In any case this effectively marked the end of the commercial airlift from Tan Son Nhut. [6]:72 At 21:00 on 28 April Major General Homer D. Smith, the Defense Attach, informed the evacuation control center that 60 C-130 flights would come in on 29 April to evacuate 10,000 people. Vietnam Counter-offensive VI 02 Nov 68 to 22 Feb 69 Members qualified for the AFEM by reason of service between 01Jul1958 and 03Jul1965 (inclusive) in an area for which the Vietnam Service medal (VSM) was subsequently authorized shall remain qualified for that medal. (b) Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces All Air America flights had ceased by 21:00. [40], In The Simpsons at the end of Episode 16 of Season 6, "Bart vs. Australia", the Simpsons are evacuated from the American Embassy as angry Australians gather outside in a scene reminiscent of Hubert van Es's famous photo. should be submitted to CNO/CMC, via the commander who exercised The code is: The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising. All of my awards were issued also. [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. A second Cessna O-1 was also recovered by USS Midway that afternoon. [16] Japanese journalists, concerned that they would not recognize the tune, had to get someone to sing it to them. (b). Attached to or regularly [21]:67 From the billowing incinerator on the embassy roof floated intelligence documents and US currency, most charred; some not. area for which the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) was subsequently [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. Once the deck was clear Major Buang approached the deck, bounced once and then touched down and taxied to a halt with room to spare. stipulates that personnel who were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for their Caption: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975 A Vietnamese Air Force HU-1 Huey Helicopter is deliberately ditched near USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), as one of the ship's boats stands by to pick up. The performance of duty in carrying out a mission under the ordinary hazards of war, or participation in extended periods of combat duty, or in a large number of combat missions does not itself justify the award, which is designated to recognize specific acts of heroism on the part of the unit acting as a team. [6]:122 Marine pilots accumulated 1,054 flight hours and flew 682 sorties throughout Operation Frequent Wind. member in one or more aerial flights, directly supporting 127-GVB-279-A150966: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975. service in Vietnam, and no person shall be entitled to more than This meant that scattered clouds existed below their flight path while a solid layer of clouds more than two miles above their heads obscured the sun. Marine corporals McMahon and Judge, killed at the DAO compound, were the only members of US forces killed in action during the operation and they were the last US ground casualties in Vietnam. The U.S. Air Force played a key role in Operation FRE-QUENTWIND. The fixed-wing evacuation was terminated and Operation Frequent Wind began. serving in direct support of operations in Vietnam. Upon application, any such member may be awarded the VSM in lieu of the AFEM for such service. Only one award per operation is authorized. 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. 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. It has often been misidentified as the US Embassy. 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. [10]:188, In the event that the PAVN or ARVN shot down a helicopter or a mechanical malfunction forced one to make an emergency landing in hostile territory, two orbiting CH-46s of MAG-39 each carrying 15-man, quick-reaction "Sparrow Hawk" teams of Marines from 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, from USS Blue Ridge, were ready to land and provide security enabling a search and rescue helicopter to pick up the crew. Refugees arrive aboard USS Midway.29 April 1975. bdpopeye Mi Field Marshall MI.Net Member TAARB Joined Jul 12, 2006 11. [14], At 03:58, C-130E, #72-1297, flown by a crew from the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron, was destroyed by a 122mm rocket while taxiing to pick up refugees after offloading a BLU-82 at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The table below lists approved operations for award of the HSM. 21st SOS Frequent Wind and Mayaguez Incident gallery, Video clip: Footage of evacuation operations underway aboard USS Midway, including historic Cessna O-1 landing by VNAF pilot Major Buang, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Frequent_Wind&oldid=1131016156, Option 1: Evacuation by commercial airlift from, Option 2: Evacuation by military airlift from Tan Son Nhut and other South Vietnamese airports as required, Option 3: Evacuation by sea lift from Saigon port, Option 4: Evacuation by helicopter to US Navy ships in the, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 03:59. Harnage boarded an Air America Huey from the Embassy's rooftop heliport and flew the short distance to the Pittman Building. Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Pay tribute to a Vietnam War Hero past or present and hear the stories of Operation Frequent Wind and the Fall of Saigon from those . Bronze Marine Corps Device(Navy), Around 12:00 five or six RVNAF UH-1Hs and one of the stolen ICCS UH-1Hs, were circling around Blue Ridge. 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. participation in Operation FREQUENT WIND, during the period 29 Note: (5) Named Campaigns are denoted by a 3/16 silver service star. (c) Air Duty. I now have metastatic prostrate cancer with no family history and have been told to file a claim with the VA for disability. Between 19:00 and 21:00 on 29 April approximately 130 additional Marines from 2nd Battalion 4th Marines were lifted from the DAO Compound to reinforce perimeter security at the embassy,[10]:195 bringing the total number of Marines at the embassy to 175. Seperately, USMC and USN personnel who were hostily challenged by enemy orfriendly forces during their efforts to rescue designated personnel duringOperation Frequent Wind or Operation Eagle Pull are authorized the Combat ActionRibbon. [3]:258 The total number of Vietnamese evacuated by Frequent Wind or self-evacuated and ending up in the custody of the United States for processing as refugees to enter the United States totalled 138,869. Her belongings will be tagged with the same number due to the language barrier between the refugees and Marines. An award will not be made to a unit for action of one or more of its component parts, unless such unit performed as a total team in a manner justifying the award. Rather than loading as many evacuees as possible, each evacuee was required to have a seat and a seatbelt, reducing the number of passengers that could be carried on each flight to 94 in a C-141 and 75 in a C-130. [6]:69, With the fall of Saigon imminent, between 18 and 24 April the U.S. Navy assembled ships off Vng Tu under Commander Task Force 76:[8], USSOklahoma City (Seventh Fleet flagship), Task Group 76.4 (Movement Transport Group Alpha), Task Group 76.5 (Movement Transport Group Bravo), Task Group 76.9 (Movement Transport Group Charlie). All planning would have to be conducted with the utmost discretion. (4) Limitations. Shown: A Vietnamese woman, carrying her son, is given a numbered tag as she arrives onboard USS Hancock (CV-19). Martin had remained optimistic that a negotiated settlement could be reached whereby the US would not have to pull out of South Vietnam and, in an effort to avert defeatism and panic he instructed Major James Kean, commanding officer of the Marine Security Guard Battalion and Ground Support Force Commander United States Embassy Compound, that he could not begin to remove the tamarind tree and other trees and shrubbery which prevented the use of the embassy parking lot as a helicopter landing zone. 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]:34 American commercial and contract carriers continued to fly out of Tan Son Nhut, but with decreasing frequency. It is so sad that so many of use never received what was due us.. short periods or TAD and training duty are normally not eligible Campaign Stars are authorized for Ain-country personnel@ for periods as indicated below: 16605 Forest Green Terrace Some 400 evacuees were left behind at the embassy including over 100 South Korean citizens; among them was Brigadier General Dai Yong Rhee, the intelligence chief at the South Korean Embassy in Saigon. IT IS. Lady Ace 09, CH-46 serial number 154803, is now on display at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum in San Diego, California. c. Engagement Stars. Ships and units Then the F-4D was cleared to destroy the 57 mm battery and did so with two CBU-71 and two CBU-58 Cluster bombs, neutralizing the site, 10 miles (16km) northeast of Saigon, without damage to either aircraft. Midway's commanding officer, Captain L.C. [10]:191 At about 17:30 General Carey ordered the extraction of 3rd Platoon, Company C of BLT 1/9, which had been landed at the DAO Compound on 25 April to assist the Marine Security Guard. Operation Frequent Wind - 29 to 30 April 1975 Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Navy Unit Commendation Hancock was also awarded: American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Medal National Defense Service Medal (2nd) Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, before the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in the Fall of Saigon. IX. [6]:40 The Frequent Wind plan set out four possible evacuation options:[6]:9, With Option 4, the helicopter evacuation would be expected to be similar to Operation Eagle Pull, the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 12 April 1975. The following amplifying remarks are furnished as guidance. Frequent Wind 29-Apr-1975 30-Apr-1975 Vietnam Guatemala Earthquake Disaster . Sporadic gunfire from around the embassy passed over the rooftop. [10]:196 Between 19:00 and 21:00 General Carey transferred 3 platoons (130 men) of BLT 2/4 into the embassy compound to provide additional security and