29 April 1975..Operation Frequent Wind

Well now..I just realized I did not ever finish this story....tomorrow will the the 42 anniversary of Operation Frequent wind. Wow..

Hanna arrived at Alava pier Naval Station Subic Bay Republic of the Philippines on 3 May 1975 with approximately 2500 Vietnamese refugees and ,third country nationals and Americans who were living in Vietnam for one reason or another.

As I recall we arrived at about 0900. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Plans had been made to quarter the refugees on Grande Island recreation center and process them. Their Vietnamese money was exchanged even though it was worthless. Most of those refugee were sent to resettlement areas in California. From their they settled throughout the US.

I believe we have members of this forum that are descendants of those first refugees.

I focused on what my ship, USS Hancock, role was during these operations. There were 48 other ships with similar stories. For instance Midway took her refugees and a recovered RVN aircraft to Guam. Thousands of other refugees were rescued at sea in small boats by the USN and others...hence the name "boat people".

This all took place with a navy long ago and now so far...far away.

Major Buang's Bird Dog landing on the USS Midway (29 April 1975)


This aircraft is preserved in the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola FL.

Marines standing by aboard USS Midway.

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ARVN Huey approaching USS Kirk(FFG-1087).

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ARVN being disposed of aboard USS Blue Ridge.

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ARVN Chinook being shove off the Fantail of USS Hancock. I helped shove her off..

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Marines searching Vietnamese arrivals aboard Hancock.

Images directly from USS Hancock (CVA 19) Last WESPAC cruise book..1975..

April 30, 1975, someone laughed and some cried. However, any photo with you in it, Popeye?

I especially like the video of the South Vietnamese Chinook pilot who picked up his family, flew out to the gulf, off load his family by hovering above the landing deck of a navy ship and then ditch the Chinook on it side just so the rotors won't get in his way when he abondond the aircraft, unbelievable skill.

SteelBird said:

April 30, 1975, someone laughed and some cried. However, any photo with you in it, Popeye?

Click to expand...

No..no close ups. But I am in this photo below;



The the man with the medical insignia on his flight deck vest in the lower right hand corner of this photo? I'm standing right in front of him with the red flight deck vest.yep.... so long ago..

Another Huey meets it fate from the deck of USS Blue Ridge.

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South Vietnamese refugees approach the USS Kirk in a HUEY.

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Operation Frequent Wind - A South Vietnamese helicopter pilot and his family, safely aboard the USS Hancock, are escorted by a Marine Security Guard to the refugee area during an evacuation, Saigon, Viet Nam, April 29, 1975.

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Refugees arrive aboard USS Midway...29 April 1975.