The Fall of Saigon Remembered

30 April 1975

A member of the CIA helps evacuees up a ladder onto an Air America helicopter on the roof of 22 Gia Long Street, a hotel half a mile from the Embassy, April 29, 1975, shortly before Saigon fell to advancing North Vietnamese troops. Photo by Hubert van Es/Fair Use.

The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975—a day etched into the memory for those who served—marked the end of the Vietnam War as North Vietnamese forces captured the South Vietnamese capital. In the weeks leading up to the fall, North Vietnamese forces rapidly advanced southward, overwhelming what remained of the South Vietnamese military.

A U.S. Marine provides security as American helicopters land at the Defense Attaché Office compound during Operation Frequent Wind. (Image by Dirck Halstead, U.S. Marines)

The United States, having already withdrawn its troops by 1973, launched “Operation Frequent Wind,” a large-scale evacuation effort to rescue American personnel and vulnerable South Vietnamese citizens. Helicopters airlifted thousands from the U.S. Embassy and nearby locations in scenes of chaos and desperation.

South Vietnamese refugees arrive on a U.S. Navy vessel after fleeing their homes during Operation Frequent Wind. (U.S. Navy)

The chaotic evacuation showed the war’s heavy human cost and the uncertainty that remained.