Đỗ Kiếm | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933 (age 90–91) Hanoi, French Indochina |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Vietnam |
| Service | Republic of Vietnam Navy |
| Years of service | 1955–1975 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War |
| Other work | High school teacher, cost engineer |
Đỗ Kiếm, writing as Kiem Do (Hanoi, 1933) is a former officer of the Republic of Vietnam Navy, who was serving as Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) when Saigon fell in 1975. He secretly organised the evacuation of over 30,000 refugees aboard 32 naval ships.[1] Kiem's efforts were ultimately successful, preventing those 32 vessels and everyone aboard from falling into the hands of North Vietnamese forces.
After transferring the Republic of Vietnam's last naval vessels to the control of the U.S. Navy, Kiem moved to the United States where he has resided since, having been granted citizenship after requesting political asylum. He worked as a teacher and cost engineer before his retirement in 1997.
- ^ Shapiro, Joseph; Bartlett, Sandra (1 September 2010). "At War's End, U.S. Ship Rescued South Vietnam's Navy". NPR. Retrieved 13 May 2013.