Photos: A look back at the fall of Saigon and the final days of the Vietnam War

[mahatmakanejeeves]

THE PICTURE SHOW
Photos: A look back at the fall of Saigon and the final days of the Vietnam War

APRIL 30, 2025 • 12:29 PM ET
By NPR Staff


Vietnamese refugees evacuated by helicopter arrive on board the USS Midway ahead of the fall of Saigon on April 29, 1975.
Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Vietnam War came to an end on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. The fall of the city marked the end of the South Vietnamese government and decades of conflict.

In the days leading up to the city's fall, tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians desperately tried to flee, including government officials, soldiers and their families, who feared persecution under the incoming communist regime. Almost all American civilian and military personnel were evacuated from Saigon after nearly two decades of war.

Thousands of people hoped to secure a spot on one of the last helicopters out, in what became the largest helicopter evacuation in history. Some of the most unforgettable images from those final days include South Vietnamese soldiers stripping off their uniforms to blend in with civilians, panicked crowds scaling the walls of the U.S. Embassy, and Navy crews pushing helicopters off aircraft carriers into the sea to make room for incoming flights carrying evacuees.

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[Squaredeal]

1. I served two tours there in the Army

Watching the sudden collapse of South Vietnam on the evening news was so surreal to me how quickly the country capitulated, yet at the same time predictable, once the U.S. withdrawal of its combat and support troops took place. The desperation of many America ‘s Vietnamese allies trying to escape, as shown in realtime TV and how quickly it unfolded was tragic to both those Americans who supported the war and those who opposed it. I don’t believe that anyone felt good about it ending this way and the Ford administration should have been honest with the American public that the war was lost and have brokered a peaceful transition of power to North Vietnam and not have abandoned so many who wrongfully believed and trusted that we had still had their backs once we left.

[Dickster]

2. A good friend of mine helped with that evacuation.

He was a Marine stationed in the Philippines. He got orders to fly into Saigon, said he was given a rifle and ammo as he boarded the plane. When he landed at the airport in Saigon, mortar shells were exploding nearby. He got on a bus and was taken to the Embassy where he helped with the evacuation. He was in country less than a day, flew out on one of the last helicopters to leave, so heavily loaded with refugees and fellow Marines he was worried they wouldn’t get off the ground. They flew to an aircraft carrier where they landed. There they were dumping helicopters off the side of the carrier to make room for others coming in. He often joked that he was a Vietnam Vet for spending less than 24 hours in country. He passed away about a month ago from stomach cancer that had spread to his liver. I miss him, he was a Trumper, but we could argue endlessly, but at the days end, we forgot the argument and remained good friends….