out
as choppers came in.
1525
01:38:54,870 --> 01:39:00,040
Then all of a sudden
choppers all cease.
1526
01:39:00,050 --> 01:39:02,470
There was 11 of us
still left there.
1527
01:39:08,390 --> 01:39:12,060
The briefing was delayed until
the evacuation was completed
1528
01:39:12,060 --> 01:39:14,400
and the last helicopters
are now in the air.
1529
01:39:14,400 --> 01:39:18,020
The President commends the
personnel of the armed forces
1530
01:39:18,020 --> 01:39:21,360
who accomplished it, as well
as Ambassador Graham Martin
1531
01:39:21,360 --> 01:39:24,240
and the staff of his mission
who served so well
1532
01:39:24,240 --> 01:39:27,030
under difficult conditions.
1533
01:39:27,030 --> 01:39:30,280
KISSINGER: We were told that Martin
had left on the last helicopter
1534
01:39:30,280 --> 01:39:33,160
and that the evacuation
had ended.
1535
01:39:33,160 --> 01:39:38,250
I'm confident that every
American who wanted to come out
1536
01:39:38,250 --> 01:39:39,960
is out.
1537
01:39:39,960 --> 01:39:42,920
KISSINGER:
So we held a briefing.
1538
01:39:42,920 --> 01:39:45,050
Well, turned out not to be
the last helicopter
1539
01:39:45,050 --> 01:39:49,090
because there was another
horrendous screw-up.
1540
01:39:49,090 --> 01:39:53,310
VALDEZ:
There were no helicopters.
1541
01:39:53,310 --> 01:39:56,610
You know, we were just kind
of sitting down around
1542
01:39:56,610 --> 01:39:58,310
looking at each other,
1543
01:39:58,310 --> 01:40:00,780
wondering, you know,
what's going to happen here,
1544
01:40:00,780 --> 01:40:04,320
you know, whether they truly had
forgotten about us.
1545
01:40:04,320 --> 01:40:10,160
SULLIVAN: So l got on my radio and I
began saying, "U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy",
1546
01:40:10,160 --> 01:40:13,780
American embassy, request
extraction immediate."
1547
01:40:13,790 --> 01:40:15,630
And I repeated this over
and over and over.
1548
01:40:15,630 --> 01:40:20,630
The only option we had
was sit on the stupid roof
1549
01:40:20,630 --> 01:40:22,460
like a sitting duck.
1550
01:40:22,460 --> 01:40:25,310
And I kept thinking, "Where
are the North Vietnamese?"
1551
01:40:28,260 --> 01:40:31,140
VALDEZ: About 7:45 in the
morning you could start seeing.
1552
01:40:31,140 --> 01:40:35,220
North Vietnamese
coming down the road.
1553
01:40:35,220 --> 01:40:37,480
My thoughts were, "What's
to keep them from bombing"
1554
01:40:37,480 --> 01:40:40,200
"the top of the embassy roof
and blowing us off," you know?
1555
01:40:42,400 --> 01:40:44,820
SULLIVAN: A tank is
going to take one shot.
1556
01:40:44,820 --> 01:40:47,320
If it hits the building,
you're gone.
1557
01:40:50,490 --> 01:40:52,960
So I didn't like the idea
of being up there,
1558
01:40:52,960 --> 01:40:57,500
but where else are you
going to go?
1559
01:40:57,500 --> 01:41:02,250
Finally I looked out
and I saw a black dot.
1560
01:41:02,250 --> 01:41:04,500
When that chopper landed,
I told the Marines,
1561
01:41:04,510 --> 01:41:07,880
"Go. Get in."
1562
01:41:07,880 --> 01:41:11,930
I was the last one out.
1563
01:41:11,930 --> 01:41:16,140
And as I was putting my foot
on the ramp, I fell down,
1564
01:41:16,140 --> 01:41:20,020
and I'm just hanging on
and the ramp's going up.
1565
01:41:20,020 --> 01:41:21,520
SULLIVAN: The ramp is closing
1566
01:41:21,520 --> 01:41:24,940
and I did what I was trained
in my first tour-count.
1567
01:41:24,940 --> 01:41:28,190
So I went, "One, two, three,
four, five, six... ten."
1568
01:41:28,200 --> 01:41:29,400
"Ten?
1569
01:41:29,400 --> 01:41:31,530
"One, two, three, four, five,
six... ten.
1570
01:41:31,530 --> 01:41:32,910
Ten."
1571
01:41:32,910 --> 01:41:36,750
And I looked at the crew chief
and I said, "Put it down."
1572
01:41:36,750 --> 01:41:38,620
I knew I was missing one man.
1573
01:41:38,620 --> 01:41:40,660
I remember looking at the ramp
1574
01:41:40,660 --> 01:41:43,170
and two hands were over
the top of it.
