End of the Vietnam War - the fall of Saigon

50 years ago yesterday, Saigon fell and many desperate people fought to board a helicopter, not as commonly believed from the U.S. embassy, but from the roof of a CIA safehouse. The iconic photo below showed the attempt to board and depart. A sad day in American history, but the inevitable end to a cruel war, supported and extended foolishly by American presidents and congress, most notably Richard Nixon.

The U.S. government and a majority of its residents supported the war, despite the efforts of many thousands of well organized protestors.

Photo by UPI photographer Hubert Van Es