Dave Melsness

Fall of Saigon
Thesis

 The fall of Saigon is significant because it was

the official end to Vietnam War, which
resulted in U.S. evacuation and South
Vietnam’s unconditional surrender and
dissemination.
Context

 April 9- NVA less than 40 miles from Saigon and

encroaching rapidly
 April 18- U.S. began accepting applications from
refugees for evacuation to U.S. from Saigon.
 April 22- Senate Judiciary Committee approved to
wave all restrictions for 130,000 “aliens from
Indochina,” which included 50,000 “high risk”
Vietnamese
 “High Risk” clause eliminated the requirement to pair
each refugee with an American sponsor.
The Vietnam War: A Compelling Look at One of America’s Most Controversial Wars, 5h 46min, History Channel,
2008.
Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston: Boston
Publishing Company, 1985, 142.
 April 23- “The War is Over as Far as
America is Concerned”
 Whitehouse received word from USSR
that the “Vietnamese side” had no
intention of interfering with American
evacuation.

 President Ford declared end of the War

 April 24- West German, Dutch, Canadian,

Thai, Japanese, and Australian
embassies shut down
 Leaving only France, Belgium, and U.S.
The Vietnam War: A Compelling Look at One of America’s Most Controversial Wars, 5h 46min, History
Channel,
2008.
Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston: Boston
Publishing Company, 1985, 142, 148.
“Speech at Tulane University,” University of Texas,
http://www.ford.utexas.edu/images/avproj/pop-ups/A4176-06.html(accessed 22 March, 2010).
 April 25
 Congress authorizes U.S. military forces to be
used in evacuation.

 Marines dispatched for security at DAO

compound (MACV headquarters).

 New Emergency Alert System devised to alert

remaining Americans when a final airlift was
mounted- “the temperature is 105 degrees and
rising” followed by Bing Crosby’s “White
Christmas.”
Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South:
 9:30pm Nguyen Van Thieu, former president of The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston: Boston
Publishing Company, 1985, 148-150.

South Vietnam departed for Taiwan.
Billy Lamb, About.com, “Top 10 Pop Christmas Albums of
All Time,”
http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/christmasalbums.
htm
(accessed 22 March, 2010)
 Ho Chi Minh Campaign, April 26
•5:00pm
• Seven Divisions of the NVA
2d and 4th Corps launched a
series of attacks against
Saigon’s Eastern defense
line.
• 232d Tactical Forces
attacked from the
Southwest
• 3d blocked Route 1 and
surrounded 25th ARVN
Division

•Simultaneous attacks around

the city of Saigon

Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston: Boston Publishing
Company, 1985, 140.
Ho Chi Minh Campaign, April 27
 First Attack on Saigon in
more than 5 years
 10 Killed
 200 Wounded
 5,000 Homeless

Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston: Boston Publishing
Company, 1985, 152-156.
Ho Chi Minh Campaign, April 28

 First and Only

Communist Airstrike
in the War
 Codenamed “Determined
to Win”
 6:00pm NVA bombing
of Tan Son Nhut
airfield destroys three
AC-119 gunships and
several C-47’s Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The
Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston: Boston Publishing Company,
1985, 158.
Colin Broussard, “Ambassador Graham Martin Saigon,” fallofsaigon.org,
http://www.fallofsaigon.org/martin.htm (accessed 22 March, 2010).
 Ho Chi Minh Campaign, April 29
 3:58am- NVA strikes U.S.
Airbase
 Two marines, Darwin Judge
and Charles McMahon, Jr.,
were the first two American
casualties of the campaign
and the last two American McMahon
casualties of the war.
 Runway Damaged
eliminating ability to use C-
140 fixed-wing aircraft in the
evacuation.
Colin Broussard, “Ambassador Graham Martin Saigon,” fallofsaigon.org,
http://www.fallofsaigon.org/martin.htm (accessed 22 March, 2010). Judge
 Operation Frequent Wind, April 29
 10:51 am- “Execute” order.

 Naval Armada 16km of Coast

of South Vietnam moves into
160km crescent shape.

 In Saigon, bus convoys and

part of the “Surface Extraction
Plan” began to pick up
passengers for transport to
the DAO compound.
Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston:
Boston Publishing Company, 1985, 160-164.
“Moments In Time,” The Digital Journalist, http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0612/moments27.html
(accessed 22 March, 2010).
 Operation Frequent Wind, April 29
 Helicopters could not fly
immediately after execute order
was given.

 Some Vietnamese reached the fleet

on their own (via boat and aircraft).

The Vietnam War: A Compelling Look

at One of America’s Most Controversial
Wars, 5h 46min, History Channel,
2008.
“Moments In Time,” The Digital
Journalist,
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0612/m
oments27.html
(accessed 22 March, 2010).
Operation Frequent Wind, April 29

 Rooftop extraction

 Airfield and DAO still

taking rocket fire

 Loss of fueling
capacity

“Conflict Resolution,” Rutgers University, http://civiced.rutgers.edu/CONFLICT/package.shtml (accessed

22 March, 2010).
Operation Frequent Wind, April 29

 Thousands fled to
Embassy

 Guards had to
keep many out

 DAO compound
Detonated “United States Evacuates Saigon,” NABNYC,
http://nabnyc.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-30-1975-united-states-evacuates.html (accessed 22 march,
2010).
 Operation Frequent Wind, April 30

 Just Before 5:00am the ambassador and his staff were

evacuated

 Shortly after daybreak the final marines were evacuated

 Total of approximately 7,000 people evacuated

 1,400 Americans
 5,600 Vietnamese

“United States Evacuates Saigon,” NABNYC,

http://nabnyc.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-30-1975-united-states-evacuates.html (accessed 22
march, 2010).
The Vietnam War: A Compelling Look at One of America’s Most Controversial Wars, 5h 46min,
History Channel,
 Final Moments
 10:24am president Duong Van
Minh called on all ARVN soldiers
cease fighting

 ARVN soldiers abandon weapons

and clothes

Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive
of 1975 (Boston: Boston Publishing Company, 1985, 170-175.
Ho Chi Minh Campaign, April 30

 Shortly before noon NVA enters the city

headed for five targets in Saigon.

Clark Dougan and David

Fulghum, The Fall of the South:
The Communist Offensive of 1975
(Boston: Boston Publishing
Company, 1985, 170-175.
Ho Chi Minh Campaign, April 30
 NVA tank enters Imperial Palace
Grounds

 A lone soldier plants the flag of

the National Liberation Front

 President Duong Van Minh is

arrested

 Acceptance of the unconditional

surrender of South Vietnam is
announced over the radio

 Saigon is Renamed Ho Chi Minh Clark Dougan and David Fulghum, The Fall of the South: The Communist Offensive of 1975 (Boston:
Boston Publishing Company, 1985, 170-175.

City
Fall of Saigon Video

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mfndf1f
Qe8