1575
01:41:43,170 --> 01:41:44,460
(CHUCKLES)
1576
01:41:44,460 --> 01:41:46,210
So the Marines
just kind of grabbed me
1577
01:41:46,210 --> 01:41:48,050
and then just pulled me in.
1578
01:41:51,260 --> 01:41:57,100
SULLIVAN: We left, by my
watch, at 7:58 Saigon time.
1579
01:41:57,100 --> 01:41:59,980
And we were the last 11.
1580
01:42:05,770 --> 01:42:10,240
JIM LAURIE: My cameraman, Neil
Davis, and I decided to stay.
1581
01:42:13,240 --> 01:42:16,080
We saw the last helicopter leave
from the roof.
1582
01:42:17,580 --> 01:42:20,800
We then tried to scramble
into the embassy ourselves.
1583
01:42:20,800 --> 01:42:22,250
Neil got to the roof.
1584
01:42:22,250 --> 01:42:24,000
I did not.
1585
01:42:24,000 --> 01:42:25,920
And he saw dozens of Vietnamese
1586
01:42:25,920 --> 01:42:30,050
just sitting on the helicopter
pad on the roof of the embassy,
1587
01:42:30,050 --> 01:42:33,420
waiting, wanting to get out.
1588
01:42:33,430 --> 01:42:36,270
And of course no more
helicopters were going to come.
1589
01:42:40,060 --> 01:42:42,020
PHO: I didn't join them.
1590
01:42:42,020 --> 01:42:45,850
I actually... scared.
1591
01:42:45,850 --> 01:42:48,610
If the Communists come in,
1592
01:42:48,610 --> 01:42:50,450
the last thing
we want them to see us
1593
01:42:50,450 --> 01:42:52,440
is in the American embassy.
1594
01:42:52,440 --> 01:42:53,440
So we get out.
1595
01:42:57,370 --> 01:43:00,460
LAURIE: People were coming
in and out of the buildings.
1596
01:43:00,460 --> 01:43:04,290
Literally, anything that could
not be fastened down
1597
01:43:04,290 --> 01:43:08,040
or was not fastened down
was being taken away.
1598
01:43:08,040 --> 01:43:10,550
Any souvenirs
from the Ambassador's office
1599
01:43:10,550 --> 01:43:12,050
were taken away.
1600
01:43:12,050 --> 01:43:15,140
Almost brick by brick the
embassy was being dismantled.
1601
01:43:15,140 --> 01:43:17,470
It was ordinary looting.
1602
01:43:17,470 --> 01:43:22,010
But more than that, I think it
was just frustration and anger
1603
01:43:22,020 --> 01:43:26,310
and an opportunity to get back,
perhaps, at the Americans
1604
01:43:26,310 --> 01:43:29,110
because in the view of many
in that crowd that day,
1605
01:43:29,110 --> 01:43:31,990
we had deserted them.
1606
01:43:39,280 --> 01:43:41,830
NBC news correspondent
Jim Laurie
1607
01:43:41,830 --> 01:43:44,920
is one of the few Americans
still left in Saigon,
1608
01:43:44,920 --> 01:43:48,460
in the city when President Duong
Van Minh went on the radio
1609
01:43:48,460 --> 01:43:50,670
and told the Viet Cong
1610
01:43:50,670 --> 01:43:52,840
that his country would
surrender unconditionally
1611
01:43:52,840 --> 01:43:56,550
and that he had told its army
to lay down its arms.
1612
01:43:56,550 --> 01:43:58,180
Here from Saigon radio hookup
1613
01:43:58,180 --> 01:44:00,390
is Laurie's report
on the surrender.
1614
01:44:00,390 --> 01:44:04,480
LAURIE: In the words of General
Minh, "We are here to hand over"
1615
01:44:04,480 --> 01:44:09,650
the power of government to you
in order to avoid bloodshed.“
1616
01:44:09,650 --> 01:44:13,570
It is a unilateral ceasefire
and an unconditional surrender.
1617
01:44:13,570 --> 01:44:17,450
The 30-year war in South Vietnam
is at last over.
1618
01:44:42,050 --> 01:44:45,640
The first thing I did was
to destroy my documents,
1619
01:44:45,640 --> 01:44:51,230
my badges,
just keeping the civilian ID.
1620
01:44:51,230 --> 01:44:56,410
And then I went around Saigon
to see what happened.
1621
01:45:28,850 --> 01:45:36,230
I saw a lot of South Vietnamese
soldiers in underwear.
1622
01:45:36,230 --> 01:45:42,320
They took off all
their military clothes, boots,
1623
01:45:42,320 --> 01:45:44,620
and they threw them away.
1624
01:45:52,710 --> 01:45:57,460
And I thought, well, what
would happen to them?
1625
01:46:00,420 --> 01:46:02,680
And to me, to myself.
1626
01:46:02,680 --> 01:46:04,430
Right.
