This day marked the liberation of South Vietnam by the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN), the armed forced of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam when they captured Saigon, the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. This event also marked the end of the second Indochine War and the reunification of the country under Communist rule.
PAVN forces began their attack on April 29 with heavy artillery bombardment and by the afternoon of the next day, the North Vietnamese soldiers occupied the most important parts of the city and raised their flag over the Independence Palace. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Just before the city fell, almost all American and civilian personnel in Saigon were evacuated as well as tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians. This evacuation concluded with Operation Frequent Wind, the largest helicopter evacuation in history. As early as the end of March, some Americans left Saigon and all flights were full. Throughout April, the speed of the evacuation picked up. The situation became more desperate when on April 29, Tan Son Nhut Airport was hit by rockets and heavy artillery that took out a C-130 plane. The continued shelling and debris on the runways made them unfit for use and the decision was made to use helicopters for the emergency evacuation. At 3:30 pm, the Saigon government was dissolved at all levels effectively ending the Vietnam War.
