"Our flight deck will only take one helicopter at a time…"

With so many South Vietnamese helicopters landing on the USS Kirk, the crew had no other option than to dump the helicopters overboard once they'd unloaded their passengers.
"Last Days in Vietnam" airs April 28, 2015 on PBS American Experience.

[@joeboggio4002]

My friend's father served in the South Vietnamese Army and had to run like hell with his wife after the fall. They came to the US with nothing, and they barely spoke the language, but he managed to create a good life for himself, his wife, and his two daughters. He built a landscaping business, bought a good home in a good area, and now lives peacefully. I have so much respect for him.

[@ThrilloVanHouten]

This is such a nice story, it's very wonderful

[@brianrahmawan]

Salut for your father.

[@LieutenantDangleBerries]

I live by a military base and there’s a large amount of families with stories similar to this, of all cultures our military has fought alongside over the last century or so. I know an older Korean man who was former ROK military and bought an M1 Carbine just like his service rifle as soon as he got his citizenship.

[@ucanhvungoc7133]

Rất tôn trọng ba mẹ bạn. Bạn đã có dịp quay về Việt Nam thăm chưa?

[@samjames1253]

I feel sad watching a beautiful machine being thrown to Davey jones's locker. I know its weird but I do....

[@sakhitoutada1501]

It was either they go, or Vietnam goes.

[@charleswilcher4281]

That's so sad I would have loved to have one of them birds

[@darrenrobinson486]

I remember watching it on the news and was 3 years old and i was like wow how can u do this to such beautiful machines

[@davidbrennan5]

Huey is one hell of a good Helicopter.

[@ChristopherF_1971]

@@davidbrennan5 still is to this day! Why they are widely still used all over the world

[@GamePlayWithNolan]

1:45 That guy almost joined the helicopters in the water!

[@Mr3344555]

that guy needs to learn to let go, he gets too attached, too quickly XD

[@MikoyanGurevichMiG21]

Could be worse, he could have been butchered in half by those rotors too

[@zepter00]

That’s why this net is there

[@adorabledeplorable5105]

I served on the Midway during this time . I worked in V-2 division ( arresting gear ) . We brought on board approximately 1000 refugees in two days . The most memorable part was when an O -1 Birddog recon plane landed on deck . When the pilot and his wife got out of the plane he pulled the rear seat forward which allowed their three small kids to exit the fuselage . Desperate deeds in desperate needs .

[@suzannem4891]

A diffferent, harrowing perspective for a boomer who saw it from one point of view. I am glad this film was made.

[@boiq1507]

vAs a Vietnamese who escaped as a toddler with my parents a few years after The Fall of Saigon, watching this clip absolutely breaks my heart and left me in tears to see the flag of South Vietnam lowered as the country collapsed.

[@polishherowitoldpilecki5521]

boiq150 Where you one of the aircraft carriers.

[@knight905416]

Just curious, do you lean left or right now?

[@HarryPotter-zz6pe]

Damn 😔😔😔

[@ajkalwaysneedsmoreinfo.576]

@@knight905416 would have been nice to know his answer

[@calvinnickel9995]

Too bad your country was so highly corrupt that members of your own air forced bombed the presidential palace in Saigon. Communism didn’t win because it was a better system. It was because people like Diem, Batista, Chiang Kai Shek, and the Tsars were so much worse.

[@Juandinggong]

I respect Vietnamese people they are so hard working and very smart.

[@skybluetrades]

Met a gentleman a few weeks ago who was one of the sailors pushing those choppers off of the deck.

[@sophiaplingos912]

Nice!! My grandpa was in one of the destroyers surrounding the aircraft carrier, and he worked in communications so he got to hear the whole thing too

[@ZipShib1987]

Did you also push him into the water? The UH-1 is such a beautiful helicopter

[@simongb7897]

Those that fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it.

[@unbiased3249]

so true. And all the others can do is watch them fail.

[@FMTF-makemoneyonline]

And so it happened.

