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    "label": "Notes of the Cabinet Meeting Regarding the Evacuation of Saigon, South Vietnam",
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    "title": "Notes of the Cabinet Meeting Regarding the Evacuation of Saigon, South Vietnam",
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    "identifierLocal": "000800055-001",
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        "Cabinet Meetings Files"
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 29,
            "logicalDate": "1975-04-29",
            "month": 4,
            "year": 1975
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    "ocrText": "Digitized from Box 4 of the Conner Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nApril 29, 1975\nNotes of the Cabinet Meeting\nApril 29, 1975, 9:45 a.m.\nThe President convened the Cabinet at 9:50 a.m.\nThe President noted the difficulties of the last two weeks. He\nobserved that although the evacuations thus far had been successful,\nwe are not yet over the difficult period. Our objectives during\nthis period, he observed, have been to prevent panic in South Vietnam\nwhich would endanger American evacuation, deter North Vietnamese\nactivity, and stabilize the situation so that a successful\nevacuation could take place.\nSecretary Kissinger described in detail the events leading up to the\nevacuation. He reported that at the moment 300-400 Americans\nremained at the Embassy. In the last two days 4650 people have\nbeen lifted out of Saigon and that approximately 45000 Vietnamese will\nultimately be evacuated.\nSecretary Schlesinger reported that only a small security force (700)\nremains at DAO (Defense Attache's Office) and that the priority has\nshifted to the evacuation of Embassy personnel.\nThe President stated that our original intention was to use C-130\naircraft for the evacuation, but that the shelling of the airport precluded\nthat. Helicopters were substituted. Amb. Martin and Gen. Smith made\na decision on site to include South Vietnamese with the American\nevacuees presumably in order to prevent panic.\nSecretary Schlesinger indicated that some difficulties had been encountered.\nOnly two helicopters at a time can be used for Embassy evacuation;\nthere had been sniper fire; the weather had not been favorable; and\nthere had been some North Vietnamese firing at evacuation aircraft.\nIn one instance our aircraft returned the fire and observed secondary\nexplosions.\nDECLASSIFIED\nGERALD\n?\nE.O. 12356, Sec. 3.4.\nMR 90-9,HZ NSC etr. 10/12/90\nFORD\nBy KBH NARA, Date 12/17/90\nLIBRARY\n- 2 -\nThe President asked if there were any questions.\nSecretary Morton asked about the status of other foreign nationals.\nSecretary Kissinger responded that all Embassies except the French\nhad departed.\nThe President noted that more Americans (100-200) than previously\nestimated appeared for evacuation. He indicated that the next two\nhours would be extremely delicate but that thus far the panic problem\nhad been generally kept in hand.\nSecretary Kissinger pointed out that we had to publicly fight for aid\nso long as a governmental structure remained in Saigon. Otherwise\nhe was sure that a serious panic would have resulted at an early stage\nin the evacuation.\nSecretary Schlesinger indicated that panic at Tan Son Nhut had prevented\nthe use of C-130's.\nActing Secretary Tabor inquired about the total number of evacuees.\nSecretary Kissinger indicated that about 4650 have been taken out in\nthe last two days, of which 500-600 were Americans. He also noted\nthat although the President had directed that South Vietnamese were to be\nevacuated when it appeared that C-130's would be available, in the\npresent circumstances the President's only direct order was to get the\nAmericans out. The decision was made on the ground to include\nSouth Vietnamese.\nThe President reiterated that a total of 43-45000 South Vietnamese will\nhave been evacuated.\nSecretary Morton asked where would the South Vietnamese go.\nThe President responsed that State was working on the problem, that\nthree U. S. military bases had been set up here. He noted some\nCongressional objections. He indicated that we would have to motivate\ncharitable organization to assist and asked the Cabinet officers for\ntheir help in doing SO.\nGERALD\nR.\nFORD\nLISRARY\n- 3 -\nSecretary Kissinger indicated that other countries had been approached\nto take some of the refugees but that about 90% of them will come\nto the U.S.\nMr. Rumsfeld observed that the White House, DOD and State had been\nconducting Congressional liaison; that there would be a bipartisan\nmeeting today and a press briefing.\nThe President stated that Secretary Kissing er would give the briefing\nand requested that no one speak out until then. He stressed the\nimportance of speaking with a single voice.\nSecretary Morton asked if most of the refugees were white collar.\nSecretary Kissinger indicated that it was difficult to say, but that\ncertainly many were.\nSecretary Morton indicated that perhaps a substantial number (5000)\nmight be resettled in the Pacific Trust Territories where their politica\nskills might be used.\nSecretary Kissinger stated that that seemed like a good idea.\nThe President agreed and told Secretary Morton to get hold of Ambassador\nBrown and discuss it.\nSecretary Morton responded that he could explore the issue quickly.\nSecretary Coleman observed that since so much of the President's Joint\nSession address on Foreign Policy had beenaimed in large part toward\nensuring stability during evacuation, would he now be ready to give\nanother foreign policy speech.\nThe President indicated that there would be a follow-up at the appropriate\ntime. He then adjourned the meeting at 10:20 a.m.\nGERALD\n.A\nFORD"
}