Perdue presented the medals to Petrazewsky for his heroics during Operation Frequent Wind in Vietnam in 1975. . . [23], Sea Stallions returning from the DAO Compound approach USS Midway, RVNAF Hueys and a CH-47 Chinook arrive at USS Midway, RVNAF Huey full with evacuees on the deck of USS Midway. [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. and 28 March 1973, in the area defined under the Armed Forces The operation ended at 0900 on April 30, and by noon that day, Communist flags waved over Saigon's Presidential Palace. USS Frederick earned three campaign stars for Vietnam War service and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Operation Frequent Wind or 4 campaign stars for the Vietnam Service Medal if the Armed Forces Medal is exchanged for the 18th Vietnam campaign, Op. Evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon, April 29, 1975. Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. The buses would follow one of four planned evacuation routes from downtown Saigon to the DAO Compound, each route named after a Western Trail: Santa Fe, Oregon, Texas, etc. [6]:27 By 16 April, Alamo was complete: water, C-rations, petroleum, oil, and lubricants had been stockpiled; backup electricity generators had been installed; sanitary facilities were completed; and concertina wire protected the perimeter. The system worked so efficiently that the buses were able to make three return journeys rather than the expected one. In April 1975, Okinawa participated in Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. Writer Claude-Michel Schnberg has acknowledged that the musical was inspired by pictures of the evacuation. The principal eligibility criterion is that the individual must have participated in a bona fide ground or surface combat fire fight or action during which he or she was under enemy fire AND his/her performance while under fire was satisfactory. These altitudes were also high enough to avoid small arms and artillery fire. Major Kean contacted the Seventh Fleet to advise them of his airlift requirements; until that time the fleet believed that all evacuees had been bussed from the embassy to the DAO Compound and that only two helicopters would be required to evacuate Ambassador Martin and the Marines from the embassy. service. By mid-April, contingency plans were in place and preparations were underway for a possible helicopter evacuation. "[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". Authorization. The U.S. government was continuing to observe its obligations under the Accords, notwithstanding the North Vietnamese invasion. [20]:2224 According to US Naval Archives, at 12:30 an Air America Bell 205 landed Air Vice Marshal Nguyn Cao K, Madame K, Dorothy Martin (wife of Ambassador Martin) and others on USS Denver; however, contemporary reports state and photos show that Marshal K piloted his own UH-1H Huey to USS Midway. An embassy official said that more than five million dollars were being burned. In the helicopter evacuation a total of 395 Americans and 4,475 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated from the DAO compound[10]:197 and a further 978 U.S. and 1,120 Vietnamese and third-country nationals from the embassy,[10]:201 giving a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third country nationals. Normal performance of duty or in a large number of combat missions does not in itself justify the award. SECNAVINST 1650.1F, Dated 8 August 1991. c. Engagement Stars. DIVE! [4], Evacuation plans are standard for American embassies. [18] Disgruntled ARVN troops repeatedly hit American helicopters with small arms fire throughout the evacuation, without causing serious damage. However, no person shall be entitled to Two LZs were now available in the embassy compound, the rooftop for UH-1s and CH-46s and the new parking lot LZ for the heavier CH-53s. One AC-119 gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching PAVN. 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. [10]:197, 9th MAB intelligence photo of the DAO Compound with LZs marked, 9th MAB post-operation map of the DAO Compound and Air America Compound with LZs marked, A Marine provides security as helicopters land at the DAO Compound, Vietnamese evacuees board a CH-53 at LZ 39, Aerial reconnaissance photos of the destroyed DAO Headquarters building with Air America Compound in the foreground, On 25 April, 40 Marines from the 9th MAB on USS Hancock were flown in by Air America helicopters in civilian clothes to the DAO compound to augment the 18 Marine Security Guards assigned to defend the embassy; an additional six Marines were assigned to protect Ambassador Martin. (b). When the evacuation is ordered, the code will be read out on Armed Forces Radio. The following three tables identify those awards that are campaign and expeditionary medals. The medal shall be ,awarded only Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam prior to the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese Army It was carried out on 29-30 April 1975, during the last days of the Vietnam War. A. (Operation Eagle Pull) April 11-13, 1975 Congo July 14, 1960 to September 1, 1962 and . 