The Last Helicopter Out of Vietnam

The last helicopter to leave Vietnam ferried the Marine guards at the US Embassy in Saigon to safety. That chopper is sitting quietly at the military “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.
Producer - Christopher Conover
Videographers - Martin Rubio/Bob Lindberg
Editor - Mike Baron

[@RTOneZer0]

It should be restored and displayed side by side with the last chopper to leave the US Embassy in Kabul in the next 24-48 hours.

[@ei3170]

Wow. Right!

[@leewaffe3]

@@ei3170 Its unfortunate that Bu NO 154038, along with all other rotary wing aircraft were disabled and left at Kabul. Sad but she served her country well.

[@mrfookieman4457]

they are actually the exact same helicopter from what i hear

[@nukubu9379]

History repeats itself...

[@craveanima]

Sadly.

[@Paxi990]

Exactly ...

[@YASIR-zr7ot]

@@craveanima For you

[@kayesacliff900]

@donald johnson you wrong for this

[@findme6762]

This helicopter (Swift 22) should be saved and installed at a US Vietnam memorial. I hope the museum saves it and can restore it even as a static display.

[@Rdhdkid]

If not right in front of the wall, Angel Fire, NM would be a good spot for it.

[@johnd8281]

Go to the ocean and get that value helicopter for museum..

[@DetTigerFan]

It definitely belongs in a museum as it is an important piece of history.

[@cplkirk1]

I was a young Marine in HMM-164 on Operation Frequent Wind. We had been on The USS Hancock. Swift-22 was a CH-46 "Sea Knight". I don't remember the pilots' names but I'm pretty sure the crew was Sgts Stan Hughes and Chris Woods whom I knew well. It was a remarkable operation and 2 of our pilots, Capt. Nystul and Lt. Shea -- both great guys --were killed on another '46 that went down that night. Tremendous amount of flying took place and HMM-164 did a terrific job. Proud to have been part of it.

[@felawes]

Good man. That's epic.

[@SchoonerSailr]

Was a crewmember on the Hancock. Glad to have you aboard.

[@stevepritchard9880]

I believe the Pilot was Capt. Tom Holden

[@themetalstickman]

This is a darkly appropriate video for today (Aug. 16, 2021).

[@Trev_Swen]

My Dad was in the Navy. He said he was there from 1969-1971. He did make it back home. He also told me that it rained nonstop for 1 whole week

[@ItAlwaysEnds]

@@Chahbeeeni tell your mom I said she’s gay

[@AlfDog1955]

I was a Marine Corporal assigned to VMCJ-1 on board the USS Midway, CV41, for that op. Crazy times as the Midway became a landing zone of choice for several S. Vietnamese pilots who stole helicopters loaded them with family and friends and landed wherever there was a clear deck. It was also where the famous O1 Birddog Cessna flown by a S. Vietnamese Major along with his wife and 5 children landed. Look that one up. Amazing story that I was privileged to have a front row seat to witness.

[@nancyquinn522]

Absolutely chilling. I remember our parents and us 7 kids saying a rosary for "The Boys". Makes me cry even now- You will Always be boys to me.

[@kylebales5329]

Definitely should be restored for display purposes. I think it would be neat at the Navy museum in Pensacola

[@mrweirdo2158]

Agreed

[@mefahadcr7]

Agreed. Along with the skulls of person's who was loyal to US and US lifted them there to be Killed

[@gregdaweson4657]

​@@mefahadcr7 Sounds like someone's still salty about the napalm. : ) We should have stayed longer, carpet bombed like it was WW2. Vietnam would be a free country right now if we did. The ends justify the means.

[@mefahadcr7]

@@gregdaweson4657 You should have stay longer and spending more billions of American tax payer money for nothing.

[@TheSunderingSea]

@@gregdaweson4657 Vietnam is free of an unpopular Western-backed government imposed upon it, you are the one salty over losing the war.

[@linglingjr]

I cannot begin to imagine what an experience it would be to have taken part in the evacuation of Saigon. So much of it seems surreal.

[@bradlarmee108]

Yep

[@bradlarmee108]

Not much was said that they are even now

[@angelo.strand]

Well see us now

[@wesleyrm]

Putting it in a museum would be nice! Support to the idea from a random Brazilian here lol.

[@HVACSoldier]

It should be in a museum somewhere.

[@UriahProst]

Well that's the plan. Its literally the last thing they say in the video.

[@HVACSoldier]

Slash Misfit 82 I wonder if they were able to come to an agreement.

[@UriahProst]

@@HVACSoldier I'm not sure.. I searched around for any updates but couldn't find any. But knowing the President in office at the time he probably scraped it.

[@wkat950]

That thing needs to be restored and put in Pensacola. If it hasn't been upgraded too much I would paint it just like it was in 1975.

[@lellialopes]

history like this is just so cool to me

[@pursuingperformance]

I was a Journalist (JO3) onboard the Oki Boat (LPH-3) from March 1973 until October 1975 and witnessed this helo's return. April 1975 was a busy month in the South China Seas.