[@hastekulvaati9681]

True. But repeating a mere 20 something years later is just taking the piss. The US should have listened to all of those people who said don’t invade Afghanistan and Iraq. 20 years, countless lives and billions of dollars. They could have killed Bin Laden and a few Taliban in 2001 and then never step foot in the place ever again.

[@sgtmayhem7567]

I was 13 saw those helicopters being pushed over on tv, it was so enraging and I felt so impotent there were hot tears streaming down my face.

[@butchjackson8989]

I was there on the USS Cook DE 1083, the same squadron as the Kirk, DESRON9 I was involved in pushing helicopters over the side of our ship as well

[@toyreviews3214]

They dumped a lot of things in the water.....

[@deliveryguy8657]

What's the reason behind dumping

[@gta6wontreleasesoz887]

@@deliveryguy8657 ship could only take one heli.

[@deanladue3151]

It appears to be a very foolish thing to have military aircraft being pushed and dumped overboard. But time was of the essence for 'Operation Frequent Wind'. With the NVA already on the outskirts of Saigon, the Navy had roughly 24 hours to get out the people that needed to be evacuated. And the extra aircraft, good portion were South Vietnamese aircraft that weren't going to be flying back to Saigon.

[@taiwandxt6493]

It isn't really foolish. Depending on how you look at it, a single life is worth more than a 5 million dollar aircraft. And given the amount of people saved relative to the amount of money's worth of aircraft that were pushed overboard, it was a net positive trade off in the end. As much as I hate South Vietnam as a government entity for their brutal authoritarianism, which was arguably worse than the North, it warms my heart to see those people be saved as there was another authoritarian government just right there pining to execute them anyway even if they were better on a broader scale. So might as well give them true survival and freedom in the U.S and other western nations.

[@lancerevell5979]

Seeing this makes me proud of the USS Kirk and her crew. I served on another ship of the same class in the early 1980s. The Knox Class frigates were very capable little ships, often called on to do tasks they were never designed for. All are out of US Navy service now. The USS Kirk was sold to Taiwan, where she still serves.

[@Bartonovich52]

They were known as “McNamara’s follies”. They were actually a very capable Destroyer Escort/Frigate with Sea Sparrows, torpedoes, a helicopter, and towed sonar... but because of that the slow single screw ships were asked to do things they weren’t designed for.

[@Andi88T]

Thank you for your service Sir!

[@richardmitchell3037]

I served on the USS Blakeley (FF-1072) during the early 80's. She was scrapped during the 90's

[@bgreen2266]

Fast forward Afghanistan 2021

[@bettyboop65340]

I can understand pushing hueys overboard but why would you throw m16 s overboard

[@Lagmaster33]

Pennies for US war machine and techically they were South Vietnamese guns. In bureaucratic wise its just easier to dump them than take them in service

[@mikeblock2062]

It was expedient

[@medic8377]

The US Army had sold older, and I'm sure some newer, rifles to the SV Army. The South Vietnamese Army, after the fall of Saigon, technically would have not existed anymore, so where would they end up ultimately?

[@psychodad27]

Because there are Idiots....

[@AngelSamael]

There may not have been enough room to store them all given how many rations would be needed to feed all the refugees and having loose guns lying about when you have people crammed into ships that are well beyond their intense capacity is not a good idea.

[@foxydoxy9720]

sad to see such a good chopper wasted

[@anonymouse6129]

Ikr

[@nubreed13]

Better than letting a ton of civilians be tortured to death

[@lellialopes]

@@nubreed13 yup

[@taiwandxt6493]

@@nubreed13 A life is worth more than a 5 million dollar aircraft, and given how many lives were saved relative to the amount of aircraft pushed overboard, it was a net positive trade off.

[@ZipShib1987]

@@taiwandxt6493 This kind of Huey isn't make anymore, humans every second.

[@willarterberry3392]

this is gonna be Afghanistan in another year

[@mahzorimipod]

more like next month homie

[@pedroper859]

It took only hours in Afganistán

[@imdoggo71]

Congratulations today is the day

[@SC-gh6gd]

This comment didn't age well.

