#rememberingvietnam

In the South China Sea, crewmen of the amphibious cargo ship USS Durham take Vietnamese refugees aboard a small craft, 4/3/1975. NARA ID 558518.

OTD 1975: Operation "Baby Lift" ends

More than 3,300 Vietnamese orphans rescued

Vietnamese Refugee Children on an Operation Babylift Flight Arriving at San Francisco International Airport, 4/5/1975. Ford Library, NARA ID 12007111.

In April 1975, the North Vietnamese captured Saigon, taking control of South Vietnam and marking the end of the Vietnam War. In the chaotic final days before the fall of Saigon, President Gerald Ford ordered the evacuation of Vietnamese orphans.

The mission, officially named Operation Babylift, began April 3, 1975 and ended #OTD 1975, only 16 days before the fall of Saigon and the end of the war. In all, more than 3,300 children were evacuated to the United States.

President Gerald R. Ford greets and holds Vietnamese refugee babies at San Francisco International Airport Following the Arrival of an Operation Babylift Plane from South Vietnam" 4/5/1975. NARA IDs 7839930 and 23869153.

Shoes from a Child Transported During Operation Babylift, 1975. Ford Library.

See the National Archives' Remembering Vietnam online exhibit. Special exhibit tour with curator Alice Kamps below:

In honor of the opening of the National Archives exhibit “Remembering Vietnam” on Friday, November 10, this week we’ll be featuring content from our collections related to the people who experienced the conflict in Vietnam. Learn more about the #RememberingVietnam campaign and how to participate here.

View of the staircase from the American Embassy in Saigon on display at the Ford Museum, via Google Streetview

During the hectic and turbulent hours before North Vietnamese forces swept into Saigon at the end of April 1975, American personnel and Vietnamese allies climbed to the rooftops of buildings to be evacuated by helicopter. One of the staircases used during the evacuation, this one taken from the top of the building that served as the American Embassy in Saigon from the 1960s to 1975, is part of the collections at the Ford Presidential Museum.

President Ford reflected on the final evacuation and the meaning of this “important, if sobering, piece of 20th century history” during his remarks at the opening of the Ford Museum’s Saigon Staircase Exhibit on April 10, 1999:

Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division stand guard over a Landing Zone waiting for the second wave of assault helicopters to land, 7/6/1966. (National Archives Identifier 100310308)

“Remembering Vietnam” this Veterans Day

By David S. Ferriero | Archivist of the United States

November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the courageous men and women who have served in the United States military. This year, the National Archives will host a week-long commemoration to honor and pay tribute to Vietnam War veterans.

Vietnam-era helicopters will once again be on display on the front lawn of the National Archives from November 9-16, as part of the week-long Veterans Day commemoration.

While visiting the National Archives, be sure to see our current exhibition: “Remembering Vietnam.” The exhibit examines 12 critical episodes in the Vietnam War to provide a framework for understanding the decisions that led to war, events and consequences of the war, and its legacy. The exhibit is free and open to the public, and will be on display in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Museum through January 6, 2019.

On Wednesday, November 14, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., join us for a program on support and resources for Vietnam veterans: “Remembering Veterans: A conversation of what happens after Duty, Honor, Country.”

Matthew McGuire (left) and George Chapman recently visited the National Archives’ to see the Bell UH-1M Iroquois helicopter that they flew in combat in Vietnam with the U.S. Army’s 176th Assault Helicopter Company. (National Archives photo by Kerri Lawrence)

Vietnam Veteran Pilots Reunited  With Helicopter They Flew in Combat

By Kerri Lawrence  | National Archives News

WASHINGTON, November 14, 2018 — When retired U.S. Army helicopter pilots George Chapman and Matthew McGuire heard about a Vietnam-era helicopter display this week on the National Archives lawn, they knew they had to visit Washington, DC, to see it. What made it especially inviting was the fact that one of the helicopters, the Bell UH-1M Iroquois, was the actual chopper they had flown into combat decades ago.

Chapman and McGuire flew several missions together with the U.S. Army’s 176th Assault Helicopter Company during the Vietnam War in 1967. That service cemented a life-long friendship bound by patriotism and service.

“He was often my wingman,” McGuire said of Chapman, as they shared detailed stories of missions, rescues, and service in a war that often divided the nation back home.

“These gunships were sent out to escort,” McGuire added. “Our job was to draw gunfire so we could get our troops into place or serve rescue missions.”  

McGuire told of a time when he was hit by gunfire. “I never thought I’d see my 26th birthday,” he said. He shared how a “chicken plate” he was wearing at the time saved his life, protecting his heart from a near miss, and of his walking away with bruises from military identification tags that were near the point of impact.

Chapman said he was moved by being able to see the actual chopper he flew and share that with his family.

“To see a bird that you actually flew, this late, is really exciting,” Chapman said, as his son looked on. “These things are very emotional to a helicopter pilot.” As Chapman related stories of comrades who never made it home, he added, “I was scared sometimes, but I always knew I’d make it.”

A U.S. Army, UH-1H MEDEVAC helicopter is part of an outdoor exhibition for the Veterans Day celebration at the National Archives in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the "Remembering Vietnam" exhibit. (National Archives photo by James Pritchett)

Veteran Pilots Display Vietnam-Era Helicopters at National Archives

By Kerri Lawrence  |  National Archives News

WASHINGTON, November 9, 2018 — Three Vietnam-era helicopters went on display this morning outside the National Archives in Washington, DC. Their pilots are also on hand, offering tours of the aircraft to the public and answering questions about their historic flying machines. The helicopters and their pilots will remain in place until November 16 as part of a week-long celebration honoring veterans.

