Fall of Saigon

Saigon, South Vietnam (present-day Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Fall of Saigon
	Part of the 1975 spring offensive of the Vietnam War
	; A CIA officer helps evacuees up a ladder onto an Air America Bell 204/205 helicopter at 22 Gia Long Street on 29 April 1975
Date	30 April 1975; 49 years ago
Location	Saigon, South Vietnam; (present-day Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)10°46′41″N 106°41′46″E / 10.77806°N 106.69611°E
Result	North Vietnamese and Viet Cong victory
Belligerents
North Vietnam; Viet Cong	South Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Lê Duẩn; Võ Nguyên Giáp; Văn Tiến Dũng; Trần Văn Trà; Lê Đức Anh; Nguyễn Hữu An; Lê Trọng Tấn	Dương Văn Minh ; Vũ Văn Mẫu; Nguyễn Hữu Hạnh; Nguyễn Phước Vĩnh Lộc; Lê Nguyên Vỹ †; Lâm Văn Phát; Lý Tòng Bá
Strength
270,000 regulars; 180,000 irregulars and guerrillas	31,000
Casualties and losses
At least 108 killed; At least 8 tanks and 1 armored vehicle destroyed or damaged;	Most soldiers captured or deserted; Some evacuated with the American fleet.; Dozens of tanks, armored vehicles and aircraft were destroyed or captured;

The fall of Saigon^[9] was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by North Vietnam and North Vietnam-controlled Viet Cong on 30 April 1975. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the collapse of the South Vietnamese state, leading to a transition period and the formal reunification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under communist rule on 2 July 1976.^[10]

The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong, under the command of General Văn Tiến Dũng, began their final attack on Saigon on 29 April 1975, with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces commanded by General Nguyễn Văn Toàn suffering a heavy artillery bombardment. By the afternoon of the next day, the PAVN and the Viet Cong had occupied the important points of the city and raised their flag over the South Vietnamese presidential palace.

The capture of the city was preceded by Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of almost all American civilian and military personnel in Saigon, along with tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians who had been associated with the Republic of Vietnam regime. A few Americans chose not to be evacuated. United States ground combat units had left South Vietnam more than two years prior to the fall of Saigon and were not available to assist with either the defense of Saigon or the evacuation.^[11] The evacuation was the largest helicopter evacuation in history.^[12]^: 202 In addition to the flight of refugees, the end of the war and the institution of new rules by the communist government contributed to a decline^[13] in the city's population until 1979, after which the population increased again.^[14]

On 3 July 1976, the National Assembly of the unified Vietnam renamed Saigon in honor of Hồ Chí Minh, the late Chairman of the Workers' Party of Vietnam and founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam).^[15]

^ Ho Chi Minh Campaign (30 April 1975) (Vietnamese: Chiến dịch Hồ Chí Minh lịch sử (30/4/1975))
^ "Trận chiến bi hùng của Bộ đội xe tăng Trung đoàn 273: 9 xe bị bắn cháy ngay trước giờ toàn thắng". Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
^ Lam, Andrew (29 April 2015). "Op-Ed: Is it Liberation Day or Defeat Day in Saigon?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
^ Austin, Lewis C. (1 October 1976). "Giai Phong! The Fall and Liberation of Saigon, by Tiziano Terzani". Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
^ Long, Ngo Vinh (1993). "Post-Paris Agreement Struggles and the Fall of Saigon". In Werner, Jayne Susan; Huynh, Luu Doan (eds.). The Vietnam War: Vietnamese and American Perspectives. M.E. Sharpe. p. 204. ISBN 9780765638632. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2019.; Thap, Nguyen Thi (2012). "Returning to my Home Village". In Dutton, George; Werner, Jayne; Whitmore, John K. (eds.). Sources of Vietnamese Tradition. Columbia University Press. pp. 547–53. ISBN 9780231511100. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
^ Yoshida, Kenichi (23 April 2017). "Was it 'fall' or 'liberation' of Saigon?". The Nation Thailand. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
^ "Chào mừng kỷ niệm 47 năm Ngày Giải phóng Miền Nam (30/4/1975 – 30/4/2022)" [Welcoming the 47th anniversary of the Liberation of the South (30/4/1975 – 30/4/2022)]. Online Newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
^ "Reliving the fall of Saigon with Vietnam vets and journalists". PBS NewsHour. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
^ ^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]
^ Walsh, Kenneth T. (30 April 2015). "The U.S. and Vietnam: 40 Years After the Fall of Saigon". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018..
^
Multiple sources:
- "Last American Ground Combat Unit Is Deactivated in South Vietnam". The New York Times. 12 August 1972. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- John J. Valdez. "The Last to Leave". fallofsaigon.org. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015. I think we got all the Americans out who wanted to leave. Some of them elected to stay there, mostly reporters. (originally published in the May 1975 issue of Leatherneck Magazine)
- Krich, Claudia (3 May 2015). "Eyewitness to the 'fall' of Vietnam: It was not a bloodbath". The Davis Enterprise. p. B5. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015. (The article describes the experiences of three American women who stayed in Saigon)
- Laurie, Jim. "Vietnam 2015 – 40 years on". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. (Article by an American journalist who chose not to be evacuated)
- "Americans who stayed on may be source of sightings". New Straits Times. 3 August 1991. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. (Article asserting that about 70 Americans stayed behind and containing details of some individual cases)
- "The Last Days in Vietnam". Movie review. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. This is a story about a few brave, good people who stayed behind in order to not leave anyone behind. (mentions NBC correspondents Jim Laurie and Neil Davis who stayed after the evacuation)
^ Dunham, Maj. George R.; Quinlan, Col. David A. (1990). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973–1975 (Marine Corps Vietnam Operational Histories Series) (PDF). Washington DC: History & Museums Division; Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 978-0-16-026455-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Desbarats, Jacqueline. "Repression in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Executions and Population Relocation", from The Vietnam Debate (1990) by John Morton Moore.
^ Bharath, Deepa (29 April 2011). "O.C. Black April events commemorate fall of Saigon". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
^ Nguyen, Hien. "How Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City". VnExpress International. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.