[@LinhLinhBD]

not another year, it happened 24 hours ago. Afghanistan has fallen.

[@joelanderos23]

Kills me to see this. I worked on so many of these hueys when I was in the army.

[@kesslermontijo6304]

same, felt like being kicked in the stomach. Yet understand and certainly do not hate the Vietnamese.

[@joelanderos23]

@@kesslermontijo6304 the guys in the fb huey group I'm in say that these hueys were flown by Vietnamese pilots and were just trying to escape also.

[@louielouiepks]

So nice for those boys to take the time and place those artificial reefs out for the fish.

[@ZipShib1987]

Can't believe they put such beautiful machines overboard.

[@caotringuyen500]

I'm crying..... and thanks AMERICA for helping us to the end and ever.

[@bnipmnaa]

I'm crying too... with laughter :-D

[@MrCollinsMW]

Last days of Vietnam

[@suspicioususer]

fuck off commie lover

[@medic8377]

@Harry Eastwood it was our sailors pushing the choppers overboard. Lol Besides, Saigon, the SV Army headquarters, and all stores of ammo and weapons were either seized or destroyed by the NVA and soldiers captured or killed. What would they have gone back to fight for.... And with what weapons and ammo? What would you have had them do, take the helicopters back to the NVA? That would be the ultimate slap in the face.

[@knight905416]

@@suspicioususer I think you took it out of context. And I very much doubt if they vote for the communist democrats.

[@eddiehaskell1957]

It was hard watching those Huey's being dumped in the sea. Then I saw another land, People jumped out, Huey in the sea. Then another land, PEOPLE jump out, Huey in the sea. I thought this is a good thing I'm watching!

[@otterspocket2826]

After the rigours of combat service many would've been nearing the end of their useful life anyway, and would've been mothballed and eventually scrapped (post-combat military hardware tends to be as 'tired' as the ground crews who perform miracles maintaining it in the field). While private buyers today would be willing to throw ridiculous amounts of money at refurbishment. Between that, the additional cost of returning them stateside and the limited remaining service life, it was probably more cost effective to just buy new replacements with zero hours on the clock. In any event this was not a normal, planned withdrawal from peacetime deployment, and in the absolute chaos not entirely dissimilar to Britain's withdrawal from France at Dunkirk it was really the only option that was tactically feasible. As you said, saving lives is better than saving kit.

[@birddogaustria2103]

Amazing videos! Thank you Sir!

[@overcastandhaze]

It's very moving. To know it's finally over.

[@AndresDeSeu]

The humilianting American retreat

[@jamesbond4810]

Since WW2 Americans have not won a single war.

[@jamesbond4810]

"An ideology can't be defeated by a bomb." - MALALA YOUSUF ZAI

[@dallasyap3064]

Though the evacuation was a sh*tshow, it doesn't negate the fact that US bombarded NV into ending the war and signing the paris peace treaty which they broke.

[@lb9422]

Wow, simply amazing.

[@Saul30119]

Damm that was heart broken Those helicopters could have become some nice teapots

[@tamiplas9616]

There goes tax dollars

[@davescopes249]

not planes. helicopters. just saying

[@galipcelik9293]

Yesterday Vietnam, today Afghanistan

[@JJ-jt4ji]

Afghanistan baby!!

[@bof8850]

Imagine all the military supplies still down there.

[@1776TomPaine]

When was the money wasted? When the helicopters were pushed over the side of the ship in 1975, or when the money to buy them was expropriated by Congress in 1965?

[@TruthHurtss822]

Why don’t Hollywood make a movie of these pilots??

[@terryallen9546]

"Peace with honor," they told us...

[@digger5521]

Kabul 2021 ... It starts again

[@NIKONGUY1960]

I saw the Vietnam war every night on CBS. I saw the horror but we got a sanitized version. We were never told about this kind of stuff.

[@Thunderchild-gz4gc]

You saw the horror or a sanitized version? Which is it?