[@arnoldziffle8779]

EPPIC - Pursuing Performance then you remember sitting off the coast of Cambodia in April 74.....waiting to evacuate, which got called off

[@lellialopes]

thats so cool-

[@jude_the_apostle]

Watched something earlier from one of the marines that was left on the embassy roof. Where it became apparent a helicopter was coming commander told them strait up that they are marines and they'll defend what needs to be defended until the death. At this point the soldiers can hear and see NVA and VC tanks and trucks rolling down the streets.

[@AudieHolland]

They were lucky. A few months following the evacuation from Saigon, the USS Mayaguez Incident occurred. 38 USMC killed, 3 left behind and executed by the Khmer Rouge.

[@itsmaxzii7859]

My dad was a marine in vietnam

[@patrickhennegan8770]

RIP Thomas James Hennegan 🇱🇷💜

[@joroma526]

Hell yeah

[@webman1956]

What a political waste of lives and money that war was. I just missed being drafted and going over when it ended.

[@SlavicTom56]

Like every war is bro

[@garyf2871]

Wait for Saigon 2.0 in another month or so....aka Kabul, Afganistan

[@shawnliu7]

Decades from now, a similar video will be made about the last C17 Globemaster out of Kabul.

[@eutimiochavez415]

True?

[@robertprokop1649]

I was thinking about the movie "Patton" the other day, and how George C. Scott (quoting Patton) says at the beginning "America has never lost, and will never lose, a war." Time to update the movie.

[@prithviraj4203]

Has kabul broke the previous record of swift running away from a war zone?

[@omoniyiomotola1066]

HERE CAUSE OF KABUL

[@tropicofpratek]

who is here after watching Fargo S2 Last Episode ...Conversation between Peggy and Solverson, the guy who saves everyone and jumps from the heli to the ship before the heli crashes into the sea.

[@8088bit]

Ch-47 154038 was also there in 1975 from the use hancock and was picking up people from Kabul, sadly it was left at the Kabul airport

[@timg2088]

How many are here after the debacle in Afghanistan?

[@evelyncontreras9398]

Must be at the entrance of an US Air Force helicopter pilot school.

[@andrewsquire9892]

Phrogs forever.

[@bbnflpn]

Has it been saved? Is it being restored? or at least fixed up a bit for museum quality display?

[@eutimiochavez415]

That helicopter should be saved ?

[@AudieHolland]

You may also look up the *USS Mayaguez Incident,* which occurred a few weeks after the fall of Saigon. A US cargoship carrying military goods, strayed into Cambodian waters. The ship was boarded by Cambodian soldiers and the crew were detained for questioning. This was standard routine for the Cambodian forces, as several other ships had strayed into their waters in the previous days. In all cases, the crew and passengers of these ships were released after being interrogated. American president Ford immediately ordered the bombing and strafing of Cambodian shores and patrol vessels, killing 25 military and civilians. While the American retaliations were taking place, the crew of the USS Mayaguez were returned to their ship, after having been interrogated and asked to contact the US forces to stop the attacks. The attacks halted, however by that time a force of over 100 US Marines had been landed on Cambodian shores. Before the Americans could cease hostilities, they had to send in more men and material to rescue these Marines, who had been under severe attack by Cambodian forces. In the end, the US lost 38 killed (Marines and Airmen), 50 wounded and 3 Marines were left behind, later executed by the Cambodians. If the US leadership had waited only a few hours to learn more about the situation, they would have learned that the captured crew were already on their way back, the crew would have sailed their ship back to international waters and no lives would have been lost on either side.

[@fatehyabali]

🤠

[@paw0960]

they even lost a war to themselfs

[@huu-banvu6904]

It is said and written out of 11.835 helicopters serving in Vietnam 5.601 were downed by gun fire - from primitive rifles to modern anti-aircraft missiles. It was sad this statistic

[@bradlarmee108]

Sure is

[@gregdaweson4657]

how does one down 0.835 of a helicopter?

[@davidrichardson5192]

What are the names of the 11 marines on the roof

[@anankinskywalker6587]

KZbin really put this in my recommended rn

[@SmellyUnfortunate007]

Exactly Anakin, even with the situation going on in Afghanistan. Anyways, how's your wife doing? Are you seeking professional help because of the dreams that you have?

[@anankinskywalker6587]

@@SmellyUnfortunate007 No, but Palps invited me for ice cream :)

[@SmellyUnfortunate007]

@@anankinskywalker6587 Good. Invite Ahsoka at palp's party.

[@BarbaraPatterson-wg8hl]

You need a reminder of ALL OF THIS and this was the first time but it was done a second. Are you not adhamed of this country's government today? They wasted money again.

[@clonesolar]

They should melt it for scrap metal.

[@user-dj7vx4em3z]

Kabul😂😂😂

[@jackcade68]

Restore it and use it to evacuate the last person from kabul

[@komatih8489]

Uslles american army haha