April 29th 1975, Operation Frequent Wind part II

Man!!! just seen this thread for the first time and i must admit this is the first time ive read about this operation

its a chapter of history i never knew about, bd popeye and you were there!! that is just amazing peice of history some of those pics were just outstanding, especially with those 10 CH-53s on deck of the carrier

just one question, why was USN not better prepared for the evacuation and have more carriers in the region?? or was the evacutaion done in very sort notice?

just one question, why was USN not better prepared for the evacuation and have more carriers in the region?? or was the evacutaion done in very sort notice?

Not true....The planning started long before the operation started..in March 1975. the Original intent was to evacuate about 1250 American and a similar number of other country nationals. the final tally was about 7,000 people. there were plenty of supplies and support for those evacuated to the Seventh fleet ships in the Tonkin Gulf. After the Operation evacuees were taken to the Philippines or Guam. Most were later immigrated to the US.

Operation Frequent Wind Summary of the Evacuation 1262

These ships were present during the Operation. This is quite a force by anyone's measure..

USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65)
USS Hancock (CVA-19)
USS ROWAN (DD-782)
USS HENRY B. WILSON (DD-782)
USS WORDEN (DLG-18)
USS RATHBURNE (DE- 1057)
USS COOK (DE-1083)
USS BAUSELL (DD-845)
USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DDG-32)
USS KNOW (DE-1052)
USS REASONER (DE- 1063)
USS RAMSEY (DEG-2)
USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19)
USS DULUTH (LPD-6)
USS THOMASTON (LSK-28)
USS FREDERICK (LST-1 184)
USS DURHAM (LKA-114)
USS DUBUQUE (LPD-8)
USS ANCHORAGE (LSD-36)
USS TUSCALOOSA (LST- 1187)
USS FLINT (AE-32)
USS ABNAKI (ATF-96)
USS PRAIRIE (AD-15)
USS VEGA (AF-59)
USS QUAPAW (ATF-110)
USS CORAL SEA (CV-43)
USS MIDWAY (CV-41)
USS RICHARD B. ANDERSON (DD-786)
USS BENJAMIN STODDARD (DDG-22)
USS BRONSTEIN (DE-1037)
USS LANG (DE-1060)
USS GURKE (DD-783)
USS COCHRANE (DDG-21)
USS GRIDLEY (DLG-21)
USS MEYERKORD (DE-1058)
USS KIRK (DE-1087)
USS OKLAHOMA CITY (CLG-5)
USS MOBILE (LKA-115)
USS DENVER (LPD-9)
USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD-39)
USS BARBOUR COUNTY (LST-1195)
USS VANCOUVER (LPD-2)
USS OKINAWA (LPH-3)
USS PEORIA (LST-1183)
USS HAKEAKALA (AE-25)
USS MARS (AFS-1)
USS ASHTABULA (AO-15)
USS MOUNT HOOD (AE-29)
USS WHITE PLAINS (AFS-4)
USS KAWISHIWI (AO-146)
USS Blue Ridge LCC-19

Of this list only the Enterprise and Blue Ridge remain in service.

---------- Post added at 03:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:26 PM ----------

More PIX from unknown sources

USS Hanco*k (CVA-19) operating as an LPH..April 1975.

..aboard Fightin' Hanna..

USS Midway CVA-41 with USAF Golly Green Giant HH-53's aboard during Operation Frequent Wind. April 1975

These photos are aboard USS Midway CVA-41..Operation Frequent Wind, 29 April 1975

---------- Post added at 03:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 PM ----------

This photo has been mis-identified many times. This RVN Huey was shoved into the Tonkin Gulf from the USS Blue Ridge(LCC 19)

A South Vietnamese helicopter is pushed over the side of the USS Okinawa (LPH 3) during Operation Frequent Wind, April 1975. The helicopter, which carried two Vietnamese officers, a woman and two children, had to be disposed of to make room for the extensive Marine Corps helicopter operation helping to evacuate the city of Saigon.

The photos below are from the Hanna's 1975 cruise book...OPERATION FREQUENT WIND. 29 April 1975.















---------- Post added at 04:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:32 PM ----------

A little re-cap.. this is what I did on the USS Hancock on 29 April 1975...

I, Big Daddy Popeye was there..37 years ago. I was stationed onboard the USS Hancook CVA-19. An old WWll Essex class CV.

This is what occurred on the flight deck of the USS Hancock CVA-19 during Operation Frequent Wind. I was assigned to "G" Division flight deck crew. "G" division is comprised of Aviation Ordanceman. We handle Aviation ammo. This story is written as best as I can remember...

29 April 1975 of that day my friend one Mr Jimmy Bishop said.."Was that ever one of the sadist days of my life.. Remember seeing{on Tv}
them shove UH-1B's over the side of one of the carriers because they
were running out of room to operate.I was having a cold brewski at
this little Irish Pub named McGoo's in Virgina Beach...seems like yesterday"

About 0530 on board the USS Hancock CVA-19 on 29 April 1975 AO2 Harry Depaw awoke me and told me it's time to get to work. Oh joy,oh joy!! Another day of loading .50 cal ammo and waiting. It had been more than 10 days since we left Singapore. All old Hanna was doing was cutting doughnuts in the Tonkin Gulf and waiting for Saigon to fall.

Meanwhile in Saigon US Ambassador Martin knew the end was near.The North Vietnamese forces were getting closer to Saigon. It was just a matter of time before he would have to tell Washington to order the evacuation of Saigon. That occurred at 1000 that morning when he called Sec. Of state Henry Kessinger..

Deep Purple !! Deep Purple!! Was called away on the USS Hancock CVA-19 at about 1100. ..Operation Frequent wind was under way! Fightin' Hanna would answer the call one more time.

