At the beginning of the operation, pilots in the first wave reported the weather as scattered, overcast with visibility, except in haze over Saigon, where visibility decreased to one mile. Captain Jacobs had been ordered to get rid of all the animals. Lady Ace 09, CH-46 serial number 154803, is now on display at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum in San Diego, California. Major Kean saw Ambassador Martin to request that he contact the Oval Office to ensure that the airlift continued. Two LZs were now available in the embassy compound, the rooftop for UH-1s and CH-46s and the new parking lot LZ for the heavier CH-53s. The Marines were flying the last helicopter out of Saigon, an AH-1J Cobra gunship that provided aerial coverage for the evacuation force. The Kirk was one of 46 Knox-class destroyer escorts. From 12 to 14 May, she was alerted, although not utilized, for the recovery of SS Mayagez, a US merchantman with 39 crew, seized in international waters on 12 May by continue reading , In 1973 Americas fighting in Southeast Asia ended, placing the combat burden against North Vietnam squarely on the shoulders of the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN). Operation Frequent Wind [4], Although American officials at the highest levels of the intelligence community (e.g., CIA Director William Colby) were certain that the South Vietnamese government would collapse, everyone in the U.S. government underestimated the speed of the North Vietnamese advance during the 1975 Spring Offensive and how quickly the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) would collapse. [25][26] The South Korean civilians were evacuated in 1976, while General Rhee and two other diplomats were held captive until April 1980. [20]:2224 According to US Naval Archives, at 12:30 an Air America Bell 205 landed Air Vice Marshal Nguyn Cao K, Madame K, Dorothy Martin (wife of Ambassador Martin) and others on USS Denver; however, contemporary reports state and photos show that Marshal K piloted his own UH-1H Huey to USS Midway. [10], The HMH-462 CH-53s loaded with evacuees and left the compound, they unloaded the first evacuees delivered by Operation Frequent Wind at 15:40. On the afternoon of 30 April, TF-76 moved away from the coast, picking up more refugees as they went. [20], So many RVNAF helicopters landed on the TF76 ships that some 45 UH-1 Hueys and at least one CH-47 Chinook were pushed overboard to make room for more helicopters to land. [6], With the fall of Saigon imminent, between 18 and 24 April the U.S. Navy assembled ships off Vng Tu under Commander Task Force 76:[8], Task Group 76.4 (Movement Transport Group Alpha), Task Group 76.5 (Movement Transport Group Bravo), Task Group 76.9 (Movement Transport Group Charlie). WebTwenty-six ships of Task Force 76, including the Kirk, converged on the South China Sea for Operation Frequent Windthe evacuation of Saigon. It immediately turned toward the threatening radar and fifteen to twenty anti-aircraft weapons opened up on it and the F-4D. Operation Frequent Wind USAF F-4s, F-111s and A-7s provided air cover during daylight, being replaced by AC-130s from the 16th Special Operations Squadron at night. A C-130 Airborne Command and Control controlled all US air operations over land. One AC-119 gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching PAVN. Around 12:00 five or six RVNAF UH-1Hs and one of the stolen ICCS UH-1Hs, were circling around Blue Ridge. The code is: The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising. The Anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind On 28 April, Tan Son Nhut Air Base (next to the airport) came under artillery fire and attack from Vietnamese People's Air Force aircraft. This meant that scattered clouds existed below their flight path while a solid layer of clouds more than two miles above their heads obscured the sun. Most of the Marines were inside the chancery when the crowds outside the embassy broke through the gates into the compound. At 15:00 the first CH-53s were sighted heading towards the DAO Compound at Tan Son Nhut. Admiral Donald Whitmire, commander of Operation Frequent Wind, ordered the ships captain, Paul H. Jacobs, to Con Son Island, about 50 miles off Vietnams southern coast, to rescue the Vietnamese navy. [6]:37 President Ford, in an address to the American public on 11 April, promised to evacuate Vietnamese civilians of various categories. San Diego, CA 92101. [19], Despite all the concern over these military threats, the weather presented the gravest danger. [35], On the afternoon of 29 April 1975, Hubert van Es, a Saigon-based photographer for United Press International, took the iconic photo of Operation Frequent Wind of an Air America UH-1 on a rooftop picking up Vietnamese evacuees. Marine corporals McMahon and Judge, killed at the DAO compound, were the only members of US forces killed in action during the operation and they were the last US ground casualties in Vietnam. The pilot of the stolen ICCS Huey had been told to ditch off the port quarter of the ship, but seemed reluctant to do so, flying around the ship to the starboard bow he jumped from his helicopter at a height of . Jacobs had to deliver Richard L. Armitage, a civilian on special assignment from the Secretary of Defense, to the Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN) Chief of Naval Operations flagship. Air America helicopters continued