[10]:196 The evacuation from the DAO Compound was completed by about 19:00 after which all helicopters would be routed to the embassy; Major Kean was informed that operations would cease at dark. Awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia or the air space thereof, between 03Jul1965 and 28Mar1973 and 29Apr75 thru 30April75, serving in direct support of operations in Vietnam. When Lady Ace 09 transmitted "Tiger is out", those helicopter crews still flying thought the mission was complete, and delayed evacuating the Marines from the embassy rooftop. Operation Firebreak 5-Sep-1987 15-Sep-1987 United States Operation Pocket Planner (Note 1) 1-Nov-1987 1-Nov-1987 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 booklet included a map of Saigon pinpointing "assembly areas where a helicopter will pick you up." Operation Frequent Wind and Vietnam Service Medal All personnel who participated in Operation Frequent Wind (the evacuation of Saigon) are now automatically authorized the Vietnam Service. Note: A Bronze Star, 3/16 inch in diameter, is authorized to be worn on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) for each of the following campaigns. (c). [10]:192[20]:22 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. [21]:6 At the same time, General Carey met Admiral Whitmire to convince him to resume flights to the embassy despite pilot fatigue and poor visibility caused by darkness, fires and bad weather. for the award; however, consideration will be given in those Service for 30 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 40 feet (12m). [6]:22 Also on 1 April, Plan Alamo was implemented to defend the DAO compound and its annex so it could serve as a holding area for 1,500 evacuees for five days. Pilots of other helicopters were told to drop off their passengers and then take off and ditch in the sea, from where they would be rescued. Eventually the ARVN commander controlling the gates agreed to permit the remaining buses to enter the compound. In any case this effectively marked the end of the commercial airlift from Tan Son Nhut. [10]:179181, 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. authorized. member in one or more aerial flights, directly supporting [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. The biggest problem occurred when the ARVN unit guarding the main gate at Tan Son Nhut refused to allow the last convoy of buses into the DAO Compound at about 17:45. and eight destroyer types for naval gunfire, escort, and area defense, including: The USSEnterprise and USSCoral Sea carrier attack groups of Task Force 77 in the South China Sea provided air cover while Task Force 73 ensured logistic support. General Carey's threat to use the AH-1J SeaCobra helicopter gunships flying overhead may have played a role in the ARVN commander's decision. "[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". Military News and Information Editor http://www.13105320634.com The American War Library, Est. of service between 1 July 1958 and 3 July 1965, inclusive, in an [10]:189, The first wave of 12 CH-53s from HMH-462 loaded with BLT 2/4's command groups "Alpha" and "Bravo", and Company F and reinforced Company H arrived in the DAO Compound at 15:06 and the marines quickly moved to reinforce the perimeter defenses. The Marine evacuation contingent, the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (Task Group 79.1), consisted of three Battalion Landing Teams (BLT); 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (2/4), 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9), 3rd Battalion 9th Marines (3/9) and three helicopter squadrons HMH-462, HMH-463, HMM-165 along with other support units from Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39). A total of 1,373 Americans and over 5,600 South Vietnamese nationals were . [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. operation, are eligible for the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). 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. [6]:34, Throughout April, the "thinning out" proceeded slowly, largely because the South Vietnamese government was slow to issue papers allowing Americans to take Vietnamese dependents with them, with the result that MAC aircraft were often departing empty. It took 43 years to get my dd214 changed to the dd215. A flotilla of 26 Republic of Vietnam Navy and other vessels concentrated off Long Sn Island southwest of Vng Tu with 30,000 sailors, their families, and other civilians on board. XVI . (d) Public Law 107-314 of 2 December 2002 stipulates that personnel who were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for their participation in Operation FREQUENT WIND, during the period 29 to 30 April 1975, may elect the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for such service. The evacuation of personnel from the DAO compound had lasted nine hours and involved over 50 Marine Corps and Air Force helicopters. [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. [3]:258 The total number of Vietnamese evacuated by Frequent Wind or self-evacuated and ending up in the custody of the United States for processing as refugees to enter the United States totalled 138,869. Around 12:00 five or six RVNAF UH-1Hs and one of the stolen ICCS UH-1Hs, were circling around Blue Ridge. [6]:103 At 00:30 on 30 April, thermite grenades, having been previously placed in selected buildings, ignited as two CH-53s left the DAO parking lot carrying the last elements of BLT 2/4. Perdue presented the medals to Petrazewsky for his heroics during Operation Frequent Wind in Vietnam in 1975. . a. [10]:198, By 02:15 on 30 April one CH-46 and one CH-53 were landing at the embassy every 10 minutes. MARINES THAT WERE AWARDED THE ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL FOR PARTICIPATING IN OPERATION FREQUENT WIND FROM 29-30 APRIL 1975 ARE NOW ENTITLED TO EXCHANGE IT FOR THE VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL PER SECTION 542 IN PUBLIC LAW 107-314. 