The final chaotic days of the Fall of Saigon ended the Vietnam War and captivated the world. I was no exception. We had all turned against the war long ago, but still it was sobering and surreal to watch America and our friends caught in a maelstrom of disarray and a thousand stories of personal tragedy.
THE ICONIC HELICOPTER ROOFTOP PICKUP
A brief clip that would become the icon of the evacuation — frightened Vietnamese waiting on a staircase leading to a rooftop landing pad. In the mythology that grew up around this, the roof is said to be that of the American Embassy but it’s not. It’s the rooftop of an apartment building that housed a number of American diplomats, including the Deputy Chief of the CIA station.
ITN REPORT
The first few seconds are eery, as you see a helicopter fly past the famous rooftop that would become the iconic image of America’s chaotic evacuation from Saigon — dozens of people waiting on a stairway leading up to a rooftop landing pad. This is not the U.S. Embassy — it’s an apartment building where U.S. personnel lived.
EYEWITNESS JOURNALIST ACCOUNT OF AMERICAN EVACUATION CONVOYS
RETURN TO ‘UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS’ INDEX PAGE
Year of the Spy Book Trailer
Above is the Year of the Spy Book Trailer — for my upcoming non-fiction book about espionage upheavals on the streets of Moscow in 1985.
Below is a “trailer” showcasing the writing and video services I provide to clients.
Michael Sellers — Writing and Video Services
Recent Posts
- How to help save American Democracy this election year
- What the Mueller Report Actually Says
- Remembering James Blount, an American Who “Got” the Philippines in 1901
- America the Beautiful? You Mean America the Pitiful. I Am Ashamed
- Betty White, National Treasure, Just Turned 95; 10 Great Video Clips from 1954 until Now