49 years ago today April 30, 1975, was the fall of Saigon to the forces of the communist North. 70 American helicopters evacuated 1,373 Americans, 5,595 South Vietnamese, and 815 foreign nationals in the span of 18 hours. Thank you to all the Veterans who served, and in case no one has said it before, "Welcome Home."

I know a jarhead who was on one of the last choppers out of the embassy.
Maybe some day I will see if he wants to talk about it.
I don't need to know if he doesn't want to talk.

That was the 2nd time the US surrendered first was Korea and have been surrendering ever since WW2

So I realize that Afghanistan is a diff war but this interview outlines the craziness of our withdrawal there. It is a long video but if you watch it, I guarantee it will blow your mind.

https://youtu.be/-kyAjAPwYpA?si=pdIlbtga_bXEi_v8

you might want to ask before some day

Vietnam vets are running out of somedays

my father in law was 68-69 USMC in Vietnam till he got shot, then finished out his time state side living and working in the hospital , then a little time as a guard at Leavenworth. finished out as a Staff Sargent.

he is 80

another friend who was in Vietnam and air force already went a few years ago from cancer.

maybe ask before the stories die with the man.

At the least that war should have ended in a compromise at the bargaining table. Johnson had our soldiers fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. Nixon totally lost the war when he warned the North we would escalate the bombings if they escalated their aggression and backed down. He gave into the pressure he was receiving from Americans.

I have Several Viëtnam vet friends

All but one is well emotionally

it's a Miracle

God bless all of the Viet Nam vets.

X2

I like many don't discuss a lot what the war or service was like. I have been asked to emcee our Memorial Day ceremony at a large cemetary and the village with our program. I am thinking now about what to say in 5 minutes about what it felt like, what I see now and where our culture is today. Don't know if Memorial Day is the best venue for that but as was stated above many of us don't have that many days left or be asked to lead the ceremony. With only 1 in 20 families today with a direct service connection it does not help much to give big parades, etc . Since 2001 (GWOT) 4 times as many veterans have committed suicide then have died in combat. Surviving combat is not the biggest hardship many veterans face. When statistics are compared Viet Nam vets are only slightly likely to committ suicide than male counter parts that did not serve. Today veterans are 4 times as likelly to committ suicide than not veterans of the same age groups. gender etc. There are a host of reasons that could be and I plan to explore some of those. I was drafted soon after Kent State and wearing a uniform was not a friendly experience, coming or going. Being harrassed may not be as bad emotionally as being forgotten or abandoned by society. Hard to know but for me I iwll take some spit and urine if I am that muchj less likely to do my self in.

Bryce

I've always wondered if that last guy out turned off the lights?