This award may also be conferred upon units of Armed Forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the Armed Forces of the United States for outstanding performance in action, provided that such units shall meet the standards established for the Armed Forces of the United States. This includes personnel attached to a squadron or unit embarked in a ship during the Operation Frequent Wind - A South Vietnamese helicopter pilot and his family, safely aboard the USS Hancock, are escorted by a Marine Security Guard to the refugee area during an evacuation, Saigon, Viet Nam, April 29, 1975. (check below for additional Republic of Vietnam unit awards). A. [5] The Saigon plan had been developed over a number of years. [6]:73, At 03:30 on 29 April a PAVN rocket hit Guardpost 1 at the DAO Compound, instantly killing Marine Corporals McMahon and Judge. Helicopters overflew the designated LZs to check no Americans had been left behind and then the last helicopters (many low on fuel) headed out to TF76, located USS Midway or USS Hancock and shut down. 111. Air America helicopters continued to make rooftop pickups until after nightfall by which time navigation became increasingly difficult. [3] The evacuation took place primarily from the Defense Attach Office compound, beginning around 14:00 on the afternoon of 29 April, and ending that night with only limited small arms damage to the helicopters. Midway's commanding officer, Captain L.C. member in one or more aerial flights, directly supporting ), VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL: http://www.amervets.com/replacement/vn.htm#isrHUMANITARIAN SERVICE MEDAL: http://www.amervets.com/replacement/hum.htm#isrUSN/USMC/USCG COMBAT ACTION RIBBON: http://www.amervets.com/replacement/car.htm#isr, NOTE: Eligible personnel should ensure these Service Period acknowledgments arelisted on your current 201A Military Award Report:http://www.amervets.com/201areq.htm (or amervets.com/201a), Contact Person for this posting: Roger Simpson, PIOPublic Information Office: http://www.13105320634.comThe American War Library: http://www.amervets.com/16907 Brighton AvenueGardena CA 90247-5420Phone / Fax: 1-310-532-0634, -- Otis Willie (Ret.) 29 Apr 1975 - 30 Apr 1975 Mayaguez 15-May-1975 El Salvador 1 Jan 1981 - 1 Feb 1992 Lebanon 1 Jun 1983 - 1 Dec 1987 Grenada Operation URGENT FURY 23 Oct 1983 - 21 Nov 1983 Libya EL DORADO CANYON 12 Apr 1986 - 17 Apr 1986 Persian Gulf EARNEST WILL 24 Jul 1987 - 1 Aug 1990 for the same service. At 07:00 the AC-119 was firing on PAVN to the east of Tan Son Nhut when it too was hit by an SA-7 and fell in flames to the ground. At the beginning of March, fixed-wing aircraft began evacuating civilians from Tan Son Nhat Airport through neighboring countries. [20]:2425 A stolen Air America Bell 204 landed on Kirk, from where US Navy pilots flew it to Okinawa. Martin had remained optimistic that a negotiated settlement could be reached whereby the US would not have to pull out of South Vietnam and, in an effort to avert defeatism and panic he instructed Major James Kean, commanding officer of the Marine Security Guard Battalion and Ground Support Force Commander United States Embassy Compound, that he could not begin to remove the tamarind tree and other trees and shrubbery which prevented the use of the embassy parking lot as a helicopter landing zone. [6]:46 The fall of Xun Lc on 21 April and the resignation of President Nguyn Vn Thiu on 21 April brought greater crowds seeking evacuation to the DAO Compound as it became apparent that South Vietnam's days were numbered. [10]:179181, It was not known whether the PAVN and/or the ARVN would try to disrupt the evacuation and so the planners had to take all possible contingencies into account to ensure the safety and success of the evacuation. [21], By the morning of 29 April, it was estimated that approximately 10,000 people had gathered around the embassy, while some 2,500 evacuees were in the embassy and consular compounds. 127-GVB-279-A150960: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975. The Military Departments are . The USN formed a 48 ship task force to evacuate Americans and other from these countries. All planning would have to be conducted with the utmost discretion. A 3/16 inch bronze star is [6]:121, Midway deck crew surround Major Buang and his family, At the same time as the aerial evacuation, tens of thousands of South Vietnamese fled towards TF-76 aboard junks, sampans, and small craft. Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. [10]:182 This was the last USAF fixed-wing aircraft to leave Tan Son Nhut. [6]:35, On 7 April Air America pilot Nikki A. Fillipi, with U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Robert Twigger, assigned to the DAO as the U.S. Navy liaison officer, surveyed 37 buildings in Saigon as possible landing zones (LZ), selecting 13 of them as fit for use. [6]:22 Also on 1 April, Plan Alamo was implemented to defend the DAO compound and its annex so it could serve as a holding area for 1,500 evacuees for five days. stipulates that personnel who were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for their We located a number of references to photographs and documents primarily held by our colleagues at the National Archives at College Park, MD related to these subjects. application, any such member may elect the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) in lieu of the (d) Public Law 107-314 of 2 December 2002 stipulates that personnel who were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for their participation in Operation FREQUENT WIND, during the period 29 to 30 April 1975, may elect the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for such service. Operation FREQUENT WIND - 29 April - 30 April 1975. The U.S. government was continuing to observe its obligations under the Accords, notwithstanding the North Vietnamese invasion. The following three tables identify those awards that are campaign and expeditionary medals. Planning for the evacuation of the Americans and their South Vietnamese allies from South Vietnam had begun before April 1975. Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam prior to the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese Army It was carried out on 29-30 April 1975, during the last days of the Vietnam War. Strategic Air Command KC-135 tankers provided air-to-air refueling. On the afternoon of 30 April, TF-76 moved away from the coast, picking up more refugees as they went. Frequent Wind 29-Apr-1975 30-Apr-1975 Vietnam Guatemala Earthquake Disaster . Major Kean contacted the Seventh Fleet to advise them of his airlift requirements; until that time the fleet believed that all evacuees had been bussed from the embassy to the DAO Compound and that only two helicopters would be required to evacuate Ambassador Martin and the Marines from the embassy. Join me as I look back 44 Years Earlier In 1973 America's fighting in Southeast Asia ended, placing the combat burden against North Vietnam squarely on the shoulders of the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN). [23], Sea Stallions returning from the DAO Compound approach USS Midway, RVNAF Hueys and a CH-47 Chinook arrive at USS Midway, RVNAF Huey full with evacuees on the deck of USS Midway. Awarded to all personnel assigned or attached to the following units, during the period shown, are authorized to wear the ribbon bar, Gallantry Medal Color, with Palm and Gold Frame. Authorized Devices: Bronze Star, Silver Star, In the event, air support was not needed as the North Vietnamese paused for a week at the outskirts of Saigon, possibly waiting for the South Vietnamese government to collapse and avoiding a possible confrontation with the U.S. by allowing the mostly-unopposed evacuation of Americans from Saigon. Eventually the ARVN commander controlling the gates agreed to permit the remaining buses to enter the compound. They were the last American ground casualties in Vietnam. Eligible evacuees now had to make themselves known to the Marine guards or embassy staff manning the walls and were then lifted over the walls and into the embassy compound. Date. space thereof, between 4 July 1965 and 28 March 1973, and of the United States, serving at any time between 4 July 1965 As they approached the helicopters had taken rifle and M-79 grenade fire from ARVN troops but without causing any apparent damage. (b) Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces At this time, the embassy indicated that another 19 lifts would complete the evacuation. Send the form to: Bureau of Naval Personnel Liaison Office Room 5409, 9700 Page Avenue St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 To obtain information about unit awards earned, contact the Chief of Naval Operations, Awards and Special Projects Branch at the address below. Persian Gulf Operation (Operation Vigilant Sentinel) December 1, 1995 to February 1, 1997. . April 30, 1975 marks the date of Operation Frequent Wind, one of the largest humanitarian rescues in naval history. [6]:8587, In preparation for the evacuation, the American Embassy had distributed a 15-page booklet called SAFE, short for "Standard Instruction and Advice to Civilians in an Emergency." His helicopter turned and hit the side of Blue Ridge before hitting the sea. limit may be waived for personnel