assistance for the embassy. However, no person shall be entitled to Shipmates would fight for that ship. 127-GVB-279-A150960: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975. April 30, 1975 marks the date of Operation Frequent Wind, one of the largest humanitarian rescues in naval history. [14]:30, At 17:00 the first CH-46 landed at the embassy. National Defense Service Medal Combat Action Ribbon-Operation Frequent Wind Navy Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one Bronze star-. The booklet included a map of Saigon pinpointing "assembly areas where a helicopter will pick you up." 11231 of 08 July 1965. Actual participation as a crew Most of the Marines were inside the chancery when the crowds outside the embassy broke through the gates into the compound. Vietnam Defense Campaign 08 Mar 65 to 24 Dec 65 Strategic Air Command KC-135 tankers provided air-to-air refueling. 2. 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. (a) Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. This office can identify awards earned by Navy units. Ambassador Martin soon sent word back to Major Kean that sorties would continue to be flown. On 28 April, Tan Son Nhut Air Base (next to the airport) came under artillery fire and attack from Vietnamese People's Air Force aircraft. [10]:191192, The HMH-462 CH-53s loaded with evacuees and left the compound, they unloaded the first evacuees delivered by Operation Frequent Wind at 15:40. The biggest problem occurred when the ARVN unit guarding the main gate at Tan Son Nhut refused to allow the last convoy of buses into the DAO Compound at about 17:45. Click on unit logos above for eligibility. Hugh van Es believed that Miss Saigon misappropriated his photo and considered legal action against the show, but decided against it. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. and 28 March 1973, in the area defined under the Armed Forces The system worked so efficiently that the buses were able to make three return journeys rather than the expected one. [30], For an operation of the size and complexity of Frequent Wind, casualties were relatively light. [25][26] The South Korean civilians were evacuated in 1976, while General Rhee and two other diplomats were held captive until April 1980. of the United States, serving at any time between 4 July 1965 A. 1 Considering the dates prescribed in the legislation, the following combat periods, which were approved under prior direction, are approved to consider awarding of the CAR: World War II 07 December 1941 through 14 April 1946, Korean War 27 June 1950 through 27 July 1954. Hancock was lovingly called Hanna and Fightin' Hanna by the crew. Operation Frequent Wind concluded more than two decades of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Vietnam Counter-offensive V 01 Jul 68 to 01 Nov 68 Send the form to: Bureau of Naval Personnel Liaison Office Room 5409, 9700 Page Avenue St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 To obtain information about unit awards earned, contact the Chief of Naval Operations, Awards and Special Projects Branch at the address below. Planning for the evacuation of the Americans and their South Vietnamese allies from South Vietnam had begun before April 1975. (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. The service medal was awarded to all members of the armed forces who served in Vietnam and contiguous waters and airspace between 01 July 1958 and 28 March 1973. Click on unit logos above for eligibility. MSC tugs pulled barges filled with people from Saigon Port out to TF-76. Southeast Asia, from 1 March 1961 to 15 August 1973 (5). At dawn on 29 April two A-1 Skyraiders began patrolling the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut at 2,500 feet (760m) until one was shot down, presumably by an SA-7 missile. [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. Southeast Asia, from 1 March 1961 to 15 August 1973, (5). [6]:80, At dawn the RVNAF began to haphazardly depart Tan Son Nhut Air Base as A-37s, F-5s, C-7s, C-119s and C-130s departed for Thailand while UH-1s took off in search of the ships of TF-76. [6]:67 Also on 25 April the Federal Aviation Administration banned commercial flights into South Vietnam. Also automatically authorized is the Humanitarian ServiceMedal. [1][2]:14. This award may also maybe conferred upon units of the other branches of the Armed Forces of the United States and of friendly foreign nations serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, provided that such units shall meet the standards established for Navy and Marine Corps units. The U.S. government was continuing to observe its obligations under the Accords, notwithstanding the North Vietnamese invasion. [10]:187, The air wings of USS Enterprise and USS Coral Sea, were ready to provide close air support and anti-aircraft suppression if required with their A-6 and A-7 attack aircraft, and would provide continuous fighter cover the evacuation route including by VF-1 and VF-2, flying from Enterprise with the first combat deployment of the new F-14A Tomcat. 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