The USS Kirk: Valor At The Vietnam War's End
Book Award Winner's Tale Echoes Those Told By Other Vietnamese Refugees
()Thanhha Lai's novel for young people, Inside Out & Back Again, conveys the wonders of being rescued in 1975 during an operation led by the USS Kirk. Last year, NPR shared other tales of that operation from refugees and U.S. sailors.
Kirk Crew, Refugees Retell Vietnam Rescue Saga()
November 24, 2010 It was one of the greatest humanitarian missions in the history of the U.S. military. But not everyone lived to tell the tale. Crew members from the USS Kirk and a family they helped revisit a Vietnam War story of survival and loss.
Radio Pictures
At War's End, U.S. Ship Rescued South Vietnam's Navy()
September 1, 2010 On April 30, 1975, the Vietnam War officially ended. U.S. Navy ships involved in evacuating Americans and Vietnamese were steaming away from Vietnam — except one. The USS Kirk got a mysterious order to head back. Its mission? To lead the remnants of the South Vietnamese navy to safety.
Shots - Health News
After 35 Years, Unlikely Navy Caregivers Receive Recognition()
September 1, 2010 The USS Kirk's rescue of 20,000 to 30,000 Vietnamese refugees in the last days of the Vietnam War is now being heralded as one of the most important humanitarian missions in the history of the U.S. Navy.
35 Years On, Vietnam Heroes Reunited, Decorated()
September 1, 2010 At a reunion outside Washington, D.C., this summer, crew members of the USS Kirk paid their respects to Ba Nguyen, a Vietnamese helicopter pilot whose stunning airmanship they never forgot. Theirs was a story of selfless rescue at the end of the Vietnam War, nearly lost in history.
Forgotten Ship: A Daring Rescue As Saigon Fell()
August 31, 2010 The overlooked story of the USS Kirk is one of the most significant humanitarian missions in the history of the U.S. military. On April 29, 1975, as South Vietnam was falling to Communist forces, a small U.S. Navy ship took on a big role in rescuing thousands of refugees rushing to the Americans for shelter.
Interactive: An Unheralded Lifesaving Mission()
August 27, 2010 More than 35 years ago, the USS Kirk, a small ship in the U.S. Navy’s fleet, had a big role in the rescue of thousands of South Vietnamese refugees. The story has been virtually lost in the history of that unpopular war. Some of the sailors and the people they saved recount the dramatic story to NPR.