[@user-vf3cb7vk8z]

Season 5 episode 7 of the 100 at 16:20 made a callout to this event. The were talking about the "battle of San Francisco" and "pushing helicopters off aircraft carriers to make room for people." Immediately thought of this.

[@patrickhennegan8770]

RIP Thomas James Hennegan 🇱🇷💜

[@gastonenriquebautistagiral5499]

R.I.P. Bell Amen

[@fomoco300k]

1:45 A man almost gets knocked overboard. What a horrible way to die!

[@allgood6760]

A bit of history there👍

[@thegamingdrone7535]

I would have taken in one of those choppers

[@knight905416]

And fly it where with no gas?

[@tomrohan8480]

With gas or no gas dat machine warrants respect..it could ve been sitting pretty in some museum

[@lellialopes]

this i so sad but cool im learning about it in class

[@triciacol]

Just think how these helicopters now provide safe havens for fish against drag-nets

[@lmyt1505]

1:15 bye m16 😢

[@sniperz123]

Many people (especially Americans themselves) give too much credit to the USA's mightiness. They forgot the Vietnam outcome.

[@astroguster5522]

It's tough watching the helicopters without John Fogerty's Fortunate Son playing over it.

[@scottmcmichael1386]

Just another example of what a waste that war was, our Americans who died there for no reason and then when Saigon fell just dumping millions of dollars of equipment into the sea. It was all a waste!

[@pinchesmbuche4354]

History repeats itself.

[@elviscrb]

hahahahahahaha jejejejejejejeje xaxaxaxaxaxaxaxaxa kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[@joeperson4792]

Imagine them doing that to Blackhawks, well almost. And you know about that other one.

[@dondidykes6664]

you weren't the only one push one off and another one on deck

[@plutobaby9996]

Ah yes I love when my government dumps millions of tax dollars into the ocean

[@bn6963]

Some folks are born made to wave the flag Ooh, they're red, white and blue And when the band plays "Hail to the chief" Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord

[@thetourettesgamer8851]

Fortunate son

[@carlosgarcia8319]

Materials can allways be replaced life's are worth saving even our allies. Small flight deck had no choice. Put yourself in that situation your risking the life of the Navy Shipmates. Easter said then done. Hello!

[@Evemeister12]

Dont worry, rambo got revenge in 1985

[@tomhiggins4969]

🤣🤣🤣

[@donalcasey3612]

Wonder how many lives those hueys saved

[@politicalofficer832]

INSANE

[@jonhnynguyen61]

Một thời đang nhớ,đáng quên trong chiến tranh việt nam.

[@alphasiera1757]

why didnt they just make a DMZ line between north and south Vietnam just like Korea?

[@pctips8496]

There was a dmz line between north and south, but it is a river, u can search "hien luong bridge and ben hai river"

[@Glidescube]

There was.

[@jorgesantos85]

Because the Government of North Vietnam has decided not to repeat the same attitude as North Korea ... In fact, the North Vietnamese were even in high spirits after the defeat of the French and perhaps with that, they had the audacity not to respect any DMZ established by the West. It is also necessary to remember that the South Vietnam had an extremely totalitarian anti-communist government that had provocative attitudes that made him lose the patience of the communist regime in Hanoi.

[@alphasiera1757]

@@jorgesantos85 ow nice

[@rc59191]

They did and the North Vietnamese violated the Paris Peace Accords and overran the country. Now the same thing is happening in Afghanistan almost identically.

[@dondidykes6664]

Yeah we had to do the same thing with the helos time and time again for hrs

[@freegedankenzurbaukunst5613]

Lot of artificial reefs for fishes . Thank you

[@alexdobrev2769]

that fuking guy yeeted that m-16 like it was nothing

[@dondidykes6664]

that's because the vc would tell the o pilots to gain altitude and try to shoot them down

[@user-py8fw8uz3r]

All true. My husband talked a bout when they got home.

