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 “This is Armed Forces Radio Saigon. The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising. Here is Frank Snepp “I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas."

This was broadcast 12:15 pm local time April 29th 1975 and signaled that Operation Frequent Wind Option 4 was in effect; the beginning of the evacuation of US personnel and at risk South Vietnamese.
A group of Japanese journalist asked that the song be sung to them because they were afraid they wouldn’t understand the words, but felt they could recognize the tune.
At 0730 April 29th the US Embassy and it’s staff was complete. During the fixed-wing evacuation 50,493 people were evacuated from Tan Son Nhut and the fixed wing aspect of the evacuation conducted by the USAF. Marine pilots accumulated 1,054 flight hours and flew 682 sorties throughout Operation Frequent Wind. The evacuation lasted nine hours and involved over 50 Marine Corps and Air Force helicopters. In the helicopter evacuation a total of 395 Americans and 4,475 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated and a further 978 U.S. and 1,120 Vietnamese and third-country nationals from the embassy itself, giving a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third country nationals. In addition, Air America helicopters and RVNAF aircraft brought additional evacuees to the TF76 ships off the coast of South Vietnam in a last desperate act to reach safety.
Some 400 evacuees were left behind at the embassy including over 100 South Korean citizens; among them was Brigadier General Dai Yong Rhee, the intelligence chief at the South Korean Embassy in Saigon. The South Korean civilians were evacuated in 1976, while General Rhee and two other diplomats were held captive until April 1980. Forty-nine Americans, including dependents, were also left behind or chose to remain in Saigon. They were evacuated to Bangkok on 1 August 1976.

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