The helicopters are provided by the North Carolina Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) in conjunction with the National Archives Foundation and Bell Helicopter. This is the second year the association sent helicopters and pilots to the National Archives in honor of Veterans Day. Last year, their presence helped celebrate the launch of “Remembering Vietnam: 12 Critical Episodes in the Vietnam War,” an exhibit in the National Archives Museum that presents both iconic and recently discovered National Archives records related to 12 critical episodes in the Vietnam War.

The three helicopters on display—a Bell UH-1M Iroquois, Bell UH-1H Huey Medevac, and Bell OH-58C Kiowa—are all originals flown during the Vietnam War. They are now manned by veterans who volunteered to come to Washington with the aircraft. Each of the pilots said their goal is to educate a new generation on what it was like to fight in the Vietnam War.

Army Veteran Phil Keith, who was a 22-year-old test pilot with the U.S. Army’s 14th Transportation Battalion during his service in Vietnam, said he enjoys sharing his experiences with the younger generation.

“It’s a large part of our nation’s history and there’s not a lot written for the school kids about the Vietnam War. This is our chance to share our experiences and our knowledge,” Keith said.

The National Archives celebration of veterans continues with a program on support and resources available for Vietnam veterans in “Remembering Veterans: A Conversation of What Happens After Duty, Honor, Country” on November 14, 2018. Former Senator and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Congressman Sam Johnson will deliver remarks and will be joined by expert panelists Rick Weidman, Vietnam veteran and Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs for Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA); Linda Schwartz, Vietnam veteran and former Veterans Affairs assistant secretary for policy and planning; and Garry Augustine, Vietnam veteran and Washington Executive Director of Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Reserve a Seat

Edward C. Brandol, a Vietnam Veteran, talks with Curator, Alice Kamps, during the public opening of the National Archives' "Remembering Vietnam" exhibit. Brandol and a large group of Vietnam Veterans hosted by Utah Honor Flight travelled to Washington, DC to be the first group of its kind to see the exhibit. 

"Remembering Vietnam" explores 12 critical episodes in the Vietnam War. It seeks to answer questions about this period in American history such as "Why did the U.S. become involved in Vietnam?", "Why was the war so long?", and "Why was it so controversial?"

It is important to answer these questions. The sacrifices made by veterans and their families, the magnitude of death and destruction, and the war’s lasting effects require no less. 

“Remembering Vietnam” is a resource for refreshing our collective memory. Iconic and recently discovered National Archives records trace the policies and decisions made by the architects of the conflict. Its collection of evidence provides an opportunity for new insight and greater understanding of one of the most consequential wars in American History. 

"Remembering Vietnam," which opened today, will be on exhibit until January 9, 2019.

Today marks the opening of the National Archives’ new exhibit, “Remembering Vietnam.” Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, a Vietnam veteran himself, was a driving force behind the exhibit. In this photo, HM2 Ferriero stands outside his bunker at First Medical Battalion, Danang, Vietnam, 1970.

Today’s post comes from Bailey Martin, an intern in the National Archives History Office. Visit our website for more information on our resources related to veterans.

As we open the new Vietnam exhibit at the National Archives, we also mark the anniversary of important milestones for women in the U.S. Marine Corps that occurred during that war.

When we think of the Vietnam War, we bring to mind countless images of men in uniform and recall stories of the men who fought and lost their lives during the war. What most people don’t realize is that women also played a crucial role in this war and had been making their own contributions for several decades.

When the Marine Corps first opened their branch to women in 1918, advertisements called for “only women of excellent character and neat appearance, with business and office experience.”

During World War I, the Marine Corps called for women to be typists, stenographers, and bookkeepers. These women were the first to volunteer in New York City, 1918. (National Archives Identifier 45568009)

Reblog of a post by Lee Ann Potter, director of educational outreach, Library of Congress

A page listing the names of service members who lost their lives in Southeast Asia.

Thirty-five years ago this month, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated. Three years later, in 1985, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund donated its records to the Library of Congress. But the National Archives actually plays a very important role in them—a role I was not aware of until I prepared a program this month for a group of high school students and their teachers.

I started by doing some research in the records, mostly to get a sense of their composition and arrangement in order to describe them to the students. I had scanned the finding aid and asked for six different boxes to be pulled. One that caught my eye was titled simply “spelling verification.”

I suspected the files in that particular box would have something to do with how the spelling of the thousands of names to be engraved on the memorial wall would be checked for accuracy. I was right. The box contained a sobering collection of printed and hand-written names of America’s fallen soldiers, sailors and airmen and women. Page after page contained checkmarks or corrections in red ink.

The box also contained a few pieces of correspondence related to the importance of accuracy. One letter, written by Robert Doubek, the memorial’s project director, to Major Gary Allord, the head of the Casualty Section of the U.S. Marine Corps explained:

“As you know, a major element of the memorial design is the inscription of the names of all 57,709 Americans who died and/or remain unaccounted for. The VVMF [Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund] has been supplied with a list of these names by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, which assures us that it is inclusive and accurate. Nevertheless, because the names will be inscribed in granite forever, and because a man’s name is sacred to his memory and family, we perceive a responsibility to independently verify to the best of our ability, that our list is complete and accurate as possible.”