participating in actual combat . [10]:192[20]:22 This move created fuel problems for Air America as they no longer had access to the fuel supplies in their compound and at least initially they were refused fuel by the ships of TF76. But these restrictions were relaxed and eventually ignored altogether as the pace of the evacuation quickened. Chambers ordered the flight deck crew to clear the landing area; in the process an estimated US$10 million worth of UH-1 Huey helicopters were pushed overboard into the South China Sea. At dawn on 29 April two A-1 Skyraiders began patrolling the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut at 2,500 feet (760m) until one was shot down, presumably by an SA-7 missile. participating in or directly supporting military operations. During the course of the operation an unknown number of RVNAF helicopters flew out of what remained of South Vietnam to the fleet. X. Tet 69 Counter-offensive 23 Feb 69 to 08 Jun 69 [3]:86, The two major evacuation points chosen for Operation Frequent Wind were the DAO Compound next to Tan Son Nhut Airport for American and Vietnamese civilian evacuees, and the U.S. Embassy, Saigon for embassy staff. Shipmates would fight for that ship. [10]:201, During the demolition of the embassy, the metal staircase leading from the rooftop to the helipad was removed and sent back to the United States, where it is now on display at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. [6]:44 Finally, on 19 April, a simple procedure was implemented that cleared up the paperwork jam and the number of evacuees dramatically increased. (Authorization of the CAR must be approved either by the USMC or USN AwardsBranches. (d) Public Law 107-314 of 2 December 2002 The pilot of the stolen ICCS Huey had been told to ditch off the port quarter of the ship, but seemed reluctant to do so, flying around the ship to the starboard bow he jumped from his helicopter at a height of 40 feet (12m). (b) Sea Duty. SECNAVINST 1650.1F, Dated 8 August 1991. [9] Workers from Pacific Architects and Engineers visited each of the 13 LZs to remove obstructions and paint H's the size of a UH-1 Huey helicopter's skids. However, no person shall be entitled to National Defense Service Medal Combat Action Ribbon-Operation Frequent Wind Navy Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one Bronze star-. RVNAF pilot jumps from his Huey after dropping evacuees on USS Midway, One of the more notable events occurred on Midway when the pilot of an RVNAF Cessna O-1 dropped a note on the deck of the carrier. Do not disclose to other personnel. Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, before the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in the Fall of Saigon. The service medal was awarded to all members of the armed forces who served in Vietnam and contiguous waters and airspace between 01 July 1958 and 28 March 1973. An embassy official said that more than five million dollars were being burned. This office can identify awards earned by Navy units. should be submitted to CNO/CMC, via the commander who exercised Ambassador Martin soon sent word back to Major Kean that sorties would continue to be flown. Campaign Stars are authorized for Ain-country personnel@ for periods as indicated below: 16605 Forest Green Terrace [38] Hubert van Es' photo is frequently used in political cartoons commenting on US foreign policy. [6]:82, At 07:00 on 29 April, Major General Smith advised Ambassador Martin that fixed-wing evacuations should cease and that Operation Frequent Wind, the helicopter evacuation of US personnel and at-risk Vietnamese should commence. [10]:201 CH-46F Swift 1-4 of HMM-164 from USS Hancock flown by Captain William C. Nystul[31] and First Lieutenant Michael J. Shea[32] crashed into the sea on its approach to the ship after having flown a night sea and air rescue mission. Actual participation as a crew [6]:24 On 4 April, a C-5A aircraft carrying 250 Vietnamese orphans and their escorts suffered explosive decompression over the sea near Vng Tu and made a crash-landing while attempting to return to Tan Son Nhut; 153 people on board died in the crash. Operation FREQUENT WIND (Evacuation of Saigon), 29 and 30 April 1975 (Note: Other Operations do not pertain to the Vietnam Era) Vietnam Service Medal [10]:197, 9th MAB intelligence photo of the DAO Compound with LZs marked, 9th MAB post-operation map of the DAO Compound and Air America Compound with LZs marked, A Marine provides security as helicopters land at the DAO Compound, Vietnamese evacuees board a CH-53 at LZ 39, Aerial reconnaissance photos of the destroyed DAO Headquarters building with Air America Compound in the foreground, On 