Vietnam War pilot reflects on rescue helicopter evacuations during the fall of Saigon

About two dozen Vietnam veterans joined Irvine dignitaries and others Tuesday at Hangar 297 at the Great Park, the future home of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind, the largest helicopter evacuation in military history.

“This is a deeply emotional time,” said Councilmember James Mai, whose family escaped from Saigon days before the country fell to communist forces. Mai was the first Vietnamese child born in Ohio after the war. “I’m glad we’re recognizing what these veterans did. Families like mine could never repay them.”

On April 29 and 30, 1975, as North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon, U.S. Marine Corps pilots evacuated more than 7,000 Americans and Vietnamese allies from the capital.

“It was a frustrating day, but a special day,” recalled Ret. Col. Gerry Berry, who flew a CH-46 helicopter for 18 hours and 20 minutes over those two days to extricate people, including U.S. Ambassador Graham Martin, from the falling embassy.

“I remember the massive crowds around the embassy as tanks were rolling down the streets,” Berry said.

The aircraft he flew to rescue the ambassador, its call sign “Lady Ace 09,” now resides in Hangar 297.

“It’s impressive that we still have it,” he said, pointing to the chopper. “My last flight out of Saigon on that exact aircraft had, I think, 22 people on it and the ambassador.”

“The further we get from the fall of Saigon, the more we forget,” Berry said. “The Vietnam veteran, when he came home, was not treated with glory and respect. The Vietnam veteran will always be the best America had.”

Other veterans shared their reasons for attending Tuesday’s event despite the pain they still feel when remembering the war.

“We have to learn from history,” said former Marine interpreter Joseph Cave, who remembers loading Jeeps into CH-46 helicopters. “We have to learn from our mistakes.”

Retired Major Gen. Bob Butcher echoed that same remorseful sentiment.

“How do I feel about the war? Terrible, bad,” he said. “But if we don’t learn from what we did, we’re going to repeat what we did.”

“I believe very strongly in what we’re doing with the museum,” he added, “to educate the youth of our nation to share how we have kept our country free.”

The Flying Leatherneck museum is set to open in the Great Park in 2027. Various historic aircraft have been arriving in the last year for display and are being worked on and stored at the hangar.