Babies Died. Operation Babylift
Learning about a thing that happened at the end of the Vietnam War. It had to do with babies that were being taken out of the country for adoption?
Video that I stumbled upon:
ChatGPT provided a bit more info:
1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 Crash (First Babylift Flight)
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Date: April 4, 1975
A USAF Lockheed C-5A Galaxy (68-0218) crashed shortly after takeoff from Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon. The flight was the first leg of Operation Babylift, intended to evacuate hundreds of South Vietnamese orphans as North Vietnamese forces advanced toward the city. -
Mission context:
The aircraft carried more than 300 people — including U.S. military and embassy personnel, flight nurses, and orphans from local institutions being airlifted to Clark Air Base (Philippines). -
Cause of crash:
A failure in the rear cargo door locks caused explosive decompression about 12 minutes after takeoff. The failure severed flight control cables, leaving the crew only limited control via engine thrust and a few remaining cables. -
Crash sequence:
The pilots attempted to return to Tan Son Nhut for an emergency landing. They descended too rapidly, struck the ground in a rice field about 12 miles from the base, slid several hundred yards, and broke apart. -
Casualties:
Out of roughly 314 on board, 138 were killed — including many Vietnamese children, 11 U.S. Air Force personnel, and numerous Defense Attaché Office staff. About 176 survived, many with serious injuries.
Immediate Rescue and Medical Response
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Rescue operations:
Survivors were pulled from the wreckage by nearby villagers, U.S. personnel, and helicopter crews. Flight nurse 1st Lt. Regina Aune and other medical staff carried children through the flooded rice fields to waiting helicopters despite severe injuries. -
Evacuation from crash site:
Helicopters transported the injured back to Tan Son Nhut Air Base for initial triage. Medical units and local volunteers worked continuously for hours to retrieve survivors. -
Hospitals receiving casualties:
Survivors were taken to several medical facilities in Saigon:- 3rd Field Hospital / Seventh-day Adventist Hospital: main receiving center for American and Vietnamese casualties.
- Tan Son Nhut Air Base hospital: initial stabilization point for the most critical injuries.
- Local Vietnamese hospitals: overflow care for civilians and children when U.S. medical facilities reached capacity.
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Post-treatment evacuation:
Once stabilized, many survivors — particularly orphans — were flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines for further care, documentation, and onward travel to the United States.
Continuation of Operation Babylift
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Resumption after the crash:
Despite the tragedy, Operation Babylift continued. The next C-5 Galaxy departed Tan Son Nhut on April 5, 1975, only one day later, symbolizing the determination to finish the humanitarian mission. -
Flight path:
The second C-5 successfully reached Clark Air Base (Philippines) on April 5, where children and escorts were processed, medically screened, and assigned to subsequent flights to the United States. -
Transit to the U.S.:
From Clark, passengers were transferred to Travis Air Force Base (California) via C-141 Starlifters under the Military Airlift Command (MAC). Processing often continued in the Bay Area, with orphans and caregivers arriving through San Francisco International Airport.
San Francisco Arrivals and Processing
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Arrival timeline:
- April 6, 1975: First post-crash Babylift flights from Clark (C-141s) arrived at Travis AFB and San Francisco, carrying approximately 120–130 children.
- April 7, 1975: Additional C-141 flights brought more evacuees, including re-manifested survivors of the crash.
- Over the following days, dozens of aircraft — C-141s, C-130s, and chartered civilian planes — completed the air bridge.
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Processing locations:
Arrivals were handled at:- Travis Air Force Base, California – medical evaluations, immigration, and coordination with adoption agencies.
- San Francisco International Airport – civilian reception and media coverage; adoptive parents and aid groups met arriving children.
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Adoption and relocation:
After arrival, many children were placed with adoption agencies such as Holt International and Friends for All Children, then relocated across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Broader Context and Scale of Operation Babylift
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Duration: April 4 – May 6, 1975
The operation lasted about one month, concluding just before the fall of Saigon. -
Scale:
Over 3,000 Vietnamese children were evacuated aboard C-5s, C-141s, C-130s, and commercial aircraft chartered by the U.S. government and humanitarian groups. -
Participating units:
- 60th, 62nd, and 63rd Military Airlift Wings (C-5 and C-141 operations)
- 374th Tactical Airlift Wing (C-130 support)
- Aeromedical evacuation units and civilian volunteers
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Companion operations:
- Operation New Life: relocation of South Vietnamese refugees to Guam and the Philippines.
- Operation Frequent Wind: final evacuation of Americans and allies from Saigon later that month (April 29–30).
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Significance:
Operation Babylift became both a humanitarian milestone and a controversial event — celebrated for saving lives, yet debated for the ethics and records of orphan identification.
Suggested Reading and Primary Sources
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MAC and Operation Babylift (Department of Defense PDF): official flight logs, manifests, and timelines.
https://media.defense.gov/2012/Aug/31/2001330018/-1/-1/0/MAC%20AND%20OPERATION%20BABYLIFT.pdf -
“Remembering the First Operation Babylift Flight” – DIA History Office: firsthand accounts from U.S. attaché personnel.
https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/566960/remembering-the-first-operation-babylift-flight/ -
AMC Museum: Operation Babylift and New Life: background on logistics, aircraft, and timeline.
https://www.amcmuseum.org/history/operation-babylift-and-new-life/ -
PBS – American Experience: survivor interviews and the long-term legacy.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/daughter-operation-babylift-1975/ -
OperationBabylift.org Archives: documents, manifests, and survivor records.
https://www.operationbabylift.org/files
Summary Timeline
Date | Event |
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April 4, 1975 | First C-5A Babylift flight crashes near Saigon during takeoff. |
April 4–5, 1975 | Survivors rescued and treated at Saigon hospitals; many later evacuated to Clark AB. |
April 5, 1975 | Second C-5A departs Tan Son Nhut successfully for Clark Air Base. |
April 6, 1975 | First successful Babylift flights from Clark arrive in San Francisco. |
April 7–30, 1975 | Continuous airlift of orphans and refugees from Saigon through Clark and Guam. |
May 6, 1975 | Operation Babylift officially concludes. |