Forty years ago this month, the last stage of the Vietnam War took place as the remaining American presence was chased out of Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam. Although most U.S. military forces had left the country in 1973 in the wake of the Paris Peace Accords, by 1975, the communists of North Vietnam had broken that peace and initiated an invasion into the south, leaving the remaining groups of military, intelligence and embassy personnel scrambling for an escape plan as North Vietnam encircled Saigon by late April.
The chaos that ensued in those final days is probably familiar to people of that generation, or any student of history, as instantly famous images of helicopters landing on, and departing from, rooftops in Saigon, including from the American embassy, become known to the public. But while this was certainly a frenetic situation, Rory Kennedy’s excellent, Oscar-nominated film Last Days in Vietnam, airing April 28 as part of PBS’ American Experience franchise, breaks through some of the chaos for an inside look at those days, and the method to some of the apparent madness.
In its depiction of (through archival footage), and modern-day interviews with, many of the unlikely heroes from among both the Americans and South Vietnamese, the film is not only dramatic and suspenseful, but also touching in its chronicle of the human drama during the event. The film has a Schindler’s List-like feel to it at times, as American officers from the time explain the moral dilemma they were facing: Do they follow official policy and evacuate U.S. citizens and their dependents only, or do they ignore orders and save the local people they had come to value and love in their years in country? A handful of people chose the latter option, and did an admirable job of saving a large number of people. It’s particularly agonizing to hear, in their interviews, their regret for those who had to be left behind.
Along with the U.S. officers involved, the film also interviews some of the South Vietnamese civilians who remember that time. One standout sequence features an interview with a now-40-something man whose father heroically flew his family out to sea in a helicopter, hoping to land on a U.S. carrier, and accomplishing a truly amazing water landing and escape. Equally touching, and still pertinent for audiences to ponder, is a former South Vietnamese officer who still tears up as he recalls his country falling to the north, wondering what all the fighting was ultimately for.
Last Days in Vietnam is airing as part of PBS’ two nights of special programming commemorating the end of the Vietnam War. On April 27, PBS will also be airing the documentary The Draft, a look at America’s former — and controversial — mandatory military draft, which came to an end after Vietnam.
The Draft is followed that night by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam, a look back at the conversations the talk show host had about the war with a range of high-profile figures (similar in format to last year’s excellent Dick Cavett’s Watergate.
Preceding Last Days in Vietnam on April 28 is The Day the ’60s Died, which chronicles the nation’s upheaval 45 years ago, during May 1970, when four students were shot dead at Kent State University during a protest against the Vietnam War.
The Draft premieres April 27 at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings).
Dick Cavett’s Vietnam premieres April 27 at 10pm ET on PBS (check local listings).
The Day the ’60s Died premieres April 28 at 8pm ET on PBS (check local listings).
Last Days in Vietnam premieres April 28 at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings).
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Courtesy of © Bettman/Corbis
