operation frequent wind awards

Evacuation plans already existed as a standard procedure for American embassies. [10]:198, By 02:15 on 30 April one CH-46 and one CH-53 were landing at the embassy every 10 minutes. (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. The four crew members estimated they received more than 500 rounds of 23-mm, 37-mm, and 57-mm fire in the space of one minute. [14], At 03:58, C-130E, #72-1297, flown by a crew from the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron, was destroyed by a 122mm rocket while taxiing to pick up refugees after offloading a BLU-82 at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. [30], For an operation of the size and complexity of Frequent Wind, casualties were relatively light. [7], By 1975, the Frequent Wind plan aimed to evacuate about 8,000 U.S. citizens and third-country nationals, but it was never able to estimate the number of South Vietnamese to include. XVII . VII .Vietnam Counter-offensive IV 02 Apr 68 to 30 Jun 68 [25][26] The South Korean civilians were evacuated in 1976, while General Rhee and two other diplomats were held captive until April 1980. Hancock was lovingly called Hanna and Fightin' Hanna by the crew. [19], Despite all the concern over these military threats, the weather presented the gravest danger. 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. Vietnam Defense Campaign 08 Mar 65 to 24 Dec 65 Operation FREQUENT WIND was the first major operation [5] The Saigon plan had been developed over a number of years. participating in or directly supporting military operations. Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975 A Vietnamese Air Force HU-1 Huey Helicopter is deliberately ditched near USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), as one of the ships boats stands by to pick up the pilot. Military News and Information Editor http://www.13105320634.com The American War Library, Est. [10]:188, In the event that the PAVN or ARVN shot down a helicopter or a mechanical malfunction forced one to make an emergency landing in hostile territory, two orbiting CH-46s of MAG-39 each carrying 15-man, quick-reaction "Sparrow Hawk" teams of Marines from 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, from USS Blue Ridge, were ready to land and provide security enabling a search and rescue helicopter to pick up the crew. Attached to or regularly area for which the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) was subsequently 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. Operations. Such certification 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. This office can identify awards earned by Navy units. of service between 1 July 1958 and 3 July 1965, inclusive, in an These altitudes were also high enough to avoid small arms and artillery fire. On that final day, USAF aircraft flew a total of 1,422 sorties over Saigon. 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. [20]:20, At 11:00 the security situation at the Air America compound was deteriorating as General Carey did not wish to risk his Marines by extending his perimeter to cover the Air America compound (LZ 40), so all Air America helicopters from this time operated out of the tennis courts in the DAO Annex (LZ 35). During the fixed-wing evacuation 50,493 people (including 2,678 Vietnamese orphans) were evacuated from Tan Son Nhut. (a). 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 [6]:90 Finally at 10:51 the order was given by CINCPAC to commence Option 4; due to confusion in the chain of command, General Carey did not receive the execute order until 12:15. The command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) was located approximately 28 km from Vung Tau, Vietnam, at 1500 hrs on 29 April 1975. eligible for the award. Caption: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975 A Vietnamese Air Force HU-1 Huey Helicopter is deliberately ditched near USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), as one of the ship's boats stands by to pick up. [6]:66, On 27 April, PAVN rockets hit Saigon and Cholon for the first time since the 1973 ceasefire. "[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". An award will not be made to a unit for action of one or more of its component parts, unless such unit performed as a total team in a manner justifying the award. A second Cessna O-1 was also recovered by USS Midway that afternoon. On the ground floor a water tanker was driven through the chancery door and the crowd began to surge up through the building toward the rooftop. 127-GVB-279-A150966: Operation Frequent Wind, April 29, 1975. [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. [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. Operation FREQUENT WIND (Evacuation of Saigon), 29 and 30 April 1975 (Note: Other Operations do not pertain to the Vietnam Era) Vietnam Service Medal [9] Thirteen Marines from the Marine Security Guard (MSG) detachment were deployed to the DAO Compound on 13 April to replace eight Marine guards who had been providing security after they were withdrawn from the closed Da Nang and Nha Trang consulates. [21]:67 From the billowing incinerator on the embassy roof floated intelligence documents and US currency, most charred; some not. No medal is authorized for this citation. At this time, the embassy indicated that another 19 lifts would complete the evacuation. 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. 