Saigon Evacuation by Marines - 30 years later

CBS News Video featuring members of the Marine Security Guard Detachment that served at the American Embassy in Saigon, RVN on April 30, 1975

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• evacuation
• Saigon
• 1975
• Marines

[bvde2002]

Total failure of planning from the US government.

No surprise they lost the war.

Worst job ever to be a us soldier there at the time.

The US should have started evac 2 weeks prior the surrender they could have saved a lot more vietnamese that deserved it.

[KCrouse95630]

@bvde2002 @bvde2002 : Its an interesting debate in terms of logistics and what-if's. Some blame Ambassador Martin and some blame Nixon - the Watergate issue crippled Pres. Ford's ability to back up promises made by Nixon and Congress denied requested funding for support to South Vietnam earlier in 1975. In terms of a short time line, immediately Pres. Thieu's resignation on April 21 might have been a more effective launching point. I respectfully disagree with your "worst job" characterization.

[goodtotheend1]

are any of these Marines still alive?

[KCrouse95630]

@goodtotheend1 : Yes, many of the Marines involved in the evacuation are still alive. Its interesting that the video clip was a CBS Saturday Evening News piece from 5 years ago. Now "35-years later" we'll meet again in Washington, D.C. later this month and once again visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to pay our respects. Since the clip was aired, three more Marines from our unit have passed away - one @ age 66, one @ age 54 and one @ age 52.. s/f Ken

[andrelebaron]

@KCrouse95630 Those poor guys died too young. I read somewhere that there were armed ARVNs who must have been quite bitter about being left to a very bad fate, watching this from across the street. That would have made it pretty stressful. Is this true?

[KCrouse95630]

@andrelebaron In the moment (I was at the embassy) I don't recall it being "stressful" ... it was an operation that we were carrying out and I honestly don't recall stress, angst or worry (no, "I hope we make it out"). I was a young - perhaps naive - 19 year old LCpl (E-3) who had been in the Marine Corps for just shy of 2 years at the time. At my level, I was just trying to do the very best I could to carry out the instructions of the tasks assigned me and not worry about other tasks.

[cskirk]

I guess it was B.S. when a compassionate marine allowed my wife, who was 2 at the time, and her mother and father board one of those choppers. They became U.S. Citizens. God Bless those marines who had to make difficult decisions that day. My wife's uncle's family were not that fortunate. They drowned in the South China sea fleeing the communists. Those marines did not make one policy decision. They just tried to the best they could that day.

[dtran1999]

Damn, what an awesome story!

[487Consulting]

@spitfyre31 please send me a note at kcrouse95630@gmail.com - Your Uncle Jim was a heck of a Marine. I still remember that red hair of his and way he (and Colin Broussard) always carried himself when with the Ambassador. He and Colin were the two Marines personally with the Ambassador most of the time. Sadly, Colin passed away at age 54 on Christmas morning 2005 and I miss them both. I'm more than glad to help you in any way I can. Please write off-line. s/f

[spitfyre31]

@KCrouse95630 Semper Fi..I was encouraged when I saw this video since I have only located two docs with footage of my uncle in them and was hoping to learn more about his time in the embassy. His name is James J. Daisey and was one of the marine sec. guards to Ambassador Martin. He died 15 yrs ago this 1/24 and had not had the opportunity to talk to him about it...I was young and he did not discuss Vietnam. I'm hoping to learn more. It is important to our family & s/b passed down

[stupifiedgig]

My father served aboard the U.S.S. Hancock.

[noobler9]

in any democracy, blame falls on all, because the democracy is all

just remember that

[fruityrice]

Don't ever blame our U.S. soldiers for this war, it was the pol-idiots in the government

[synbadify]

I was there onboard the USS Vancouber LPD-2. I do wonder what happened to everyone that we evacuated to Subic Bay... It was such a sad day for the South Vietnamese. I also wonder what happened to all the folks we turned away....

[AccordGTR]

From propaganda perspective, some people saw the war as American democracy saving a 3rd world nation from totalitarianism. But in reality, in the 60's, American democracy only existed inside the US with white Americans while blacks had to fight for their civil rights. US govt supported brutal dictators in South Vietnam, Philippines, Iran, Iraq and other countries which oppressed their people. Some Americans were smart enough to know the truth but others were lost in its propaganda.

[AccordGTR]

@Agent1W Happy for what? You never beat the Soviets - that was another US propaganda to try to justify the billions spent and lives lost for nothing. It's people like you that keep the war going so that military industrialists make profits off the blood of ignorant Americans and foreign civilians. That kind of BS is out in the open already. Perestroyka brought the USSR down but its their people that won, not America. Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan were American disasters.