25 April, 40 Marines from the 9th MAB on USS Hancock were flown in by Air America helicopters in civilian clothes to the DAO compound to augment the 18 Marine Security Guards assigned to defend the embassy; an additional six Marines were assigned to protect Ambassador Martin. one award of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). Shown: A Vietnamese woman, carrying her son, is given a numbered tag as she arrives onboard USS Hancock (CV-19). short periods or TAD and training duty are normally not eligible [6]:27 By 16 April, Alamo was complete: water, C-rations, petroleum, oil, and lubricants had been stockpiled; backup electricity generators had been installed; sanitary facilities were completed; and concertina wire protected the perimeter. The airlift resulted in a number of enduring images. A Silver Star, 3/16 inch in diameter, is authorized for wear in place of five (5) Bronze Stars when a total of five (5) campaigns have been recognized. [21]:6 At 21:30 a CH-53 pilot informed Major Kean that Admiral Whitmire, Commander of Task Force 76 had ordered that operations would cease at 23:00. Attached to or regularly (Operation Frequent Wind) April 29, 1975, to April 30, 1975. [10]:188, As part of the evacuation plan agreed with the DAO, Air America committed 24 of its 28 available helicopters to support the evacuation and 31 pilots agreed to stay in Saigon to support the evacuation; this meant that most helicopters would have only one pilot rather than the usual two. Many medals are awarded for non-combat operations. Tet Counter-offensive 30 Jan 68 to 01 Apr 68 Martin told them that he would not tolerate any outward signs that the United States intended to abandon South Vietnam. [21]:7 At 03:00 Ambassador Martin ordered Major Kean to move all the remaining evacuees into the parking lot LZ which was the Marines' final perimeter. Please rescue me. To justify citation, the unit must have clearly rendered itself conspicuous by action of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of a Navy Cross to an individual. consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, except that the time operations. area for which the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) was subsequently VIII. Consolidation I1 01 Dec 71 to 29 Mar 72 The system worked so efficiently that the buses were able to make three return journeys rather than the expected one. [6]:40 The Frequent Wind plan set out four possible evacuation options:[6]:9, With Option 4, the helicopter evacuation would be expected to be similar to Operation Eagle Pull, the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 12 April 1975. [6]:99 The Hanoi leadership, reckoning that completion of the evacuation would lessen the risk of American intervention, had apparently instructed General Dng not to target the airlift itself. XVIII. Click on the units you served with to see eligibility for U.S. issued unit action awards Chief of Naval Operations C-130 flights were stopped temporarily after the air attack but resumed at 20:00 on 28 April. Ships and units "[15] Frank Snepp later recalled the arrival of helicopters at the embassy while the song was playing over the radio as a "bizarre Kafkaesque time". [10]:198, By 02:15 on 30 April one CH-46 and one CH-53 were landing at the embassy every 10 minutes. Two Marine CH-53 helicopters set down in a parking lot on the north edge of Saigon during the evacuation. The weather conditions deteriorated as the operation continued. The Air America pilot shut down his helicopter and left it. The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed. . Note: A Bronze Star, 3/16 inch in diameter, is authorized to be worn on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) for each of the following campaigns. Official U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Southeast Asia, from 1 March 1961 to 15 August 1973 (5). [30], For an operation of the size and complexity of Frequent Wind, casualties were relatively light. Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign 30 Mar 72 to 28 Jan 73 NHHC Photograph Collection, Navy Subject Files. and eight destroyer types for naval gunfire, escort, and area defense, including: The USSEnterprise and USSCoral Sea carrier attack groups of Task Force 77 in the South China Sea provided air cover while Task Force 73 ensured logistic support. Major Kean advised that the LZ would be well lit and had vehicles moved around the parking lot LZ with their engines running and headlights on to illuminate the LZ. Operation Firebreak 5-Sep-1987 15-Sep-1987 United States Operation Pocket Planner (Note 1) 1-Nov-1987 1-Nov-1987 Harnage leaned out of the Huey and helped approximately 15 evacuees board the Huey from the narrow helipad. All Air America flights had ceased by 21:00. significant contribution by an individual. All personnel who participated in Operation Frequent Wind (the evacuation ofSaigon) are now automatically authorized the Vietnam Service Medal and VietnamCross of Gallantry. Pilots of other helicopters were told to drop off their passengers and then take off and ditch in the sea, from where they would be rescued. Helicopters began to clog ship decks and eventually, some were pushed overboard to allow others to land. Vietnam Counter-offensive I1 01 Jul 66 to 31 May 67 Sanctuary Counter-offensive 01 May 70 to 30 Jun 70 Taken with other categories of Vietnamese, the number quickly passed 200,000. (a) Shore Duty. In addition, military aircraft from Australia, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and other countries flew in to evacuate their embassy personnel. period for which that ship is eligible. Also automatically authorized is the Humanitarian ServiceMedal. Homer asks the helicopter pilot if they are being taken to an aircraft carrier and is told that "the closest vessel is the USS Walter Mondale. Subsequent awards will be indicated by the use of a Gold Star on the ribbon: (1). [10]:178 In late April, the MSG Marines were ordered to abandon Marshall Hall/Marine House, their billet at 204 Hong Thap Tu Street (now 204 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street), and move into the recreation area in the embassy compound. [6]:9899 USAF aircraft operating out of Nakhon Phanom Air Base, Korat Air Base and U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand were also overhead for the duration of the helicopter evacuation. [2]:92. 11231 of 8 July 1965. b. Vietnam Service Medal Eligibility Requirements. The biggest problem occurred when the ARVN unit guarding the main gate at Tan Son Nhut refused to allow the last convoy of buses into the DAO Compound at about 17:45. serving in direct support of operations in Vietnam. [20]:2728 The scene was famously captured on film by Hubert van Es. Writer Claude-Michel Schnberg has acknowledged that the musical was inspired by pictures of the evacuation. [6]:69, With the fall of Saigon imminent, between 18 and 24 April the U.S. Navy assembled ships off Vng Tu under Commander Task Force 76:[8], USSOklahoma City (Seventh Fleet flagship), Task Group 76.4 (Movement Transport Group Alpha), Task Group 76.5 (Movement Transport Group Bravo), Task Group 76.9 (Movement Transport Group Charlie). [35], On the afternoon of 29 April 1975, Hubert van Es, a Saigon-based photographer for United Press International, took the iconic photo of Operation Frequent Wind of an Air America UH-1 on a rooftop picking up Vietnamese evacuees. It has often been misidentified as the US Embassy. [14]:28, From 10:00 to 12:00 Major Kean and his Marines cut down the tamarind and other trees and moved vehicles to create an LZ in the embassy parking lot behind the chancery building. [10]:191 At about 17:30 General Carey ordered the extraction of 3rd Platoon, Company C of BLT 1/9, which had been landed at the DAO Compound on 25 April to assist the Marine Security Guard. authorized. VI . On 23 April President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines announced that no more than 2,500 Vietnamese evacuees would be allowed in the Philippines at any one time, further increasing the strain on MAC which now had to move evacuees out of Saigon and move some 5,000 evacuees from Clark Air Base on to Guam, Wake Island and Yokota Air Base. [20]:22 By 10:30 all of Air America's fixed-wing aircraft had departed Tan Son Nhut, evacuating all non-essential personnel and as many Vietnamese evacuees as they could carry and headed for Thailand. [18] Disgruntled ARVN troops repeatedly hit American helicopters with small arms fire throughout the evacuation, without causing serious damage. Operation FREQUENT WIND was the first major operation [3]:258 The total number of Vietnamese evacuated by Frequent Wind or self-evacuated and ending up in the custody of the United States for processing as refugees to enter the United States totalled 138,869. The U.S. Embassy in Saigon was intended to only be a secondary evacuation point for embassy staff, but it was soon overwhelmed with evacuees and desperate South Vietnamese. (4) Limitations. At 10:00 Ambassador Martin confirmed General Smith's assessment and at 10:48 he contacted Washington to recommend Option 4, the helicopter evacuation. (a). Vietnam, Summer-Fall 1969 09 Jun 69 to 31 Oct 69 MSC tugs pulled barges filled with people from Saigon Port out to TF-76. 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