2. In addition, a flotilla of Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships were assembled and these carried out seaborne evacuations from Saigon Port, this fleet comprised: On 28 April at 18:06, three A-37 Dragonflies piloted by former RVNAF pilots, who had defected to the Vietnamese People's Air Force at the fall of Da Nang, dropped six Mk81 250lb bombs on Tan Son Nhut Air Base destroying several aircraft. This directive was subsequently reversed; some operators had ignored it anyway. Members of rear Ten USAFCH-53and HH-53helicopters from the 56th Special Operations Wing and the 40th Aerospace Rescueand Recovery Squadronin Thailand had deployed ear-lier in the monthto the USSMidwayin the South ChinaSea. 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. [6]:67 Also on 25 April the Federal Aviation Administration banned commercial flights into South Vietnam. 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. 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. However, no person shall be entitled to both awards [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. At the beginning of March, fixed-wing aircraft began evacuating civilians from Tan Son Nhat Airport through neighboring countries. Many of the Vietnamese evacuees were allowed to enter the United States under the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act. On 2 May, Task Force 76, carrying the Operation Frequent Wind evacuees and 44,000 seaborne evacuees and the RVN Navy group set sail for reception centers in the Philippines and Guam.[8]. ), 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.) [6]:8 There were about 17,000 at-risk Vietnamese on embassy rolls, which, using an average of seven dependents per family, meant that the number requiring evacuation was 119,000. 11231 of 08 July 1965. The USN formed a 48 ship task force to evacuate Americans and other from these countries. XII. b. The principal eligibility criterion is that the individual must have participated in a bona fide ground or surface combat fire fight or action during which he or she was under enemy fire AND his/her performance while under fire was satisfactory. [10]:186, "Alpha" command group, two rifle companies, and the 81mm mortar platoon were deployed around the DAO headquarters building (the Alamo) and its adjacent landing zones. 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). [21]:6 At the same time, General Carey met Admiral Whitmire to convince him to resume flights to the embassy despite pilot fatigue and poor visibility caused by darkness, fires and bad weather. [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. to 30 April 1975, may elect the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditioanry Medal (AFEM) for such 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. Click on unit logos above for eligibility. Authorized Devices: Bronze Star, Silver Star, for the award; however, consideration will be given in those "Bravo" command group, consisting of two rifle companies and the 106mm recoilless rifle platoon, assumed responsibility for security of the DAO Annex and its adjoining landing zones. [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. (c) Air Duty. 45 years ago, the USS Midway was part of the largest humanitarian effort in naval history, a proud and patriotic accomplishment that will forever be ingrained in our history. At approximately 14:30, Air America Bell 205 serial number "N47004" landed on the roof of the Pittman Apartment Building at 22 Gia Long Street to collect a senior Vietnamese intelligence source and his family. Once the deck was clear Major Buang approached the deck, bounced once and then touched down and taxied to a halt with room to spare. I now have metastatic prostrate cancer with no family history and have been told to file a claim with the VA for disability. April 30, 1975 marks the date of Operation Frequent Wind, one of the largest humanitarian rescues in naval history. 1st Anti-Tank Bn, 1st Mar Div, 27Mar66 to 20Sep69, 3rd Anti-Tank Bn, 3rd Mar Div, 12Jul65 to 20Sep69, For the Period of 08 February 1962 to 28 March 1973, Headquarters, US Military Assistance Command, Vietnam AND SUBORDINATE COMMANDS IN DIRECT SUPPORT are eligible to participate in the award only during the period actually served ashore in the Republic of Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Commendation, Civil Action, 1st Class with Palm and Frame. [40], In The Simpsons at the end of Episode 16 of Season 6, "Bart vs. Australia", the Simpsons are evacuated from the American Embassy as angry Australians gather outside in a scene reminiscent of Hubert van Es's famous photo. authorized for wear on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar of Between 19:00 and 21:00 on 29 April approximately 130 additional Marines from 2nd Battalion 4th Marines were lifted from the DAO Compound to reinforce perimeter security at the embassy,[10]:195 bringing the total number of Marines at the embassy to 175. Operation Frequent Wind and Vietnam Service Medal All personnel who participated in Operation Frequent Wind (the evacuation of Saigon) are now automatically authorized the Vietnam Service. All the concern over these military threats, the weather presented the gravest danger Assistance Act a total 1,422... Banned commercial flights into South Vietnam final day, USAF aircraft flew a total of 1,422 sorties over Saigon relatively... 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