fall of saigon (April 30, 1975)
On April 29, 1975, General Nguyen Van Toan's South Vietnamese forces experienced heavy bombardment from artillery in the town of Saigon, the capitol of South Vietnam. North Vietnamese General Văn Tiến Dũng and his men had begun their final attack on the city, and by the next day they had taken most of the city, claiming control over the South Vietnamese presidential palace, raising their flag over the building. The South Vietnamese government quickly succumbed and the city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
The Fall of Saigon marked the end of United States involvement in Vietnam. Before the city fell, the United States military launched Operation Frequent Wind, the largest recorded helicopter evacuation in history. The evacuation included all American personnel, both military and civilian, and South Vietnamese civilians affiliated with the southern regime that were in Saigon, leaving the city to be claimed by North Vietnamese.
The Fall of Saigon marked the end of United States involvement in Vietnam. Before the city fell, the United States military launched Operation Frequent Wind, the largest recorded helicopter evacuation in history. The evacuation included all American personnel, both military and civilian, and South Vietnamese civilians affiliated with the southern regime that were in Saigon, leaving the city to be claimed by North Vietnamese.