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. In addition, the Vietnamese relatives of American citizens and senior Government of Vietnam officials and their dependents (about 600,000 people) were also identified as potential evacuees, along with Vietnamese formerly employed by the U.S. and their dependents. 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. The evacuation of the embassy was completed at 07:53 on 30 April, but some Americans chose to stay or were left behind and some 400 third-country nationals were left at the embassy. [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. Click on unit logos above for eligibility. NHHC Photograph Collection, Navy Subject Files. When the operation ceased on May 2, the Vietnamese Navy group set sail for reception centers in the Philippines and Guam in Operation New Life. [1][2]:14. [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. However, no person shall be entitled to both awards Operation Frequent Wind ship disposition 1975 - Recreated map.svg. [10]:197 At 23:40 Marines destroyed the satellite terminal, the DAO Compound's last means of direct communication with the outside world. ships or units, and who actually participated in the given This award may also be conferred upon unit of other branches of the Armed Forces of the United States, provided that such units shall meet the standards established for Navy and Marine Corps units. USAF F-4s, F-111s and A-7s provided air cover during daylight, being replaced by AC-130s from the 16th Special Operations Squadron at night. 127-GVB-279-A150966: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975. Lady Ace 09, CH-46 serial number 154803, is now on display at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum in San Diego, California. (a) Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces [29] Nixon's pledge of Peace with Honor in Vietnam had become a humiliating defeat, which together with Watergate contributed to the crisis of confidence that affected America throughout the 1970s. 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. There was an insert page which read: "Note evacuational signal. 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. It was carried out on 29-30 April 1975, during the last days of the Vietnam War. Only personnel attached to [14]:30, At 17:00 the first CH-46 landed at the embassy. [6]:37 President Ford, in an address to the American public on 11 April, promised to evacuate Vietnamese civilians of various categories. [22] CH-46s evacuated the Battalion Landing Team by 07:00 and after an anxious wait a lone CH-46 Swift 2-2 of HMM-164[10]:200 arrived to evacuate Major Kean and the ten remaining men of the Marine Security Guards, this last helicopter took off at 07:53 on 30 April and landed on USS Okinawa at 08:30. [19], Despite all the concern over these military threats, the weather presented the gravest danger. eligible for the medal. From 7 October 1987 to 7 April 1988, Okinawa was deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of mine sweeping operations and MAGTF 1-88. The U.S. Embassy in Saigon was intended to only be a secondary evacuation point for embassy staff, but it was soon overwhelmed with evacuees and desperate South Vietnamese. The history and Technology of Submarines (Grade 5), To the Ends of the Earth and Beyond (Grades 5-8), The Date that Lives in Infamy: Pearl Harbor (High School), Codes and Signals: Breaking the Spy Games of World War II and Vietnam, Damage Control Mission Brief: (Blue Navy) A Study Based on the Battle of Okinawa, Damage Control Mission Brief: (Green Navy) A Study Based on the Battle of Okinawa, Author Talk: The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World with Rebecca Boggs Roberts and Lucinda Robb, Family Art Workshop: Kites and Observation, Talk: The Washington Navy Yard During the Civil War, A Conversation with Historians Dr. Regina Akers and Dr. Eddie Valentin: From Benjamin Drummond to Doris Miller: Race, Identity, and the Struggle Against Discrimination in the U.S. Navy, Virtual Book Talk: When Giants Ruled the Sky: the Brief Reign and Tragic Demise of the American Rigid Airship, with John J. Geoghegan and Curator, Gordon Calhoun, April 29, 1975 Operation Frequent Wind, April 18, 1906 -- San