Get off the fence now!This is for U.S. citizens only!
Do you have any relatives here?
Left, right, left.Left, right, left.
Left, right, left. Left, left.
Left, right, left.
Left, right, left.Left, left.
Left, right, left.
Ten-hut.Ten-hut.
One, two.One, two.
Three, four.Three, four.
One, two, three, four.
Welcome to America, and welcome to Camp Pendleton.
My name is Gunnery Sergeant Jim Lance,
the senior staff N.C.O. in charge of this camp.
At this time, I need each of you...
to move to the Quonset huts that you were assigned to.
There is one cot per person and one locker per family.
I repeat, I need each of you to check in to the Quonset hutsyou were assigned to.
Do not switch huts at this time.
No one is allowed to leave this campwithout permission.
Anyone who speaks English, please translate for the others.
Whoa, whoa.
Lance Corporal, let's go.
Welcome to America, and welcome to Camp Pendleton.
My name is Gunnery Sergeant Jim Lance.
In other related news,
today the 18th A.R.V.N. Division...
and the Airborne Division of the South...
succeeded in holding off numerous assaults from the North Vietnamese Army.
The battle is for the city of Xuan Loc, located 40 kilometers northeast of Saigon.
This is the first time in a month that the A.R.V.N....
has seriously attempted to halt the Communist offensive.
This is good news, maybe too late.
The A.R.V.N. had recently lost Da Nang without a fight...
and gave the N.V.A. little resistance in Qui Nhon.
The N.V.A. offensive then continued south...
to overtake Binh Dinh, Tuy Hoa and other coastal towns...
with little or no resistance from the A.R.V.N.
An American commander today stated that maybe we underestimated...
the South's will to fight on their own.
The fierce stand at Xuan Loc is a courageous effort for the A.R.V.N.,
yet most experts believe that it is too late.
Just 40 kilometers from Saigon and no American support,
it's only a matter of time before the N.V.A....
take control of Xuan Loc and head for Saigon.
But while the shops and restaurants may open in Saigon as usual,
many civilians are planning their escape...
or just stirring their coffee, endlessly waiting.
The fortunate few with U.S. dollars and connections to the Americans...
have been purchasing visas for as much as 8,000 U.S. dollars.
For others, prayer is the only hope.
All right. Let's go.It's your time. Come on in.
Hey, Addie, my friend!
You got the goods? Duc, my man, I got you covered.
You come see me after lunch, all right?
All right. Right. Make sure that'slocked down and secure.
Sir. Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
What's going on?
I want baby food for baby.
Why don't you give it to her? What's the big deal?
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Attention. No one is allowed to leave the camp without a sponsor.
Anyone attempting to leave without the proper authorization...
will be put on probation and possibly deported.
Tonight at the outdoor theater, we will be showingThe Death of Captain Vasquez.
Showtime is at 8:00 p.m. sharp.
Hey, wait a minute.
Is there something I can do for you?
Anything I can get you?
No.
But maybe I could do something for you.
Do you realize that we put this place upin less than 48 hours,
and that by the time the last porta-pottyis installed,
we're gonna be able house over 15,000 people?
And the thing I can't understand ishow we could do all this...
and mess up so badly over there.
Actually, there is something you can do for me.
I have all these situations arising with the refugees...
constantly in the requests and the problems.
Given the fact that you speak both languages,
what would you say to being my camp manager?
Job pays five dollars a day.
Yes, I can do that.Great.
If you show up at my office at 0800 tomorrow,
we'll go over all the details.
Oh. Jim Lance.My name is Tai.
Thank you.
And now news from Vietnam.
U.S. Army attaché Colonel Wahle...
recently outlined four evacuation plans...
for Americans currently in Vietnam.
Option one and two were step-by-step airlifts.
Option three was a combination air- and sealift,
while option four, if needed, will be a heliborne lift from Saigon itself.
Americans in Vietnam...
were told to listen for Bing Crosby's "White Christmas,"
preceded by the weather report--
and a reminder for all soldiers to call home to their mothers.
This is all part of a coded message for option four.
This message was played repeatedly today...
on Armed Forces Radio in Vietnam.
Hey, hey.