[@otiss6348]

I LOVE HUEY'S & hate to see 1 destroyed but if pushing them overboard makes room for more human lives I'm all for it, My father 155 HEL ASLT CO door gunner distinguished flying cross, purple hearts veteran, my father- my HERO 🇺🇸

[@scapingby]

still, better than being in the hands of the taliban.

[@salehfarman3879]

so altogether how many were thrown overboard? How many M16s & M1s thrown overboard?

[@otterspocket2826]

No idea of numbers, but I once read (an internet fact, so make of it what you will) that more helicopters were left behind, either in the water or in-country, than any other military in the world had in it's inventory at the time.

[@nubreed13]

They werent all American aircraft either many were south vietnamese

[@kdw75]

Why did we let Saigon fall? We just got tired of fighting like usual, or was it the US population calling for an end to it, since we weren't actually making an effort to win? I love how our military, that is more powerful than the rest of the worlds, always hypes up our enemies, even if they are a small group like ISIS. They get on the news and talk them up and say how it will be a long hard fight. You just know they are seeing the dollar that a never ending war will bring into the war machine.

[@code3cover493]

+kdw75 Liberals and hippies just killed them all

[@phapnui]

Read "Decent Interval" by Frank Snepp if you want knowledge about the fall rather than goofy replies by people who have no idea what happened.

[@fede018]

Easy for you to say since your kids are not the ones sent to fight a senseless war. Let

[@1Dyermaker]

Everyone in America got distracted by Watergate and Ford just wanted the war to end instead of continuing it.

[@Sturmgaard]

@@1Dyermaker President Ford went to Congress for funding for the South Vietnamese. The Democratically controlled congress refused.

[@linuxuberuser]

Looks like a fun time, Pushing multi-million USD helicopters off the side of a giant warship. Damn

[@johnstevens429]

Please explain why they are throwing it in the sea ?

[@ozgoldebronokia8210]

To save space on the carriers for evacuees.

[@walter44308]

Bravo

[@adamlee3772]

The money wasted there is astronomical.

[@philippepatat323]

Now you understand what the French navy officers felt when they decided to sink their own ships better than letting them in the hands of the Nazis in 1942

[@PGIOL]

IM FIGHTING THE ENGLISH

[@frankjoy2455]

And then years later you guys left behind 1000s of Afghans. Same story, poor people

[@Horizon344]

Effective image representing the defeat of the USA in that war.

[@polishherowitoldpilecki5521]

kcirdrab I’m a go watch videos of the u.k handing over Hong Kong to China then giving a smart ass account about the British empire.

[@bnipmnaa]

Britain's 99-year lease of Hong Kong had come to an end, so it returned the territory to China in accordance with the lease agreement. In Vietnam, the world's media watched americans pushing helicopters off their ships as they turned & ran away - after expending 10 years, billions of dollars and millions of lives trying & failing to impose their political will on the Vietnamese people. So what was your point again, septic?

[@cosplayshop]

@@bnipmnaa How do you define winning or losing the war? How do you define the goal? The US have one goal when they went into the Vietnam war, that is to stop the spread of Communism. Reuniting Vietnam with the South Vietnamese government on top is never actually on the table. Or else the US would have invaded North Vietnam by force. Now, do tell me since Vietnam war, did Communism spread to other country in South East Asia? In fact, today, in 2019, the only country that can still be called a "Communist" is North Korea, USSR is dissolved, most of USSR land joined NATO, China is more capitalist than America. Vietnam is also approaching the Capitalist world. I would say by that measurement, US did not actually lost the war in Vietnam, as they achieve what they wanted in that war.

