The Fall of Saigon (1 Viewer)

[Henry Gale]

A co-worker and fellow ex-Marine asked me this afternoon if I knew what day this was. I did not.
The Fall of Saigon came 9 years after I had left the country. But, both of us thought it was remarkable that we had heard nothing about today's anniversary.
We both have the same take on the non-mention however.
The 60th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima (these events just demand capital letters) got lots of play.

 

[Henry Gale]

Oh, sorry...it was 30 years ago, today.

 

[Edwin-S]

Why would there be any widespread publicity regarding the anniversary of the fall of Saigon? Nations, and their people, only like to play up their military victories: not their military disasters.

Given the political landscape in present day America it is even less likely that the anniversary of the fall of Saigon would receive any airplay. Dredging up memories of that particular period in American history may invite uncomfortable comparisons with a rather more recent and continuing conflict.

 

[Kenneth]

Although the images of the helicopters leaving the embassy were iconic, the Fall of Saigon was the last chapter of a book the US was ready to forget about. Remember that it took a decade before there were any large scale attempts to openly talk about the war. Even WWII memories will shift to the background when the last survivors of the conflict are gone.

Kenneth