European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Rms m so m m 5�?Tt a a is Saigon Salthe Day the War ended editors note a it was one of the darkest moments in . History. The last americans were scrambling aboard helicopters to flee Vietnam. A special correspondent George Esper who spent 10 years covering the Vietnam War was in Saigon when South Vietnam fell 15 years ago. He was expelled five weeks later by the new regime. He recounts those final Days in vivid detail. By George Esper associated press the colonel had a crazed look in his eyes despair in his voice facing a calamity that on this final Day would bring to an end a Century of Western influence in Vietnam. A beaten Man he stood at a South vietnamese War memorial in Saigon s Lam son Square. In happier times it was a place where revellers had exploded firecrackers in joyous celebrations. But on this wednesday morning april 30, 1975, the colonel and thousands like him had been told in a broadcast by the Saigon government to stack their weapons in surrender to the feared communist North vietnamese. I stood there with him face to face trying to sort out what was going on. The colonel frantically waved his arms. Quot Fini Fini a he shouted. His right hand moved to his holstered pistol. Would he take  at me a Symbol of the american allies he might have Felt had abandoned him and his countrymen in these final Days the colonel saluted the statue raised the pistol to his head and fired. He fell dead at my feet. His War was Over. There was fear panic and humiliation among the South vietnamese troops pouring into the City from their outposts and garrisons to Lay Down their weapons and in those trying to flee the country with their american allies. Quot intoxicating panic Quot the commander of Saigon s defences called it in an interview just before he slipped out of the country on an american helicopter 24 hours before the South vietnamese government surrendered. On the Day of Saigon s fall 15 years ago i walked through City streets littered with boots and Olive Green uniforms discarded by South vietnamese soldiers who were trapped and faced the Wrath of the communists. They had changed into civilian clothes endeavouring to hide their military service for fear of reprisals. The Quot Pentagon East a the once bustling . Military Headquarters inside Tan son Nhut a Lay gutted by grenades destroyed by the americans themselves. An american Flag lying in the streets outside the . Embassy was being trampled on. A colleague and i picked it up. North vietnamese soldiers in Loose fitting uniforms and pith helmets stood guard at positions once manned by Crew Cut spit and polish american marines. I watched soldiers raise the red Blue and yellow Flag of the National liberation front a the Viet Cong a Over the presidential Palace. In the final Days scores of vietnamese friends journalism colleagues army officers and politicians had lined up outside the a Bureau asking me to intercede with the . Embassy to get them out of the country. A a correspondent George Esper with a vietnamese boy in Quang Ngai province South of Danang on new years Day in 1966 some followed me around slept outside my apartment not letting me out of their sight thinking that if i left they somehow would escape with me. Left behind in the hysteria of the disorganized evacuation were More than 400 friends and allies of the United states including vietnamese embassy employees and their families. They had been promised Safe passage out of the country. At the a Bureau the incoming teletype from new York Headquarters clicked off a message from Wes Gallagher then the president and general manager of the a. He advised that there might be one More helicopter. Quot any of you want to leave if it works out Quot he asked. Quot Gallagher thanks for your offer Quot i replied. Quot we want to  Only minutes earlier the last american helicopter had left with the last of 800 . Marine reinforcements who had provided Security for the evacuation. Its flight ended the evacuation of 1,000 americans and 6,000 vietnamese including Many of the top military commanders thought to be marked for death because of their association with the United states. A rear guard of 11 . Marines scrambled to the sixth floor of the embassy then to the rooftop Landing pad to await the final helicopter. A crowd of vietnamese panicked by rumours of a communist Bloodbath that never materialized followed desperately seeking a Way out of the country. The marines tossed tear Gas into the stairwells to fend them off. Suddenly off in the Sunrise they spotted the ch-46 helicopter for which they had been anxiously waiting. The Happy marines fired a red smoke grenade to guide the chopper to the Landing pad. North vietnamese forces ringing the City withheld their fire fearing retaliation by american bombers flying cover for the evacuation. The marines jumped aboard and the helicopter whirled out of a it \ j. It tl8p a. It Mil it a vietnamese scale the Wall of the . Embassy compound Saigon on May 1,1975 top photo m an Effort to reach the helicopter pickup zone fleeing vietnamese on Tot and m jammed minibuses