End of the Saga

This publication explores, in detail and with photographs and illustrations, the April 1975 withdrawal of the American Navy and Marine Corps from Cambodia and South Vietnam (with refugees), and the aftermath in Southeast Asia. This withdrawal showed the courage and skill of the American forces, who had to carry out large-scale and complicated evacuations despite criticism of the military by many Americans back home who had lost confidence in military and government during the protracted conflict. Yet the American forces proved in April 1975 that they were capable of completing complex missions with successful results, and this predicted the future of the military: with appropriate training and the dedication of competent servicemembers, the armed forces were brought back to a strong and healthy state of affairs by the 1980s.