Operation Babylift facts for kids
Operation Babylift was a special mission to help children during the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. It involved moving many children from South Vietnam to countries like the United States, Australia, France, West Germany, and Canada. This happened between April 3 and April 26, 1975.
More than 3,300 babies and children were flown out of South Vietnam. This operation was part of a larger effort, Operation New Life, which helped over 110,000 people leave South Vietnam. Many of these children were adopted by families in different parts of the world.
What Was Operation Babylift?
By April 1975, the Vietnam War was ending. Cities in Vietnam, like Da Nang and Saigon, were under attack. On April 3, 1975, U.S. President Gerald Ford announced a plan. The U.S. government would start flying children out of Saigon.
These flights used large military cargo planes, like the C-5A Galaxy and C-141 Starlifter. They were operated by the United States Air Force. The goal was to rescue children from orphanages in Vietnam.
Many adoption agencies and aid groups asked the government for help. Groups like Holt International and Friends For All Children wanted to evacuate the children in their care. They also wanted to find new homes for them. Flights continued until fighting made it too dangerous for planes to land or take off from Tan Son Nhut Airport.
Over 2,500 children were moved and adopted by families in the United States and other allied countries. The operation caused some debate. People wondered if it was always best for the children. Also, not all the children were actually orphans.
An American businessman named Robert Macauley learned there weren't enough military planes. He rented a Boeing 747 plane to help. He paid for 300 children to leave by putting his own house up as a loan. Frederick M. "Skip" Burkle Jr. was the medical director for the operation. He helped gather the children and cared for them during their long journey to the United States.
The Plane Crash
On April 4, 1975, the first flight of Operation Babylift took off. It was a C-5A Galaxy plane. About 12 minutes after leaving Tan Son Nhut Airport, something went wrong. The back of the plane was damaged, and the rear loading door opened and fell off. This caused a sudden loss of air pressure inside the plane.
Some important control cables for steering the plane were cut. The pilots worked hard to control the aircraft using the remaining systems. They tried to land back at the airport. However, the plane lost altitude too quickly.
The C-5 touched down in a rice field. It skidded for a while, then went airborne again before hitting a dirt wall. The plane broke into four pieces, and some parts caught fire. Out of the people on board, 176 survived. Sadly, 138 people died in the crash. This included 78 children and 35 American defense staff.
Operation Babylift's Legacy
Today, there is a group called Operation Reunite. It is run by Vietnamese adoptees. This group uses DNA testing to help adoptees find their birth families in Vietnam.
In April 2015, a memorial was built in Holmdel, New Jersey, in the United States. It honors Operation Babylift and those involved.
See also
In Spanish: Operación Babylift para niños