Stream toward Central Saigon on april28,1975, As rapidly advancing communist it Ces Roll Over Rural districts near the  sight Over the South China sea to a waiting aircraft Carrier. They were the last american military men to leave. At 7 57 . A just like that a 30 years of american involvement ended so suddenly that even the North vietnamese seemed surprised. Most . Military forces had left Vietnam two years earlier under terms of the Paris peace agreement. But 50 american military attaches and 1,200 civilians remained at the defense attache s Headquarters which had replaced the . Military command in the Pentagon East. An additional 150 . Marine guards remained at the embassy. The final evacuation was hastened by a heavy artillery attack a signal by the North vietnamese that they wanted the americans out of the country immediately. Tuesday april 29, dawned with a three hour rain of rockets and artillery shells onto Tan son Nhut a. Two recently arrived marines Charlie Mcmahon 21, from Woburn mass., and Darwin judge 19, from Marshalltown Iowa were standing watch at the . Defense attaches Headquarters on the base. Mcmahon had been Home on leave less than two weeks earlier. Quot ill be Back Quot he told his father As he left for Vietnam. Instead Mcmahon and judge were struck Down at random by an imprecise North vietnamese rocket in the final hours of shooting. They were the last two americans killed in Vietnam. In another tragic incident a helicopter plunged into the South China sea during the evacuation. Two other marines capt. William Nystul 29, of Coronado calif., and it. Michael Shea 25, of Elpaso Texas were killed. During the evacuations helicopters swarmed Over the City Landing on the rooftop pad at the embassy and at Tan son Nhut a itself. Hundreds of South vietnamese soldiers converged on the base seeking an escape route by air. South vietnamese guards angry that the americans were pulling out without them fired their rifles into the air Over buses carrying the evacuees to Board the helicopters. Up air America helicopter atop a Saigon building on april 29, 1975, prepares to evacuate american and foreign nationals to . Navy ships positioned off the vietnamese coast. Quot we want to go too Quot they shouted hundreds of vietnamese tried to push their Way through a Cham link Fence Gate in the Center of the 14 foot High Wall surrounding the  embassy compound vietnamese men and women tried to claw their Way Over the Wall in danger of losing control of the situation and of being overwhelmed by the crowd frantic Battle garbed marines and civilians beat them Back with pistol and Rifle Butts feet and fists the mob pulled westerners who could t break through it Over the Wall toy then collars one Young woman an amerasian. Clung to the neck of an american photographer Quot i will die if i stay Quot she cried out mothers held their children above the crowd begging the americans inside to take them out too Quot take it i be got to fight Quot one Marine yelled As he thrust a tiny vietnamese boy into the arms of a German Clergyman. Minutes later with the 6-month old baby cradled in his arms the Clergyman was in a helicopter on route to one of the ships in the South China sea the evacuation ended at 4 20  the next morning april 30. Twenty five minutes later . Ambassador Graham Martin left carrying the american Flag another group of officers departed less than an hour later then the Marine rear guard left minutes before 8am, closing the doors to Vietnam. Now All ties were severed and an eerie quiet fell across the capital As 3v2 million Saig onese anxiously awaited the triumphant March of the North vietnamese and Viet Cong into the City. At noon the conquering troops rolled Down Unity Boulevard in tanks and trucks claiming the presidential Palace the White House of South Vietnam at some Point to my Surprise two North vietnamese soldiers who looked no older than 20 casually strolled into the a office. They made no threats or demands to me they seemed like curious country boys who were awed a the big City. We offered them cokes and some stale Pound cake the Only food and drink we had left in the office we look out a map and they showed us the invasion routes their forces had taken on their Advance to Saigon. They talked about their Homes in the North and How much they missed their families. They showed us photos they had carried for months through the Jungles and monsoons. For 10 years i had been writing about the North vietnamese a 50 killed 100 killed a cold statistics in Battlefield reports. I had seen them in death their bodies stacked across the killing Fields. I had seen them in prisoner of War Camps and in delegations that came to Saigon for peace talks. Now they were standing in front of my eyes. I thought to myself Quot they re the same As the South vietnamese. They have the same feelings the same fears the loneliness for families. For nearly two decades they be been killing each other and taking so Many americans with them Quot for them and for me the War was finally Over the stars and stripes a a a Page 15 Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes monday apr�1990