to make rooftop pickups until after nightfall by which time navigation became increasingly difficult. In addition, a flotilla of Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships were assembled and these carried out seaborne evacuations from Saigon Port, this fleet comprised: On 28 April at 18:06, three A-37 Dragonflies piloted by former RVNAF pilots, who had defected to the Vietnamese People's Air Force at the fall of Da Nang, dropped six Mk81 250lb bombs on Tan Son Nhut Air Base destroying several aircraft. The weather conditions deteriorated as the operation continued. [10], It was not known whether the PAVN and/or the ARVN would try to disrupt the evacuation and so the planners had to take all possible contingencies into account to ensure the safety and success of the evacuation. These altitudes were also high enough to avoid small arms and artillery fire. On the ground floor a water tanker was driven through the chancery door and the crowd began to surge up through the building toward the rooftop. Rather than loading as many evacuees as possible, each evacuee was required to have a seat and a seatbelt, reducing the number of passengers that could be carried on each flight to 94 in a C-141 and 75 in a C-130. All magazines and ready service lockers were emptied of their ammunition, which was dumped over the side. There will be a lot of people, he told the American. [21] Air America UH-1s began ferrying evacuees from other smaller assembly points throughout the city and dropping them on the Embassy's rooftop LZ. [6]:99 The Hanoi leadership, reckoning that completion of the evacuation would lessen the risk of American intervention, had apparently instructed General Dng not to target the airlift itself. File. [20] Air America helicopters started flying to the rooftop LZs in Saigon and either shuttled the evacuees back to the DAO Compound or flew out to the ships of TF76. In Operation Frequent Wind a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated by helicopter. [17] Members of the police in Saigon had been promised evacuation in exchange for protecting the American evacuation buses and control of the crowds in the city during the evacuation. [30], For an operation of the size and complexity of Frequent Wind, casualties were relatively light. [20]:21 At some point during the morning RVNAF personnel took five ICCS UH-1H Hueys and one Air America Bell 204 from the Air America ramp. At dawn on 29 April two A-1 Skyraiders began patrolling the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut at 2,500 feet (760m) until one was shot down, presumably by an SA-7 missile. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. [6]:67 Also on 25 April the Federal Aviation Administration banned commercial flights into South Vietnam. At the beginning of the operation, pilots in the first wave reported the weather as 2,000 feet (610m) scattered, 20,000 feet (6,100m) overcast with 15 miles (24km) visibility, except in haze over Saigon, where visibility decreased to one mile. [21], By the morning of 29 April, it was estimated that approximately 10,000 people had gathered around the embassy, while some 2,500 evacuees were in the embassy and consular compounds. Operation Frequent Wind [7], By 1975, the Frequent Wind plan aimed to evacuate about 8,000 U.S. citizens and third-country nationals, but it was never able to estimate the number of South Vietnamese to include. [10] Between 19:00 and 21:00 General Carey transferred 3 platoons (130 men) of BLT 2/4 into the embassy compound to provide additional security and assistance for the embassy. [14]:63, After the evacuation signal was given, the buses began to pick up passengers and head to the DAO Compound. An embassy official said that more than five million dollars were being burned. each carrying Marine, and Air Force (eight 21st Special Operations Squadron CH-53s and two 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron HH-53s[11]) helicopters. To avert mid-air collisions, the planners chose altitudes which would provide separation of traffic and also a capability to see and avoid the enemy's AAA, SA-2 and SA-7 missile threat (6,500 feet (2,000m) for flights inbound to Saigon and 5,500 feet (1,700m) for those outbound from Saigon to the Navy ships). April 30, 1975 marks the date of Operation Frequent Wind, one of the largest humanitarian rescues in naval history. Nam finibus, justo at commodo pellentesque, nunc diam molestie justo, vitae aliquam orci urna quis elit. [4], Evacuation plans are standard for American embassies. They were the last American ground casualties in Vietnam. In addition, two CH-46s would provide medical evacuation capabilities while AH-1J SeaCobras would fly cover for the transport helicopters and for any ground units who requested support. Hugh van Es believed that Miss Saigon misappropriated his photo and considered legal action against the show, but decided against it. [6] Finally at 10:51 the order was given by CINCPAC to commence Option 4; due to confusion in the chain of command, General Carey did not receive the execute order until 12:15. [20], At 14:06 two UH-1E Huey helicopters carrying General Carey and Colonel Alfred M. Gray Jr. (commander of Regimental Landing Team 4 (RLT4)) landed at the DAO Compound. [21], Inside the embassy, the evacuees had found whatever space was available inside the embassy compound and evacuees and some staff proceeded to take alcohol from