My job was to load up the USMC helos with .50 cal ammo. Then I was to man the deck edge bomb elevator forward of the island and place evacuee luggage on it after it had been inspected. Well WE all did more than that that day.

The sky was soon filled with USMC helos, some filled with "Grunt" Marines to secure & establish landing zones in designated areas "in country". I will not ever forget the sight of all those ships..48..and all those helos.

Jimmy mentioned seeing helo's being pushed overboard. That was on the USS Hancock CVA-19 and the USS Midway CVA-41. We had to push 19 of the Republic of South Vietnam(RVN) helo's overboard. 2 Chinook's and 17 Huey's. They were clogging the deck. Plus they had no landing gear{wheels}. Just skids. When the first RVN Huey's landed they were dragged to the bow and spotted there. As more and more helos arrived it became apparent that we could not keep the RVN helos and recover our own USMC helos. So when a RVN CH-47 Chinook landed with its non-folding blades we pushed it off the fantail. It ripped the safety netting off the round down on the fantail. It made a big splash when it hit the water. That helo's starboard engine was on fire. When that helo was circling ole Hanna' there was a 50 cal machine gun that was manned and ready pointing out of the starboard forward door. Smoke was bellowing out of that starboard engine. Capt. "Field Day" Fred Fellows called the ship to GQ over that.

I once read another internet account that claimed that these helos were salvaged first for parts. This is not true. We did not have the time. We simply pushed many of the RVN helos into the Tonkin Gulf. Period. Another account claims a Cessna landed on the hancock. Not true. The Cessna actually landed on the USS Midway CVA-41. I know. I was on that flight deck for 29 straight hours.

When the nice pretty silver and blue Air America Huey's started coming aboard they were dragged to the bow and spotted there. A lot of those Air America pilots were drunk. It is a wonder that none of their helos crashed. We could not souvenir hunt in those birds like we did the RVN helos that we did keep.

When the RVN officers & families & Civilians etc starting really arriving in droves. Many were ARMED. You name it.. they had it!! A lot of 45's, 38's, 9mm, 22's.. sawed offed Remington shot guns. I saw a so sweet .357 Colt Python with a six in barrel. I saw a lot Of knives. The Jar heads..OOPPSS I mean the Marines were in charge of searching the evacuees. They had this box to put the weapons in. Well you know Marines & sailors. Some marine "Confiscated" that Colt Python. Most of the weapons were thrown overboard.{Sic} I did not get any weapons because I was being stationed in Cubi Pt. And did not want to take a chance on getting busted. Most of the RVN military,civilians and American evacuees had large sum of cash and gold. After the evacuees were searched they were sent down to the Hangar deck were they were deloused and quartered. Some were placed in vacated berthing spaces.

Later that evening after the dust had settled a USMC CH-46 flying plane guard crashed just off the port side of the Hancock. Two crewman were lost. A Memorial service was held for the lost crewman on our way back to Subic.

All in all we wound up with over 2000 evacuees on the Hancock. One child was born to a Vietnamese woman on the Hancock. What was he named? John Hancock...

Big Daddy Popeye USN/retired USS Hancock CVA-19 AUG'74 'til Aug '75

Originally Posted by bd popeye

The photos below are from the Hanna's 1975 cruise book...
Big Daddy Popeye USN/retired USS Hancock CVA-19 AUG'74 'til Aug '75

Awesome stories. If my impression of the US military or US would be selfish and only self-interests-serving, this story would tell me otherwise. The fact you guys sacrificed American assets just to give rooms for evacuees was very noble. It proved to others that you guys do really care.

Originally Posted by airsuperiority

Awesome stories. If my impression of the US military or US would be selfish and only self-interests-serving, this story would tell me otherwise. The fact you guys sacrificed American assets just to give rooms for evacuees was very noble. It proved to others that you guys do really care

I wonder if my pastor is one of those who went aboard the Hancock. He would've been in his late teens at that time. He had mentioned that he was one of the last few people to leave Saigon aboard a US Army helo. I believe many members of his family didn't make it. He never went back to Vietnam.

A lot of those folks who came made something good of themselves. As far as I know most Vietnamese who came as refugees became good productive citizens of the US.
As for my pastor he eventually got a degree in Chemical Engineering and later went on to a seminary and has been a pastor for the last 20 or so years. His son graduated from the Air Force Academy a few years ago and I think he is now a Viper driver.
Amazing story!

Originally Posted by airsuperiority

Awesome stories. If my impression of the US military or US would be selfish and only self-interests-serving, this story would tell me otherwise. The fact you guys sacrificed American assets just to give rooms for evacuees was very noble. It proved to others that you guys do really care.

Thanks for the kind words.

Check these USN links below. You shall see many photos of US service persons performing many humanitarian acts & assisting other nations...

Search and Rescue (SAR)

Pacific Partnership

Africa Partnershp Station (APS)

Continuing Promise

Counter Piracy Operations

VIP/Community Relations

Earthquake in Haiti: Operation Unified Response

Earthquake/Tsunami Relief to Japan 2011

Humanitarian Assistance

Joint Operations

Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (JTF-HOA)

Outreach

apologies big daddy, just been reading about this event and US had lots of preps for land, sea and air evacuations!!

I jump to conclusion too early there!!

Originally Posted by bd popeye

[/COLOR]A little re-cap.. this is what I did on the USS Hancock on 29 April 1975...

I, Big Daddy Popeye was there..35 years ago. I was stationed onboard the USS Hanco*k CVA-19. An old WWll Essex class CV.

May I correct you sir, it is 37. I can remember this exactly because it is how old I am.

Originally Posted by SteelBird

May I correct you sir, it is 37. I can remember this exactly because it is how old I am.

Yes I know..I copied and pasted that post from a couple of years ago at mp.net..Thanks..I'll fix that!