3 ms·

I've always wondered about this event: did someone go against orders to do this? Did they get in trouble?

by esperent 2y ago

duxup 2y ago
I suspect someone could make up some sort of violation, but it seems like it is unlikely there's a specific order preventing them. Ship's captain is going to have a lot of leeway to complete his mission. Punishing a high ranking officer in their efforts to save allies would not look great, and at the end of the Vietnam War, I'm not sure who was interested in that.
rl3 2y ago
It's right there in the article: From the bridge Chambers quickly consulted task force commander Adm. William Harris, who was at his battle station below deck. “The admiral ordered me to tell the Bird Dog to ditch,” Chambers later recalled. [...] Assuming he would be court martialed, Chambers ordered those helicopters thrown overboard as well. He later told interviewers that since he expected to be deposed by prosecutors, he turned away from the action to avoid seeing exactly how many were pushed into the sea. [...] Chambers kept his job as the aircraft carrier’s captain and was later promoted to rear admiral; he retired in 1984. Nobody was prosecuted for the estimated $10 million loss of the helicopters that Chambers ordered overboard.
brookst 2y ago
The article talks about the ships captain expecting to be court-martialed for it, but ultimately being promoted (not necessarily for this act).
refurb 2y ago
There was a very small presence of Americans in South Vietnam at the time - around 5,000. Mostly US government workers (e.g. USAID), CIA and some military. When the US disengaged in 1973, it left most of the military equipment and gave it to South Vietnam. So most of the helicopters and such that fled to the US fleet were South Vietnamese aircraft, not US aircraft. So I assume the US has pretty much written them off before that.

3 ms·

I've always wondered about this event: did someone go against orders to do this? Did they get in trouble?

by esperent 2y ago

I've always wondered about this event: did someone go against orders to do this? Did they get in trouble?

duxup 2y ago
I suspect someone could make up some sort of violation, but it seems like it is unlikely there's a specific order preventing them. Ship's captain is going to have a lot of leeway to complete his mission. Punishing a high ranking officer in their efforts to save allies would not look great, and at the end of the Vietnam War, I'm not sure who was interested in that.
rl3 2y ago
It's right there in the article: From the bridge Chambers quickly consulted task force commander Adm. William Harris, who was at his battle station below deck. “The admiral ordered me to tell the Bird Dog to ditch,” Chambers later recalled. [...] Assuming he would be court martialed, Chambers ordered those helicopters thrown overboard as well. He later told interviewers that since he expected to be deposed by prosecutors, he turned away from the action to avoid seeing exactly how many were pushed into the sea. [...] Chambers kept his job as the aircraft carrier’s captain and was later promoted to rear admiral; he retired in 1984. Nobody was prosecuted for the estimated $10 million loss of the helicopters that Chambers ordered overboard.
brookst 2y ago
The article talks about the ships captain expecting to be court-martialed for it, but ultimately being promoted (not necessarily for this act).
refurb 2y ago
There was a very small presence of Americans in South Vietnam at the time - around 5,000. Mostly US government workers (e.g. USAID), CIA and some military. When the US disengaged in 1973, it left most of the military equipment and gave it to South Vietnam. So most of the helicopters and such that fled to the US fleet were South Vietnamese aircraft, not US aircraft. So I assume the US has pretty much written them off before that.