Are you one of those everyone's talking about?
The ones who lost their mother?
Mighty Mouse.
I like Mighty Mouse.
You mind if I sit down herefor a second?
My name's Addie. You got a name, kid?
Well, the way I see it,
you don't have any friends here.
It might help if you were a little moresocial, kid.
Hey, kid!
Come here for a second.
See you around, kid.
After the last American was airlifted...
out of Phnom Penh, the country's capital,
the Khmer Rouge arrived and began the exodus of death.
Anyone with good clothes, soft hands or a well-fed look...
were shot and left to die along the roadside.
In other related news--
Wait.
Right this way people. Welcome to America, and welcome to Camp Pendleton.
As you can see,
we're issuing each of you a blanket or field jacket.
Once you have gathered all your belongings, pleasefollow the marine to my right,
and he will escort you to the chow hall...
where you will be fed before registration begins.
At that time, you will each be assignedto your Quonset hut,
where every person will have one cot...
and every family will have one locker.
Now I know you are all anxious to be reunitedwith your families.
There's a bulletin board at the Red Cross tent...
as well as a team of Red Cross volunteersto assist you in these matters.
Yet there will be plenty of time for thisonce processing is complete.
This is a difficult task, and we appreciate yourutmost cooperation.
- Thank you.
Lance Corporal, let's move them out.
Come on now. Let's go.
Single file. Watch your step.
Right this way, please. Right this way.
Ladies and gentlemen, that's the last of our newarrivals for this evening.
At this time, I'd like you to disperse back to your Quonsethuts and tents. Thank you.
Come on.Let's get out of here.
Earlier today, the fierce battle at Xuan Loc came to an end.
The A.R.V.N. defenders of Xuan Loc...
fought bravely but were forced to retreat.
And now with the N.V.A. within minutes of Saigon,
defeat seems inevitable.
Morale is at an all-time low and confusion surrounds Saigon...
as President Thieu resigns and is replaced by Tran Van Huong.
- Say cheese. - No, no.
You shouldn't have done that.
It's bad luck for three in picture.
Well, what if a family only has three members?
They never take any pictures?
Don't pee on the Quonset hut.
I'm learning Vietnamese.
I got the blankets you requested.
Here you go. Now listen.
It wasn't easy, but I was able to move your filedown to the bottom of the list,
so it's gonna buy you some more time.
Thank you, Jim.Okay.
Oh, uh, uh-- Let me ask you something.
I thought the Vietnamese liked fish.
Your fish has butter.
Too much fattening for us. We like chicken.
In Vietnam, chicken is expensive.
Ah! Good.
Oh, it's you again, huh?
If you want some fish, it's too late.
Are we gonna do this again, kid?
If you want something, kid, you gotta--
you gotta speak up, you gotta say something.
You want something?
Huh?
It's your call. I got work to do.
Mighty Mouse.
- You say something? - Mighty Mouse.
Don't tell anybody I brought you here.
This place is off-limits.
This is where I spend most of my time when I'm not cookingfor all of you guys.
Come over here.
When I first got here, I saw this empty wall,
and I thought,
"What a waste it is."
So I started to paint it.
I don't think they'll mind, as long as I repaint itwhen we're done.
So, you like it?
It's just a work in progress.
Tonight we will be showingThe Rocket Man.
And for those of you using the library,
please do not tear out the pages of the magazines.
Is there something wrong with the way I look?
What you keep looking at me for like that?
You should mind your own business, kid.
For someone who doesn't open their mouth, you know,
you talk a lot.
Yes, it's starting to look like you.
Who are you here with, kid? Hmm?
The man I saw you with-- Is that your father?
Is your mother really lost?
Your mommy-- where is she?
"Me"?
Is that what you call her?
Where is your me?
...Vietnam.
Your meis in Vietnam?
...Vietnam.
You miss her, don't you?
Got it.
I'm not finished with this yet.
Yeah, it's kinda funny.
Look at this.
I don't think I've had anybody ever laughat my drawings before.
Actually, I don't think I've ever--
I've never let anybody look at my drawings before.
This makes you my first fan.
It's nice to meet you, fan.
What am I supposed to call you, huh?
