The Military Departments are . When the operation ceased on May 2, the Vietnamese Navy group set sail for reception centers in the Philippines and Guam in Operation New Life. [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. Upon Once completed, the new defensive perimeter encompassed only LZ 36 and the Alamo. Subsequent awards will be indicated by the use of a Gold Star on the ribbon: (1). [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. (4) Limitations. The Marine evacuation contingent, the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (Task Group 79.1), consisted of three Battalion Landing Teams (BLT); 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (2/4), 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9), 3rd Battalion 9th Marines (3/9) and three helicopter squadrons HMH-462, HMH-463, HMM-165 along with other support units from Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39). 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. All of my awards were issued also. IT IS. serving, for one or more days, aboard a naval vessel directly [6]:69 Armed guards were also present on each flight to prevent hijacking. VI . [6]:67 Also on 25 April the Federal Aviation Administration banned commercial flights into South Vietnam. Normal performance of duty or a large number of combat missions does not in itself justify the award. Personnel in clandestine or special operations such as reconnaissance and SEAL teams are eligible when the risk of enemy fire was great and was expected to be encountered. Perdue presented the medals to Petrazewsky for his heroics during Operation Frequent Wind in Vietnam in 1975. . This helicopter was one of 15 which landed on board USS Blue Ridge with Vietnamese military personnel and families during the evacuation. during the period for which that ship is listed as eligible, are 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. Do not disclose to other personnel. Guide to the Khanh Van Thi Nguyen Narrative on Operation Frequent Wind. b. [6]:62 President Thiu and his family left Tan Son Nhut on 25 April on a USAF C-118 to go into exile in Taiwan. Click on unit logos above for eligibility. (2). MSC tugs pulled barges filled with people from Saigon Port out to TF-76. 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. [6]:92, The evacuation proceeded without interference from the PAVN. (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. authorized for wear on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar of When U.S. President Gerald Ford met with the National Security Council on 9 April 1975 he was told by Henry Kissinger that a maximum of 1.7 million people had been identified as possible evacuees and that these included: American citizens and their relatives, the diplomatic corps, the International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS), third-country nationals under contract by the U.S. government and the employees of the U.S. and their dependents (estimated at about 200,000 people). This office can identify awards earned by Navy units. USS Frederick earned three campaign stars for Vietnam War service and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Operation Frequent Wind or 4 campaign stars for the Vietnam Service Medal if the Armed Forces Medal is exchanged for the 18th Vietnam campaign, Op. [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. Many medals are awarded for non-combat operations. [6]:79 Between 04:30 and 08:00 up to 40 artillery rounds and rockets hit around the DAO Compound. . Southeast Asia, from 1 March 1961 to 15 August 1973, (5). [20] Air America helicopters started flying to the rooftop LZs in Saigon and either shuttled the evacuees back to the DAO Compound or flew out to the ships of TF76. On the afternoon of 30 April, TF-76 moved away from the coast, picking up more refugees as they went. authorized, shall remain qualified for the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM). Ships and units Many of the Vietnamese evacuees were allowed to enter the United States under the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act. [10]:187, The air wings of USS Enterprise and USS Coral Sea, were ready to provide close air support and anti-aircraft suppression if required with their A-6 and A-7 attack aircraft, and would provide continuous fighter cover the evacuation route including by VF-1 and VF-2, flying from Enterprise with the first combat deployment of the new F-14A Tomcat. [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. Brigadier General Richard E. Carey, commander of the 9th MAB, flew to Saigon the next day to see Ambassador Martin; he later said, "The visit was cold, non-productive and appeared to be an irritant to the Ambassador". [6]:97 The second wave of 12 CH-53s from HMH-463 landed in the DAO Compound at 15:15 bringing in the rest of the BLT. The palm for this award measures 9/16 inch in length with a 1/8 inch stem and four front leaves attached like a branch. Date. 11231 of 8 July 1965. b. Vietnam Service Medal Eligibility Requirements. Such certification The following amplifying remarks are furnished as guidance. Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) Ribbon Synopsis: Awarded by the Secretary of the Navy to any unit of the Navy or Marine Corps which has distinguished itself, under combat or non-combat conditions, by either valorous or meritorious achievement which renders the unit outstanding compared to other units performing similar service, but not sufficient to justify the award of the Navy Unit Commendation. President Ford later called it "a sad and tragic period in America's history" but argued that "you couldn't help but be very proud of those pilots and others who were conducting the evacuation". At this time, the embassy indicated that another 19 lifts would complete the evacuation. When the evacuation is ordered, the code will be read out on Armed Forces Radio. 