In this date: 1975 – the fall of Saigon

You’ve probably seen photographs of the Mob who ordered the American Embassy in SAigon desperate to find a way of the final war of Vietnam. But maybe you haven’t heard the transmissions radio the American lovers pulling the largest Evacuation of Elicotter in Story. I know that I have had no time, until we found some of them in the marine corps archives.

> Okay, let’s go there. It seems things are found to close and want to be able to give you the support they need.
> Okay – max it out.

Here is the commander of the direction in the crew and the son of the son of the United Neahast son of Saigon to pick up hundreds of Americans and thousands of Vietnamese. “Alamo” is the call of the airport, which had been recommended by advanting the North Viros.

The operation radio’s radio transmissions:

> Roger, discover of course as the needs of the aircraft Alazo at this time. …
> Okay, I’m on the way. Their wet feet at this time and we’ll get it as soon as possible.

“Wet feet” means the elicotters are still over the South Parc’s Sea from Aircraft Carrier outside of the coast.

> Ok, two more 53s as soon as possible.

“53s” I’m Ch-53s, the biggest of the handicies.

> Ok, understand. Dash 1 and dash 2 are fully loaded.
> That’s a Roger and we have a big load again.
> About 60 per bird?
> At least.

There have been 70 helicopters that shuts between the ships and the beach.

> All the stage and to go back.
> Fleet, goes to all aircraft entered in the they will come with the rotating fan on the final. We have (unintelligible) aircraft trying to land each other.

Two Marines, Airport, Charles McMahon and Darwin Donu, I was killed of the Northern sucker of Vietnamese, and the helicen to be touched.

> Be advised we have several triple reports an air of air and even a lot of mowers use the tracks.

Son of son’s son’s son became too dangerous.

> Alamo says 10 more lifts and that is. 10 most lifts.
> Roger. Understand 10 most lifts.

That left the embassy as the only way out of saigon. But the embassy was subject to a pangy sheet.

> Two-six bravo will proceed in the area of ​​the embassy area. I believe is the area I can use in.
> Ok, be advised. As I understood that there is 2,000 non-controlled people in the courtyard. You want to put a 53 in here?

Gerry Berry, the first pilot to land to the Embassy, ​​establish in a hour parking lot. Call sign: Lady Ace 09.

> This is Lady Ace Zero-9, Roger, we are traversed at this time. We have passengers.
> How many passengers?
> Zero-9 has 1-8 on board. Lady Ace Zero-1 has 2-0.
> Roger 1-8 and 2-0. Copy the good.

Berry flew a ch-46 helicopter, who could bring 25 troops of fighting. “So if you have carried Vietnamese that I am very smaller and I weren’t handling black pockets, you could put in 60 on here when we should be out:” Berry said.

The CH-46 is light enough to land on the roof of the embassy, ​​open a second area of ​​landing in the crowded compound.

> Time above the tomno, to the shrub of the embassy. Above.

Up on the roof … and a tempting purpose. The beer said, “I also hear that you will come to you in the first state this was a lot, lots of time, heavy in that roof and you could see all those approval people.”

The shot was also where the seaguards are brushing the classified mountains.

> Embassy has a big fire on the roof at this time. They are loading people at this time. Lady Ace One-four there is.

The glitches are inevitable.

> Last two that have gone on there – quick two flights – no one has no aboard. There was no one in the roof.

But the helicopters have no time to wait. Baga said, “A helicopera has so much flight time. I could just fly a ch-46 about two hours.”

There are about 40 minutes every road from ships to the Embassy, ​​do not count the time you need to load.

> Have not been able to make contact with someone at this time. Now I have bingo’s fuel.

“Bingo” is the pilot speaking for little fuel.

“Now the weather gets bad,” berry said. “It’s about 7:30, 8 in the evening. Time comes and go slightly slightly.”

Two seams died when their helicopter ran out of fuel.

> There is the wrong time in the area. Are you above or below the cloud deck at this time?

> Lord, we are under the cloud-cloud at this time.
> Okay I would suggest you are under cloud deck

Berry Removal: “Fuck the River in the middle of the 150 feet because the fever class for a minute ceeded, did not cease to be nothing.”

And the northern Vietnamese were closest. “Can see the tanks they fall on the road, North Vietnamese Tanks,” he said Berry. “Because their lights are on. They expire the highway.”

> I am to land on the roof and give a message. I tell you again, return a message: “We all have to go out now.”

Up to now, Ambeckrara Graham Martin refused to leave. “The lands to the embassy roof to 4:56 in the morning on April 30 1975,” said Berry. “And I called the Marine Security beard and I said: Why go to the embayer who missed the roof until it is on board.” And therefore in my best voice of airman, I said, “President in send”. “

“Order from President. Did you have the authority?” I asked.

“I have no authority to do, in the whole,” emerdess. “But I mean, there’s to be from a fine here. Two minutes later, his entire are in height, they are ready to go;”

The ambassador brought the American flag with him.

I asked: “You hear that, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

“Certainly, he did,” Berry replied. “You’re going to this thing in your brain right away: it was all for no one for no to 58.000 plus Americans, hope for something?”

Berry flew the ambassador to one of the ships offshore, just to find that war was not above. “Well, you should now go and get the marines”, he said.

> We have swift 3-3 and swift 2-2 choppers in the embassy to pick up the last Americans here. There must be about 33 to 35 of them left.

Marines they consisted the embassy were barrals on the roof. “SentiLive we are going to go John Valdez, now 87, who stood the.” “” Type of Hurts, for that time the tanks passed from the Vietnamese. “

Jerome Thomas, one of his husbands, saying, “This says it crosses to travel, but should fight, we know, because the marines ever give up.” ‘

Valzisa said: “Very series, two and a half, maybe three hours, waiting, and appropriate, two choppers starting in a distance.”

> According to the account that they gave me owed 2-5, 2-5 remaining.
> I tell you that it seems more than 25 through me.
> I recommend you pick up as many as you can go. We had an undertaking on the report before, and that’s why we had to scratch two birds. So try picking up as much as you can when you come to give you a good headcount of how much it is left for 2-2 to pick up.
> Uh, Roger, we will do what we can.
> We’ve made our pickup. We have 22 on board and there 10 left to Swift 2-2 to pick up.

Actually there were 11 permanetti from Elicotter Finan, Swift 22. Sergeant Valdez was the last one to go abandon.

> All soul on board. All souls on board. Above.
> You understand you have 11 pax on board with the commander.
> Swift 2-2 says it is out with 11 pax on board including the command. All Americans are out. That is.

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Story produced by Mary Walsh. Editor: Joseph Frandhino. Digital Manufacturers: ROMAN and David Morgan.