A Salute to Vietnam Veterans

In April 1975, as North Vietnamese forces approached Sàigòn, South Vietnam neared collapse. With nearly all American troops gone since 1973, the remaining personnel carried out Operation FREQUENT WIND to evacuate Americans, foreign nationals, and thousands of Vietnamese.

Most evacuations occurred on April 29–30. Communist artillery fire damaged Tân Sơn Nhứt Air Base runways, making fixed-wing evacuations impossible. Over 800 U.S. Marines secured the area while Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army helicopters evacuated over 7,000 people from various locations. A rocket attack during the final stages killed two Marines—the last American ground casualties in South Vietnam. Evacuees were transported to U.S. Seventh Fleet vessels offshore.