TY US Vietnam Veterans, all of you.

Not sure why, but we’re re-watching the 1986 movie, “Platoon.” Talk about Hell on earth. I’m so dreadfully sorry that the Vietnam Vets were treated so disrespectfully when they returned to the States.
I vividly remember watching the 6pm News on TV every night and checking the death totals. I do remember being so scared that my older brothers would have to go to war. (Did you remember that Johnny Depp was in this movie? I didn’t.)

Pray I don’t have crrrazy dreams….
After watching the movie Platoon, we then watched a documentary titled, “The Last Days of Vietnam.” Neither Joe nor I reallllly knew (or remember?!) the EXTENT of the evacuation of the of S. Vietnamese out of Saigon. A total of ~75 US Helicopters repeatedly landed at the US Embassy,
picking up 40+ people each time, flying them out to US naval ships in the Saigon River. This went on for 18 hours straight. (When they said they were fatigued, they were told, “Marines don’t get tired!”) All the while, the N. Vietnamese were barreling into Saigon on tanks… One S.V. pilot stole a Chinook Helicopter, flew to his own neighborhood, picked up his family and then flew out to one of our ships. The Chinook was too big to land ON this ship and they waved him off…so his younger kids actually jumped out of the helicopter onto the ship, his wife even threw their infant child out the open door towards the ship. The baby was caught by some naval personnel who then caught the mother. The pilot hovered the Chinook about a ft above the water for several minutes while he took off his flight suit. Then he ditched the chopper one way while he jumped out the other, yes in just his in shirt and underwear. (Flight maybe would sink him, anyone?) He was saved by the sailors via dingy.

What were you doing in April 1975?
I was a sophomore and catching for Morgan’s softball team, aka, pretty oblivious!!

Bridget Eileen, you should really take the time to watch this, (not the movie Platoon, but the documentary seeing that you know several Vietnamese nuns and seminarians.)

Xo, Kate

11/18/17