Operation Babylift 50th Anniversary Highlights Orphan Evacuation Impact

Fifty years after Operation Babylift, survivors and organizers are reflecting on the massive American-led evacuation that airlifted over 3,000 Vietnamese orphans out of Saigon as North Vietnamese forces advanced. The operation's first flight tragically crashed near Saigon, killing 138 people, including 78 children, but many infants, such as Devaki Murch, survived and were adopted in the U.S. Survivors like Murch and Mason have since sought to reconnect with their pasts, discovering lost adoption records and forming supportive networks with fellow adoptees. Many adoptees grew up with little information about their origins, as records were often destroyed or fabricated amid the chaos. Volunteers like Sister Mary Nelle Gage played crucial roles in organizing adoptions and processing children in the U.S., and have maintained connections with many evacuees. The legacy of Operation Babylift is marked by both heartbreak and resilience, as survivors navigate questions of identity and family while commemorating those lost.