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. Vietnam FREQUENT WIND - Evacuation. Thus, this operation ended the U.s. Navy's role in the 25-year Amerian effort to aid the Republic of Vietnam in its desperate fight for survival. Attached to or regularly [10]:189, The first wave of 12 CH-53s from HMH-462 loaded with BLT 2/4's command groups "Alpha" and "Bravo", and Company F and reinforced Company H arrived in the DAO Compound at 15:06 and the marines quickly moved to reinforce the perimeter defenses. To justify this award, the unit must have performed service as a unit of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of the Silver Star Medal or a Legion of Merit to an individual. Only personnel attached to [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. this group is here to have members share their personal experiences with the evacuations of Phnom Penh and Saigon, and the SS Mayaquez recovery, events leading up to and after those operations. The operation ended at 0900 on April 30, and by noon that day, Communist flags waved over Saigon's Presidential Palace. RVNAF Huey is pushed overboard from USS Midway. (Operation Frequent Wind) April 29, 1975 to April, 30 1975 Vietnam (including Thailand) July 1, 1958 to July 3, 1965 . [6]:35, By late April, Air America helicopters were flying several daily shuttles from TF76 to the DAO Compound to enable the 9th MAB to conduct evacuation preparations at the DAO without exceeding the Paris Peace Accords' limit of 50 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam. The evacuation of personnel from the DAO compound had lasted nine hours and involved over 50 Marine Corps and Air Force helicopters. [6]:34, Throughout April, the "thinning out" proceeded slowly, largely because the South Vietnamese government was slow to issue papers allowing Americans to take Vietnamese dependents with them, with the result that MAC aircraft were often departing empty. (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. Vietnam (including Thailand) July 1, 1958, to July 3, 1965. Common questions about the Combat Action Ribbon and who rates it: (a). Attached to or regularly Persian Gulf Operation (Operation Vigilant Sentinel) December 1, 1995 to February 1, 1997. . Frequent Wind [20]:21 At some point during the morning RVNAF personnel took five ICCS UH-1H Hueys and one Air America Bell 204 from the Air America ramp. 1988 http://www.amervets.com 16907 Brighton Avenue Gardena CA 90247 1-310-532-0634, Military Personnel Database http://www.amervets.com/library.htmMilitary and Vet Info-Exchange/Discussion Groups http://www.amervets.com/share.htmPublic Information Office http://www.13105320634.com, Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message, Ops Frequent Wind & Eagle Pull Humanitarian Service Medal, http://www.amervets.com/replacement/vn.htm#isr, http://www.amervets.com/replacement/hum.htm#isr, http://www.amervets.com/replacement/car.htm#isr. The fixed-wing evacuation was terminated and Operation Frequent Wind began. [6]:3031, With the cause of the crash still unknown, the C-5 fleet was grounded and the MAC airlift was reduced to using C-141s and C-130s. Awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States serving at anytime between 03Jul1965 and 28Mar1973 in the area defined under the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) for Vietnam. [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. 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. Lady Ace 09, CH-46 serial number 154803, is now on display at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum in San Diego, California. Operation Frequent Wind ship disposition 1975 - Recreated map.svg. The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed. Note: (5) Named Campaigns are denoted by a 3/16 silver service star. After receiving permission from the airborne commander, the Wild Weasel marked the three 57-mm sites with an AGM-45 Shrike missile and took evasive action to escape the tracers coming in. Many pilots fled to Hancock, seeking refuge for themselves, family and friends during the evacuation. Only one award per operation is authorized. By mid-April, contingency plans were in place and preparations were underway for a possible helicopter evacuation. Vietnam, Summer-Fall 1969 09 Jun 69 to 31 Oct 69 His helicopter turned and hit the side of Blue Ridge before hitting the sea. Naval Unit Commendation (NUC) Ribbon Synopsis: Awarded by the Secretary of the Navy to any unit of the Navy or Marine Corps which has distinguished itself by outstanding heroism is action against the enemy, but not sufficient to justify the award of the Presidential Unit Citation; or to any such unit which has distinguished itself by extremely meritorious service not involving combat but in support of military operations, rendering the unit outstanding compared to other units performing similar service. c. Engagement Stars. 21st SOS Frequent Wind and Mayaguez Incident gallery, Video clip: Footage of evacuation operations underway aboard USS Midway, including historic Cessna O-1 landing by VNAF pilot Major Buang, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Frequent_Wind&oldid=1131016156, Option 1: Evacuation by commercial airlift from, Option 2: Evacuation by military airlift from Tan Son Nhut and other South Vietnamese airports as required, Option 3: Evacuation by sea lift from Saigon port, Option 4: Evacuation by helicopter to US Navy ships in the, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 03:59. Midway's commanding officer, Captain L.C. [16] Japanese journalists, concerned that they would not recognize the tune, had to get someone to sing it to them. "[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". [28], While the operation itself was a success, the images of the evacuation symbolized the wastefulness and ultimate futility of American involvement in Vietnam. All planning would have to be conducted with the utmost discretion. each carrying Marine, and Air Force (eight 21st Special Operations Squadron CH-53s and two 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron HH-53s[11]) helicopters. [21]:5 Air America UH-1s began ferrying evacuees from other smaller assembly points throughout the city and dropping them on the Embassy's rooftop LZ. supporting military operations. This operation was also the debut combat deployment of the F-14 Tomcat aircraft. (c) Air Duty. The SeaCobras could also serve as Forward Air Controllers. [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. 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