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. of the United States, serving at any time between 4 July 1965 Subsequent awards will be indicated by the use of a Gold Star on the ribbon: (1). [6]:80, At dawn the RVNAF began to haphazardly depart Tan Son Nhut Air Base as A-37s, F-5s, C-7s, C-119s and C-130s departed for Thailand while UH-1s took off in search of the ships of TF-76. (Operation Frequent Wind) April 29, 1975, to April 30, 1975. However, no person shall be entitled to both awards (a) Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces both awards for service in an area for which the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) has been [21]:7, Major Kean returned to the ground floor of the chancery and ordered his men to withdraw into a large semicircle at the main entrance to the chancery. The RVNAF pilots had been instructed after dropping off their passengers to ditch their helicopters and they would then be picked up by one of the ship's tenders. To justify this award, the service performed as a unit must be of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of the Bronze Star Medal, or achievement of like caliber in a non-combat situation, to an individual. Shipmates would fight for that ship. [6]:2021 In late March, two or three of these MAC aircraft were arriving each day and were used to evacuate civilians and Vietnamese orphans. Despite receiving sporadic PAVN AAA fire, USAF and USN aircraft made no attacks on AAA or SAM sites during the evacuation. President Ford later called it "a sad and tragic period in America's history" but argued that "you couldn't help but be very proud of those pilots and others who were conducting the evacuation". [10]:196 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. On 23 April President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines announced that no more than 2,500 Vietnamese evacuees would be allowed in the Philippines at any one time, further increasing the strain on MAC which now had to move evacuees out of Saigon and move some 5,000 evacuees from Clark Air Base on to Guam, Wake Island and Yokota Air Base. (d) Public Law 107-314 of 2 December 2002 The Military Departments are . The helicopters had to be pushed or ditched into the sea because of the lack of space on deck. The code is: The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising. [14]:28, From 10:00 to 12:00 Major Kean and his Marines cut down the tamarind and other trees and moved vehicles to create an LZ in the embassy parking lot behind the chancery building. This award may also maybe conferred upon units of the other branches of the Armed Forces of the United States and of friendly foreign nations serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, provided that such units shall meet the standards established for Navy and Marine Corps units. Some 400 evacuees were left behind at the embassy including over 100 South Korean citizens; among them was Brigadier General Dai Yong Rhee, the intelligence chief at the South Korean Embassy in Saigon. This operation was also the debut combat deployment of the F-14 Tomcat aircraft. Ships and units [21]:5 Air America UH-1s began ferrying evacuees from other smaller assembly points throughout the city and dropping them on the Embassy's rooftop LZ. Her belongings will be tagged with the same number due to the language barrier between the refugees and Marines. [21]:67 From the billowing incinerator on the embassy roof floated intelligence documents and US currency, most charred; some not. Ambassador Martin refused to accept General Smith's recommendation and instead insisted on visiting Tan Son Nhut to survey the situation for himself. [20]:2829 With its available fleet of only 20 Hueys (3 of which were impounded, ditched or damaged at TF76), Air America had moved over 1,000 evacuees to the DAO Compound, the Embassy or out to the ships of TF76. 2 Per reference (b) above, paragraph 14 (Page 2-20) of said reference states: (1). We also conducted a brief search of the catalog using the terms Operation Frequent Wind, Operation Eagle Pull, and Agent Orange. [6]:35, On 7 April Air America pilot Nikki A. Fillipi, with U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Robert Twigger, assigned to the DAO as the U.S. Navy liaison officer, surveyed 37 buildings in Saigon as possible landing zones (LZ), selecting 13 of them as fit for use. period for which that ship is eligible. One AC-119 gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching PAVN. The curtain of haze over Saigon so altered the diminished daylight that line of sight visibility was only a mile. Upon submission of evidence to their commanding officer, personnel who earned the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) or Combat Medical Badge (CMB) while a member of the US Army may be authorized to wear the CAR. [10]:186, "Alpha" command group, two rifle companies, and the 81mm mortar platoon were deployed around the DAO headquarters building (the Alamo) and its adjacent landing zones. operational control in the area involved. We located a number of references to photographs and documents primarily held by our colleagues at the National Archives at College Park, MD related to these subjects. 21st SOS Frequent Wind and Mayaguez Incident gallery, Video clip: Footage of evacuation operations underway aboard USS Midway, including historic Cessna O-1 landing by VNAF pilot Major Buang, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Frequent_Wind&oldid=1131016156, Option 1: Evacuation by commercial airlift from, Option 2: Evacuation by military airlift from Tan Son Nhut and other South Vietnamese airports as required, Option 3: Evacuation by sea lift from Saigon port, Option 4: Evacuation by helicopter to US Navy ships in the, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 03:59. [10]:191192, 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. The two enlisted crewmen survived, but the bodies of the pilots were not recovered. Many of the Vietnamese evacuees were allowed to enter the United States under the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act. Vietnam Counter-offensive VI 02 Nov 68 to 22 Feb 69 April 30, 1975 marks the date of Operation Frequent Wind, one of the largest humanitarian rescues in naval history. consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, except that the time [10]:183 At 08:00 Lieutenant General Minh, commander of the RVNAF and 30 of his staff arrived at the DAO compound demanding evacuation, signifying the complete loss of RVNAF command and control. Such certification Elbert, CO 80106, Colonel William B. Davis, USMC (Retired) Bio, View by Tank Companies & Ontos Battalions, Randy Browning Memorial Awarded the Navy Cross, Authorization for wear: E.O. At 15:00 the first CH-53s were sighted heading towards the DAO Compound at Tan Son Nhut. In the event, air support was not needed as the North Vietnamese paused for a week at the outskirts of Saigon, possibly waiting for the South Vietnamese government to collapse and avoiding a possible confrontation with the U.S. by allowing the mostly-unopposed evacuation of Americans from Saigon. 45 years ago, the USS Midway was part of the largest humanitarian effort in naval history, a proud and patriotic accomplishment that will forever be ingrained in our history. National Defense Service Medal Combat Action Ribbon-Operation Frequent Wind Navy Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one Bronze star-. The tail rotor sheared off and embedded itself in the engine of an Air America Bell 205 that was doing a hot refueling on the helipad at the rear of the ship. 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