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The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and ended with the Fall of Saigon.
Vietnam became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to Vietnamese settlers.
On 27 January 1973, the Paris agreement on Vietnam was concluded, providing for the withdrawal of American troops. The following month, a cease-fire agreement was signed in Vientiane, leading to the formation of a coalition government for Laos. Although the end of the war was clearly in sight, Air America continued to lose people. Indeed, it is somewhat ironic that Air America suffered its heaviest losses in the two years following the CIA's decision to terminate the company. Between April 1972, when Helms issued his orders, and June 1974, when Air America left the country, 23 crew members died in flight operations in Laos.
On 3 June 1974, the last Air America aircraft crossed the border from Laos into Thailand. The end went well, Air America's operations office in Vientiane informed Washington ". . . .and the departure of AAM from Laos was without incident, although some lumps are visible in the throats of those who put so much of themselves into the operation over the years. . . .We grieve for those missing and dead in Laos and regret that they too could not have enjoyed today." In all, 100 Air America personnel had died in Laos. 56
The base at Udorn was shut down at the end of June. Operations in Vietnam continued until the fall of Saigon in April 1975. When plans for a new stay-behind company in Thailand, staffed by a contingent of select helicopter and transport pilots, fell through, all Air America personnel were discharged. The company finally closed its doors on 30 June 1976, returning more than $20 million to the US Treasury. 57
Research Links
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Fall of Saigon Marine Association
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Description: The Marines tell their story
about the final days of Vietnam and Operation "Frequent Winds"....
Fall of Saigon Marine Association
This web page uses frames, but your browser doesn't support them.
Description: The Marines tell their story
about the final days of Vietnam and Operation "Frequent Winds"....
MSNBC:
Vietnam -- 25th anniversary of the fall of Saigon
... A Marine honored, finally NBC News’ Bob Faw reports on the Purple Heart
finally
being awarded to a Marine, 25 years after his death during the fall of Saigon.
...
The Fall of
Saigon "How was it really?"
Revising the history of the fall of Saigon HO CHI MINH CITY (Mark
Mcdonald, Mercury News Vietnam Bureau, 29/4/99) ...
25
Years After the Fall of Saigon, a Vietnamese Enclave ...
... Friday, April 28, 2000 | Print this story 25 Years After the
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Specials:
The Fall of Saigon
... CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS. The Fall of Saigon 1973-1975.
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CBS.com--Memories
Of The Fall Of Saigon
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Fall of Saigon -
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... Forum Fall of Saigon Discovery Channel Washington,
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CBS.com--Cronkite
Remembers The Fall Of Saigon
... Cronkite Remembers The Fall Of Saigon. Veteran Newsman Reflects On The War;
Sees
Lessons Learned, And Lost. NEW YORK Friday, September 01, 2000 - 05:19 PM ET.
...
[sangkancil]
The fall of Saigon cited by North Vietnamese ...
[sangkancil] The fall of Saigon cited by North Vietnamese
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Weekly Online Lesson. Online Lesson Archives. Grade Level: 8-12
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CBS
News | Cronkite Remembers The Fall Of Saigon | Fri, 01 ...
... Cronkite Remembers The Fall Of Saigon Veteran Newsman Reflects On The War;
Sees
Lessons Learned, And Lost NEW YORK, CBS, Walter Cronkite. ...