1627
01:46:07,970 --> 01:46:14,310
I thought of my friends who were
killed in action and I thought,
1628
01:46:14,310 --> 01:46:18,190
"Well, is this what
we fought for?"
1629
01:46:20,900 --> 01:46:25,620
"ls this what the Americans
came for?"
1630
01:46:29,330 --> 01:46:32,420
And I didn't have the answer.
1631
01:46:38,590 --> 01:46:44,050
SNEPP: I have wrestled
with this ever since.
1632
01:46:44,050 --> 01:46:48,350
I realized that l had become
1633
01:46:48,350 --> 01:46:51,520
the quintessential American
in Vietnam.
1634
01:46:51,520 --> 01:46:55,560
I had all these causes, all
these big things I was doing.
1635
01:46:55,560 --> 01:46:57,650
I was hying to get the truth
back to Washington.
1636
01:46:57,650 --> 01:47:01,280
I was talking to agents, trying
to persuade the Ambassador,
1637
01:47:01,280 --> 01:47:06,250
and I forgot that what
was at stake were human lives.
1638
01:47:11,290 --> 01:47:16,250
PHO: For years after that, I
hear that sound in my head,
1639
01:47:16,250 --> 01:47:19,290
that sound like,
"Tchk-tchk-tchk-tchk-tchk".
1640
01:47:19,290 --> 01:47:21,380
In the middle of the night
l just jump up.
1641
01:47:21,380 --> 01:47:23,050
I thought the helicopter come
pick me up.
1642
01:47:25,800 --> 01:47:28,050
I called it "dream in the wind."
1643
01:47:31,310 --> 01:47:34,810
Later we found out
the big fleet is out there.
1644
01:47:34,810 --> 01:47:36,810
You can just take a boat
and go there.
1645
01:47:36,810 --> 01:47:39,730
They take everybody.
1646
01:47:39,730 --> 01:47:42,580
If you can get out there,
you're on board.
1647
01:47:45,990 --> 01:47:48,530
And I just didn't know that.
1648
01:47:48,530 --> 01:47:51,210
You know, so...
1649
01:48:03,670 --> 01:48:06,270
JACOBS: As we approached the
Philippines with our refugees,
1650
01:48:06,270 --> 01:48:08,760
there was a big problem.
1651
01:48:08,760 --> 01:48:10,590
They wouldn't let us in.
1652
01:48:10,600 --> 01:48:13,510
And the reason
they wouldn't let us in is
1653
01:48:13,520 --> 01:48:15,110
because the government there
had recognized
1654
01:48:15,110 --> 01:48:17,310
the new regime in Vietnam
1655
01:48:17,310 --> 01:48:20,190
and these Navy ships
we were escorting,
1656
01:48:20,190 --> 01:48:24,270
they were all flying
South Vietnamese flags.
1657
01:48:24,280 --> 01:48:28,450
And the solution was to reflag
all these ships
1658
01:48:28,450 --> 01:48:31,950
as American ships.
1659
01:48:31,950 --> 01:48:33,290
(KIEM DO SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)
1660
01:48:50,930 --> 01:48:55,020
(SINGING IN VIETNAMESE)
1661
01:49:24,250 --> 01:49:28,710
JACOBS: They lowered their
Vietnamese flag, people crying.
1662
01:49:28,720 --> 01:49:31,010
It was very emotional for them
to lose their country,
1663
01:49:31,010 --> 01:49:32,430
their flag, their ship.
1664
01:49:32,430 --> 01:49:36,350
Everything was gone.
1665
01:49:36,350 --> 01:49:38,190
And then we raised
the American flag.
1666
01:49:38,190 --> 01:49:41,480
We tried to do that with
as much dignity as we could.
1667
01:49:52,820 --> 01:49:55,080
HERRINGTON: There were thousands
and thousands of Americans
1668
01:49:55,080 --> 01:50:00,040
who sewed in Vietnam who were
sitting at home heartbroken
1669
01:50:00,040 --> 01:50:04,210
at watching this whole thing
come to naught.
1670
01:50:08,300 --> 01:50:12,720
The end of April of 1975 was...
1671
01:50:12,720 --> 01:50:16,640
the whole Vietnam involvement
in microcosm...
1672
01:50:16,640 --> 01:50:19,560
Promises made
in good faith, promises broken;
1673
01:50:19,560 --> 01:50:25,730
People being hurt because
we didn't get our act together.
1674
01:50:25,730 --> 01:50:27,070
You know, the whole Vietnam War
1675
01:50:27,070 --> 01:50:30,610
is a story that kind of
sounds like that.
1676
01:50:30,610 --> 01:50:35,160
But on the other hand,
sometimes there are moments
1677
01:50:35,160 --> 01:50:38,370
when good people have to rise
to the occasion
1678
01:50:38,370 --> 01:50:40,920
and do the things
that need to be done.
1679
01:50:40,920 --> 01:50:45,460
And in Saigon, there was
no shortage of people like that.
141009
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