Vietnam War Archives - TPR: The Public's Radio

The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (also known as the Viet Cong) on April 30, 1975. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the start of a transition period leading to the formal reunification of Vietnam into a Socialist Republic governed by the Communist Party. North Vietnamese forces under the command of the General Van Tien Dung began their final attack on Saigon, with South Vietnamese forces commanded by General Nguyen Van Toan, on April 29, suffering heavy artillery bombardment. By the afternoon of the next day, North Vietnamese troops had occupied the important points of the city and raised their flag over the South Vietnamese presidential palace. The South Vietnamese government capitulated shortly afterward. The city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, after the Democratic Republic's President Ho Chi Minh. The fall of the city was preceded by the evacuation of almost all the American civilian and military personnel in Saigon, along with tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians associated with the southern regime. The evacuation culminated in Operation Frequent Wind, the largest helicopter evacuation in history. (Photo by: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

NPR

Photos: A look back at the fall of Saigon and the final days of the Vietnam War

by NPR Staff April 30, 2025April 30, 2025

The Vietnam War came to an end on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon.

Spectators cheer as Chinese soldiers march during a parade marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30, 2025. Vietnam held its biggest celebration of the fall of Saigon on its 50th anniversary on April 30, including Chinese troops for the first time after Xi Jinping visited to portray Beijing as a more reliable partner than Washington. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP) (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)

NPR

With a focus on unity, Vietnam celebrates 50 years since war’s end

by Nga Pham April 30, 2025April 30, 2025

A focus away from the past and on how the private sector can lead future economic growth underscored celebrations in the capital of the former South Vietnam.

Philippa Hughes attends "Looking For America," a series of dinners and art exhibitions, at the El Paso Museum of History in 2019.

NPR

The Vietnam War tore her family apart. She’s bringing people together.

by Elizabeth Blair April 29, 2025April 29, 2025

Philippa Hughes’ life spans war, international romance, divorce, an abduction, art and politics. As one of the few liberals in her family, she knows how divisions can break a family and a country.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon awarded the Medal of Honor to then-Lt. Col. Charles C. Rogers, for his courage and leadership in defeating repeated attacks in southern Vietnam. A Defense Department web page honoring Rogers was briefly taken down.

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Pentagon website removes, then restores, page honoring Black Medal of Honor recipient

by Bill Chappell March 17, 2025March 17, 2025

Charles C. Rogers was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon in 1970. But a profile of the Vietnam War veteran was caught in an “auto removal process,” the Defense Department says.

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Seeking to heal the country, Jimmy Carter pardoned men who evaded the Vietnam War draft

by Joe Hernandez January 4, 2025January 4, 2025

The pardon was one of the defining presidential moments for Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. The move was pilloried by members of the military and conservative politicians.

NPR

A brief history of swift boating, from John Kerry to Tim Walz

by Rachel Treisman August 10, 2024August 10, 2024

Republicans’ attacks on Tim Walz’s military record mirror a 2004 smear campaign against John Kerry in some key ways. Here’s how swift boating played out then — and what’s different this time around.

NPR

She survived the 1970 Kent State shooting. Here’s her message to student activists

by Rachel Treisman May 4, 2024July 9, 2024

On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard fired on Kent State students, killing four and wounding nine. A former student who now teaches there reflects on that day and offers lessons for protesters now.

Article

The Weekly Catch: April 28, 2023

by Mareva Lindo, James Baumgartner and Luis Hernandez April 28, 2023January 9, 2024

We break down some of the top local stories from the past week.

The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Article, Education, Health

Fifty years later, RI Vietnam War veteran advocates for peace and justice

by Dave Fallon April 24, 2023January 18, 2024

It’s been fifty years since the U.S. officially ended its involvement in the Vietnam War, by withdrawing the last of its troops from the country.