the embassy's stores. At approximately 14:30, Air America Bell 205 serial number "N47004" landed on the roof of the Pittman Apartment Building at 22 Gia Long Street to collect a senior Vietnamese intelligence source and his family. The destroyer remained in service until decommissioned on 20 December 1975 and officially transferred to the Republic of China through the Security Assistance Among those arriving at the embassy were Phan Quang n, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for social welfare and refugee resettlement,[14]:27 and Lieutenant-General ng Vn Quang. Air America helicopters continued to make rooftop pickups until after nightfall by which time navigation became increasingly difficult. Homer asks the helicopter pilot if they are being taken to an aircraft carrier and is told that "the closest vessel is the USS Walter Mondale. [10] [20] This move created fuel problems for Air America as they no longer had access to the fuel supplies in their compound and at least initially they were refused fuel by the ships of TF76. "[15] Frank Snepp later recalled the arrival of helicopters at the embassy while the song was playing over the radio as a "bizarre Kafkaesque time". [9] Workers from Pacific Architects and Engineers visited each of the 13 LZs to remove obstructions and paint H's the size of a UH-1 Huey helicopter's skids. . Ambassador Martin soon sent word back to Major Kean that sorties would continue to be flown. When the evacuation is ordered, the code will be read out on Armed Forces Radio. [6] By 16 April, Alamo was complete: water, C-rations, petroleum, oil, and lubricants had been stockpiled; backup electricity generators had been installed; sanitary facilities were completed; and concertina wire protected the perimeter. Hannahthe Other Carrier in the Fall of Saigon When U.S. President Gerald Ford met with the National Security Council on 9 April 1975 he was told by Henry Kissinger that a maximum of 1.7 million people had been identified as possible evacuees and that these included: American citizens and their relatives, the diplomatic corps, the International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS), third-country nationals under contract by the U.S. government and the employees of the U.S. and their dependents (estimated at about 200,000 people). [10] CH-46F Swift 1-4 of HMM-164 from USS Hancock flown by Captain William C. Nystul[31] and First Lieutenant Michael J. Shea[32] crashed into the sea on its approach to the ship after having flown a night sea and air rescue mission. All planning would have to be conducted with the utmost discretion. Twenty-six ships of Task Force 76, including the Kirk, converged on the South China Sea for Operation Frequent Windthe evacuation of Saigon. [6]:69, With the fall of Saigon imminent, between 18 and 24 April the U.S. Navy assembled ships off Vng Tu under Commander Task Force 76:[8], USSOklahoma City (Seventh Fleet flagship), Task Group 76.4 (Movement Transport Group Alpha), Task Group 76.5 (Movement Transport Group Bravo), Task Group 76.9 (Movement Transport Group Charlie). NavSource Major Kean contacted the Seventh Fleet to advise them of his airlift requirements; until that time the fleet believed that all evacuees had been bussed from the embassy to the DAO Compound and that only two helicopters would be required to evacuate Ambassador Martin and the Marines from the embassy. [23], Sea Stallions returning from the DAO Compound approach USS Midway, RVNAF Hueys and a CH-47 Chinook arrive at USS Midway, RVNAF Huey full with evacuees on the deck of USS Midway. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Quisque ac eleifend tortor, vitae mattis leo. The note read "Can you move these helicopter to the other side, I can land on your runway, I can fly 1 hour more, we have enough time to move. In addition, Air America helicopters and RVNAF aircraft brought additional evacuees to the TF76 ships. Book: Rhodes, J. E.. Soon after the DE, another destroyer escort, and the Midway (CVA-41) moved to Singapore at midmonth, their port visit there was abruptly terminated. [10]:196 The plan for the evacuation included stationing buses and American civilian bus drivers at 28 buildings throughout metropolitan Saigon. Hancock then took part in Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh on 12 April 1975 and Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon on 2930 April 1975. [6]:35, By late April, Air America helicopters were flying several daily shuttles from TF76 to the DAO Compound to enable the 9th MAB to conduct evacuation preparations at the DAO without exceeding the Paris Peace Accords' limit of 50 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam. Operation Frequent Wind 29 April [6]:81 Some RVNAF aircraft stayed to continue to fight the advancing PAVN. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong. In addition, the Vietnamese relatives of American citizens and senior Government of Vietnam officials and their dependents (about 600,000 people) were also identified as potential evacuees, along with Vietnamese formerly employed by the U.S. and their dependents. After receiving permission from the airborne commander, the Wild Weasel marked the three 57-mm sites with an AGM-45 Shrike missile and took evasive action to escape the tracers coming in. Welcome to Karls Korner, a historical blog written by myself, Karl Zingheim Ship Historian of the USS Midway Museum.