[@MrCycled]

@@cosplayshop keep dreaming fake boy. China still communist,

[@cosplayshop]

@@MrCycled Dumbass, China is classified as Socialist since 1980 when Deng open their door to foreign investment, the current Chinese government is not much different than the socialist government in Norway, Sweden and Germany with the exception of application of ruling class via social score. Notice that Communism do not believe in Class (hence the social score thing would not happened in China if they are still communist) in fact, China are more elitist than US in many way now. Also Communism do not believe in Market Trade, they believe in wealth of the country belong to the people. Which mean trading or bartering is not allowed, which go against the current Chinese regime believe the money belong to the Government, and they used it to trade more unrestricted than the US, Chinese Central bank offered a lot of loan via CPEC and BRI where US bank wouldn't touch. And Capitalism is NOT a political belief (a la Socialism, Communism, Republicanism, Feudalism) , it is a economic trend, when a country openly trade with another country, that is capitalism, defined by free trade, if you look at how China trade, they are capitalist no matter how you slice it. And they almost eclipse US as number 1 economic market. If China is not capitalist, how would you think they can achieve that? Read up and learn stuff before opening your mouth, these passive aggressive comment does not make you look cool, in fact, it make you look clueless and dumb.

[@johno6366]

1:45. Dude almost saw Jesus.

[@lellialopes]

LMAO STOP

[@iamgod8019]

Vietnam win 🇻🇳👍👍👍👍

[@kennethmcdonald5278]

I was on yhe.U.S.S. DURHAM L.K.A. 114.at that time , 1st div. pretty hectic , B.M.2 Hilbert r.i.p. The BLUE RIDGE had a huey crash into her hull , port side i beleive

[@andywerner838]

Sad don't get why

[@kenlucas7025]

SAD

[@tzonrap2541]

American International Speditions LTD. We execute speditions from Saigon and Afganistan to USA with our helicopter fleet. We offer low prices, fast delivery and express service. We are unique in the world at embassy evacuations. Come on get up on the helicopter !

[@FRANKGETSUM-jy7hx]

SAD ! 10 YEARS IN VIETNAM, 53,000 DEAD/MISSING AND WE JUST WALKED AWAY !!!??? SAME THING KOREA, AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. WE'RE NOT IN THESE TO WIN AND FOR PATRIOTISM ITS ABOUT MAKING ARMS DEALERS RICH.

[@socratispadilla3216]

sad

[@sweede2572]

But where did all the hellies come from? and why couldnt they just stay on land?

[@MDPToaster]

The helicopters were evacuating from South Vietnam and were dumped if they were on their last trip.

[@remembertotakeshowerspleas355]

They were South Vietnamese pilots fleeing with their families from a north Vietnamese takeover.

[@ottson]

Children in africa could have eaten those helicopters..

[@Lonewolf_-dv1to]

I understand maybe why they throw helicopters into the sea (even though they could fly them to Japan or Korea or use transport ships to take them), but why the hell did they throw rifles and small weapons into the sea? They could easily grab them and take them to the armory or the officers' quarters or the ammunition depot. The military measures in that administration were a disaster, and the only brave action was that of Major Buang in his O-1

[@sixtoraulrauda6041]

yo deciando un Uh-1 :( eyos tirandolos al mar

[@BADBOY-zw6dc]

American army best action Only in Hollywood movies not real life

[@AJdet-2]

Va-56. 73/75 Seems like yesterday

[@hmoobjourb4759]

Why the fuck did I watch this my grandpa was in the war and he died when I was in 1st grade he never told me about this

[@Rohliable]

What a waste of materiel, weapons & equipment which probably cost millions of dollars to build.

[@Bpg5012trick]

America got the money for all those helicopters that the South Vietnamese, brought, so the only ones that lost money was South Vietnamese.

[@1989TS..]

And we'll make millions rebuilding them.. war is a market.

[@6k911Channel]

The U.S army has a policy. people over equipment. It takes 18 years for a child to reach the right age, and then trained for more, rather than a tank that can take a week-month.

[@mevineven869]

Put it in my backyard

[@Mark22134]

Sad sad killing UH-1 beautiful helicopters Why don't fly to Cambodia? may be no fuel sad sad

[@napoleonlempereur3021]

😔

[@romeonijsse2359]

Why did they not send them back to pick up more passengers?

[@kennethmcdonald5278]

We were not supposed to be there , we had just so.much time

[@artsiomliash8623]

They threw about 20million dollars in todays money into the ocean