Fall of Saigon - 1975
A little time passed after the Paris Peace Accords, the American soldiers were able to return home. Conversely, there was still tension growing between North and South Vietnam. Many of the citizens in South Vietnam were frightened because they predicted that their beloved Saigon would be directly attacked. Most of the Southern Vietnamese citizens had to leave their homes and families in order to get a passport and plane ticket out of the country. But, on April 29th of 1975, before they could get on their flights, and before the American Soldiers could leave Vietnam, General Nguyan Van Toan decided to invade and conquer Saigon, just as its citizens suspected. He ordered heavy artillery fire on the airport, destroying it and leaving the Americans and Southern Vietnamese with only one option of escape. “Operation Frequent Wind.” This Op. was the largest evacuation by helicopter in the history of the U.S. Saigon was being bombarded by North Vietnamese troops and artillery, so in order to save his country, President Duong Van Minh, who was only in office for three days, decided to surrender. He begged them to give him some power to avoid bloodshed, but North Vietnam didn’t care, they invaded Saigon and occupied most of its areas, putting their flag on all of the presidential establishments. Taking place on April 30th 1975, at 15:30, President Minh made this statement on a Radio Broadcast: "I declare the Saigon government...completely dissolved at all levels." Saigon had legitimately fallen. Saigon was been renamed as Ho Chi Minh City, who was North Vietnam’s inspirer and Communist leader. This event was important because it conveyed the Vietnam War to an end, and also Vietnam was the only country that was supporting Communism.