During 2016 and 2017, I spent a lot
of time in Vietnam. Figuratively, that is; I was researching and writing two
novels about the Cameron brothers, Andrew and Jake, who both fought in that
conflict. My books Memories of Jake and Man with No Yesterdays are
about the impact of Vietnam on their lives and the lives of those they loved.
The Vietnam War became, in a way, my
war. Those two years were a dark journey into a stain on our nation’s history
that remains to this day. It was a difficult, emotional, soul-searing journey, but
at the end I was able to find glimmers of light that sometimes emerged from the
darkness.
One of the best things to come from
this venture was connecting with the remarkable Vietnam Veterans in our local
chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. I am honored and humbled to now
call some of these heroes “friend.” Connecting with retired U.S. Army Lt. Col.
Charles Vincent was another. Col. Chuck was generous enough to act as my
military consultant for the books, and again, I am honored to now consider him
a friend.
Near the end of my research I
stumbled upon a military operation which I had not previously been aware of,
and wonder how many other Americans are not as well. A recent exchange with a
new reader who has enjoyed my current mystery series books reinforced the emotion
I experienced when learning about Operation Frequent Wind.
My character Jake Cameron is injured
in a helicopter crash, and I wanted a photo of such a crash for the back cover of
Man with No Yesterdays. An internet search led me to the stunning photo,
and a further search made it possible for me to contact the photographer. Dr.
Bertram Zarins, now an orthopedic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in
Boston, took the photo during the fall of Saigon. He generously permitted me to
use the picture.
The short version is that Task Force
76 ships waited in the South China Sea to accept evacuees who were
ferried by helicopter from various points in Saigon. Americans and South Vietnamese
were rescued while the North Vietnamese Army was marching relentlessly toward
the city. Sadly, many South Vietnamese did not make it out. But the valiant
efforts of the helicopter pilots … who flew continuously for some twenty-four
hours …resulted in some seven thousand lives being saved.
Devi Allen responded to a post on my
Facebook author page about Man with No Yesterdays with this comment:
“Looking
forward to your Vietnam story. Since I was a protester at Berkeley when hubby
had already served his time, we don't discuss it. But we did both find this
display at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego touching. A note from a
Vietnamese pilot, tossed onto the deck of the Midway as the evacuation took
place. Written on one of the fabric maps they used for navigation. There is an
accompanying audio-video of the event spoken by an officer on deck. Spoiling
the plot, this pilot subsequently landed on deck, and his pregnant wife and 4
or 5 children spilled out of the one-seater plane onto the flight deck. Gave me
chills.”
Reading this gave me chills as well. There were too many
helicopters for the ships to handle, and a number had to be abandoned. Which is
what resulted in Dr. Zarins dramatic photo … a chopper being ditched into the
South China Sea. Others were flown onto the ships and pushed off, which is what
I believe happened in Devi’s story … a South Korean pilot saving his
family.
OPERATION FREQUENT WIND. A fitting finale to our helicopter
war. A light in the darkness.
Man with No Yesterdays is available on Amazon, Kindle and paperback. See my website for additional information and links to all my books. www.susanmoorejordan.com
NOTE: there are a number of gripping
videos on YouTube showing this operation, as well as excellent information on
line.