[1] Ho Chi Minh Campaign (30 April 1975) (Vietnamese: Chiến dịch Hồ Chí Minh lịch sử (30/4/1975))

[2] "Trận chiến bi hùng của Bộ đội xe tăng Trung đoàn 273: 9 xe bị bắn cháy ngay trước giờ toàn thắng". Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.

[3] Lam, Andrew (29 April 2015). "Op-Ed: Is it Liberation Day or Defeat Day in Saigon?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.

[4] Austin, Lewis C. (1 October 1976). "Giai Phong! The Fall and Liberation of Saigon, by Tiziano Terzani". Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.

[5] Long, Ngo Vinh (1993). "Post-Paris Agreement Struggles and the Fall of Saigon". In Werner, Jayne Susan; Huynh, Luu Doan (eds.). The Vietnam War: Vietnamese and American Perspectives. M.E. Sharpe. p. 204. ISBN 9780765638632. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2019.; Thap, Nguyen Thi (2012). "Returning to my Home Village". In Dutton, George; Werner, Jayne; Whitmore, John K. (eds.). Sources of Vietnamese Tradition. Columbia University Press. pp. 547–53. ISBN 9780231511100. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2019.

[6] Yoshida, Kenichi (23 April 2017). "Was it 'fall' or 'liberation' of Saigon?". The Nation Thailand. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2022.

[7] "Chào mừng kỷ niệm 47 năm Ngày Giải phóng Miền Nam (30/4/1975 – 30/4/2022)" [Welcoming the 47th anniversary of the Liberation of the South (30/4/1975 – 30/4/2022)]. Online Newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.

[8] "Reliving the fall of Saigon with Vietnam vets and journalists". PBS NewsHour. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2023.

[9] [3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

[10] Walsh, Kenneth T. (30 April 2015). "The U.S. and Vietnam: 40 Years After the Fall of Saigon". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018..

[:0-11] Multiple sources:
"Last American Ground Combat Unit Is Deactivated in South Vietnam". The New York Times. 12 August 1972. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2020.

John J. Valdez. "The Last to Leave". fallofsaigon.org. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015. I think we got all the Americans out who wanted to leave. Some of them elected to stay there, mostly reporters. (originally published in the May 1975 issue of Leatherneck Magazine)

Krich, Claudia (3 May 2015). "Eyewitness to the 'fall' of Vietnam: It was not a bloodbath". The Davis Enterprise. p. B5. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015. (The article describes the experiences of three American women who stayed in Saigon)

Laurie, Jim. "Vietnam 2015 – 40 years on". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. (Article by an American journalist who chose not to be evacuated)

"Americans who stayed on may be source of sightings". New Straits Times. 3 August 1991. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. (Article asserting that about 70 Americans stayed behind and containing details of some individual cases)

"The Last Days in Vietnam". Movie review. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. This is a story about a few brave, good people who stayed behind in order to not leave anyone behind. (mentions NBC correspondents Jim Laurie and Neil Davis who stayed after the evacuation)

[12] "Last American Ground Combat Unit Is Deactivated in South Vietnam". The New York Times. 12 August 1972. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2020.

[13] John J. Valdez. "The Last to Leave". fallofsaigon.org. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015. I think we got all the Americans out who wanted to leave. Some of them elected to stay there, mostly reporters. (originally published in the May 1975 issue of Leatherneck Magazine)

[14] Krich, Claudia (3 May 2015). "Eyewitness to the 'fall' of Vietnam: It was not a bloodbath". The Davis Enterprise. p. B5. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015. (The article describes the experiences of three American women who stayed in Saigon)

[15] Laurie, Jim. "Vietnam 2015 – 40 years on". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. (Article by an American journalist who chose not to be evacuated)

[16] "Americans who stayed on may be source of sightings". New Straits Times. 3 August 1991. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. (Article asserting that about 70 Americans stayed behind and containing details of some individual cases)

[17] "The Last Days in Vietnam". Movie review. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015. This is a story about a few brave, good people who stayed behind in order to not leave anyone behind. (mentions NBC correspondents Jim Laurie and Neil Davis who stayed after the evacuation)

[Dunham-12] Dunham, Maj. George R.; Quinlan, Col. David A. (1990). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973–1975 (Marine Corps Vietnam Operational Histories Series) (PDF). Washington DC: History & Museums Division; Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 978-0-16-026455-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[:1-13] Desbarats, Jacqueline. "Repression in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Executions and Population Relocation", from The Vietnam Debate (1990) by John Morton Moore.

[OC_Register2-14] Bharath, Deepa (29 April 2011). "O.C. Black April events commemorate fall of Saigon". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.

[:2-15] Nguyen, Hien. "How Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City". VnExpress International. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.

[1]

[2]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]