Francisco, California, December 16, 1922 Rescue of Vinh-Long Passengers, September 6, 1930 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, December 1948-January 1949-Beirut, Lebanon and Port Said, Egypt, 1954-1955 Vietnam (Operation Passage to Freedom), October 13, 1954 -- Haiti (Hurricane Hazel), February 7, 1955: Evacuation of Chinese from Tachen Islands, October 1955: Tampico, Mexico (Hurricane Janet), October 1959 Nagoya, Japan (Typhoon Vera), November 3, 1961 - Belize, British Honduras (Hurricane Hattie), August 1969 Mississippi (Hurricane Camille), October-December 1973 Colombia and Haiti, February 1975 Mauritius (Cyclone Gervaise), 1980-1989 Rescue of Vietnamese Refugees, September 21, 1981 Rescue of Datu Kalantiaw, January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger, April-August 1989 - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, September-October 1989 Charleston, South Carolina, January 1990 Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 5, 1990 Liberia (Operation Sharp Edge), 1991-1996 - Iraq (Operation Provide Comfort), 1992-1993 Somalia (Operation Restore Hope), 1992-1996 Yugoslavia (Operation Provide Promise), March 1997 - Albania (Operation Silver Wake), January-March 1998 Kenya (Operation Nobel Response). This will be followed by the playing of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. [21]:67 From the billowing incinerator on the embassy roof floated intelligence documents and US currency, most charred; some not. Personnel eligible for the award of the Purple Heart WOULD NOT necessarily qualify for the CAR. An award will not be made to a unit for actions of one or more of its component parts, unless such unit performed as a total team in a manner justifying the award. [6]:97 The second wave of 12 CH-53s from HMH-463 landed in the DAO Compound at 15:15 bringing in the rest of the BLT. 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. (check below for additional Republic of Vietnam unit awards). [24] Major Buang became the first RVNAF fixed-wing pilot to ever land on a carrier. Awarded to all personnel assigned or attached to the following units, during the period shown, are authorized to wear the ribbon bar, Gallantry Medal Color, with Palm and Gold Frame. Many of the Vietnamese evacuees were allowed to enter the United States under the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act. I was awarded the VSM as well as the humanitarian service medal. operations. of the United States, serving at any time between 4 July 1965 We also conducted a brief search of the catalog using the terms Operation Frequent Wind, Operation Eagle Pull, and Agent Orange. National Defense Service Medal Combat Action Ribbon-Operation Frequent Wind Navy Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one Bronze star-. [6]:44 Finally, on 19 April, a simple procedure was implemented that cleared up the paperwork jam and the number of evacuees dramatically increased. approved. [6]:79 Between 04:30 and 08:00 up to 40 artillery rounds and rockets hit around the DAO Compound. At 15:00 the first CH-53s were sighted heading towards the DAO Compound at Tan Son Nhut. In Operation Frequent Wind a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated by helicopter. (e). [6]:99 The Hanoi leadership, reckoning that completion of the evacuation would lessen the risk of American intervention, had apparently instructed General Dng not to target the airlift itself. service in Vietnam, and no person shall be entitled to more than [6]:66, On 27 April, PAVN rockets hit Saigon and Cholon for the first time since the 1973 ceasefire. [30], For an operation of the size and complexity of Frequent Wind, casualties were relatively light. Brigadier General Richard E. Carey, commander of the 9th MAB, flew to Saigon the next day to see Ambassador Martin; he later said, "The visit was cold, non-productive and appeared to be an irritant to the Ambassador". (Authorization of the CAR must be approved either by the USMC or USN AwardsBranches. [6]:9899 USAF aircraft operating out of Nakhon Phanom Air Base, Korat Air Base and U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand were also overhead for the duration of the helicopter evacuation. [9] Workers from Pacific Architects and Engineers visited each of the 13 LZs to remove obstructions and paint H's the size of a UH-1 Huey helicopter's skids. By 22 April, 20 C-141 and 20 C-130s flights a day were flying evacuees out of Tan Son Nhut to Clark Air Base,[6]:60 some 1,000 miles away in the Philippines. 