Operation Babylift: The Vietnam War's Youngest Survivors

In the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War, a daring humanitarian mission unfolded — Operation Babylift. This large-scale evacuation effort, led by the U.S. government and various humanitarian organizations, aimed to airlift thousands of Vietnamese orphans out of South Vietnam and place them with adoptive families around the world. In this video, we explore the history, controversy, and lasting legacy of Operation Babylift.  

0:00 - Intro

0:46 - The Problem

2:55 - Bureaucracy

3:55 - First Flight

16:43 - The Investigation 

19:42 - Further Evacuations

22:50 - Ethical Concerns

26:31 - Chris Norlund

31:02 - Aune

34:11 - Finding Family

36:03 -  Final Thoughts

SOURCES: https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/566960/remembering-the-first-operation-babylift-flight/ 

Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucBz_E_F5Yk&t=2862s 

Re-enactment Documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1309115/ 

https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-war-anniversary-fall-of-saigon-photos-bba8116d509249d62da4633f3e861dcd https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/daughter-operation-babylift-1975/#:~:text=A U.S government plan to,of whom were Vietnamese children https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/digital-research-room/topic-guides/operation-babylift  https://www.holtinternational.org/operation-babylift-50-years-on/ https://www.amcmuseum.org/history/operation-babylift-and-new-life/

https://www.npr.org/2015/04/26/402208267/remembering-the-doomed-first-flight-of-operation-babylift  https://kdvr.com/vietnam/operation-babylift-vietnam-orphans/  https://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/105/operation-babylift 

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/operation-babylift 

Chris announcing he found his family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-sYn3rOGdA  News Report on Crash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXU58y_3zkc&list=WL&index=45 Articles published by critics of the operation: http://lde421.blogspot.com/2014/03/operation-babylift-opposition-documents.html  Information disagreeing with the Critics: https://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/archive/AIDOBR.htm Chris Norlund who survived plane crash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLj_dSr8b1k&list=WL&index=62 Twins who were re-connected through DNA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zylvf2_z4t0&list=WL&index=64