111. [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. Midway's commanding officer, Captain L.C. A South Vietnamese pilot lands his Huey helicopter on the deck of USS Hancock (CV-19). [6]:36 At 08:30 on 29 April, with the shelling of Tan Son Nhut Airport subsiding, Air America began ferrying its helicopter and fixed-wing pilots from their homes in Saigon to the Air America compound at Tan Son Nhut, across the road from the DAO Compound. 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. IT IS. Vietnam Counter-offensive VII 01 Jul 70 to 30 Jun 71 (b) Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces A Silver Star, 3/16 inch in diameter, is authorized for wear in place of five (5) Bronze Stars when a total of five (5) campaigns have been recognized. (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. An award will not be made to a unit for actions of one or more of its component parts, unless such unit performed as a total team in a manner justifying the award. Attached to or regularly participation in Operation FREQUENT WIND, during the period 29 All planning would have to be conducted with the utmost discretion. [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. The Marines closed and bolted the chancery door, the elevators were locked by Seabees on the sixth floor and the Marines withdrew up the stairwells locking grill gates behind them. [6]:92, The evacuation proceeded without interference from the PAVN. During the course of the operation an unknown number of RVNAF helicopters flew out of what remained of South Vietnam to the fleet. All of my awards were issued also. [6]:8587, In preparation for the evacuation, the American Embassy had distributed a 15-page booklet called SAFE, short for "Standard Instruction and Advice to Civilians in an Emergency." The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed. They quickly established an austere command post in preparation for the arrival of the Marine CH-53s and the ground security force. To justify this award, the unit must have performed service as a unit of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of the Silver Star Medal or a Legion of Merit to an individual. Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) Ribbon Synopsis: Awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any unit of the Navy or Marine Corps for outstanding performance in action. A second Cessna O-1 was also recovered by USS Midway that afternoon. Martin told them that he would not tolerate any outward signs that the United States intended to abandon South Vietnam. for the award; however, consideration will be given in those (c). At this time, the embassy indicated that another 19 lifts would complete the evacuation. 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. (d) Public Law 107-314 of 2 December 2002 Frequent Wind This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Common questions about the Combat Action Ribbon and who rates it: (a). Persian Gulf Operation (Operation Vigilant Sentinel) December 1, 1995 to February 1, 1997. . Date. military operations. [21]:7 At 03:00 Ambassador Martin ordered Major Kean to move all the remaining evacuees into the parking lot LZ which was the Marines' final perimeter. to 30 April 1975, may elect the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for such The airlift resulted in a number of enduring images. for operations for which no other U.S. campaign medal is [5] The Saigon plan had been developed over a number of years. [17] Members of the police in Saigon had been promised evacuation in exchange for protecting the American evacuation buses and control of the crowds in the city during the evacuation. [20]:20, So many RVNAF helicopters landed on the TF76 ships that some 45 UH-1 Hueys and at least one CH-47 Chinook were pushed overboard to make room for more helicopters to land. The table below lists approved operations for award of the HSM. Service for 30 In addition, a flotilla of Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships were assembled and these carried out seaborne evacuations from Saigon Port, this fleet comprised: On 28 April at 18:06, three A-37 Dragonflies piloted by former RVNAF pilots, who had defected to the Vietnamese People's Air Force at the fall of Da Nang, dropped six Mk81 250lb bombs on Tan Son Nhut Air Base destroying several aircraft. [6]:81 Some RVNAF aircraft stayed to continue to fight the advancing PAVN. Shown: A Vietnamese woman, carrying her son, is given a numbered tag as she arrives onboard USS Hancock (CV-19). Stayed to continue to fight the advancing PAVN 5 ] the Saigon plan had been over. The night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 had! Of I 'm Dreaming of a White Christmas awarded the VSM as as... ]:81 some RVNAF aircraft stayed to continue to fight the advancing PAVN the ground security force for Republic... 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