I don't think that "kid" or "fan" is actuallythat appropriate.
I'm Addie.
And you, you're--
It's nice to meet you, Minh.
Mighty Mouse.
No. I'm Addie.
No. Mighty Mouse.
I've been called many things, but...
Mighty Mouse it is, kid.
I think we need to get some kind of secrethandshake or something.
Here, put your hand up here like this.
Just like that, then you're gonnatwist it...
like that.
Grab it.
Slap and snap.
Thumb up in the air. That meanseverything's okay.
One second.
That was good, kid. That was good.
That was good, Mighty Mouse. Come on.
Again. Yeah?
Slap, drop, boom.
Very good.
Just a few days after President Thieu resigned...
he has left Saigon and gone into exile.
Today in his first speech to a desperate people,
President Huong warns that Saigon could become--
This did not flow well with the already panic-stricken Vietnamese...
who are desperately searching for a way out.
So there was a fight in the commissary last nightthat I am none to happy about.
It seems that one of the refugees was accusedof being a Communist...
when he told people he wanted to be repatriated.
What is his name?
Quang Hai.Quang Hai.
Actually, we found out later that he never wanted tocome here in the first place.
He just got caught up in the confusion.
So what we've done is set up a designated areafor any others like him.
And, pending approval, they will be shipped back.
He's got a war injury on his right hand.
What is beyond those mountains?
Actually, I really don't know.
Maybe one day we'll go togetherand find out.
Hey, Tai!
Hey, how you doing, my man?
Whoa! You speak very good Vietnamese!
Let's talk business! I got big profit for you.
Thought you might like those.
I got a lot more in my locker.
Last night I was thinking.
After you find your mother,
and you all leave this place,
I'm gonna do a little travelin' myself.
Bang, bang, bang!
I'm gonna get as far away from hereas I can, you know.
China, Italy, maybe New York.
I always wanted to see the world...
from the top of the Statue of Liberty, you know, kid?
What's wrong, kid?
Don't worry. That's not me. That's not me.
That's an America you don't understand yet.
It's bigger than those Sears and Roebuck's catalogsthey been giving you,
and those movies they're showing you,
and your Mighty Mouse comics.
Here. Let me show you something.
Here.
Yes. Me.
Isn't she beautiful?
At least this is the way I think she looked, 'cause...
I never actually met her.
Never seen any picture even.
She died when I was four, and that was 33 years ago.
Yeah. That's good old Pop.
That's the way he looked to me...
when he packed his bags and left.
I was four.
This scar you asked me about,
my father put it there...
with his cigar butt.
I don't know if he put it there to...
punish me for my mother dyin'...
or to remind me of him.
One day he just-- he just got fed upand he left.
I haven't seen him since then.
Hold on a second.
Look here.
Little finishin' touches.
Now.
Who is this with the butterflyon his nose?
Grabbing for it. Reaching!
All right.
This one's for you.
Get in the jeep! Now!
We're gonna do something different today.
I'm gonna teach you how to paint.
You're gonna help me finish this wall here.
Move this right here in the center.
And I'm gonna get you some paint.
I'm gonna set you up right over here.
Here you go, right here.
Now dip your brush in there,
then just paint whatever inspires you.
Just draw, just paint whatever inspires youright in there somewhere.
Very good.
Okay, that's gonna be your side of the wall...
and this'll be my side of the wall, all right?
Looks great, kid. You're a natural.
Forecast is hot and humid.
Temperature is currently 105 degrees and rising.
Are you a soldier who hasn't called home in a while?
Well, your mother wants you to call home right now.
We have a special treat for all you Americans left in Vietnam.
Where are you from? Where are you from?
- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
Have a nice day.
It has finally happened.
Operation Frequent Wind, a.k.a. Option Four, has been realized,
and the inevitable has just occurred.
At approximately 1100 hours, Vietnam time,
April 30, 1975,
Communist forces entered Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam.
The N.V.A. forces made their way through the streets of Saigon without resistance.
At 1215 hours, a T-54 tank crashed through the gate of the presidential palace.
We have a translated statement of what was said between the two powers.
"I have been waiting since early this morning...
to transfer power to you," stated President Minh.
A North Vietnamese officer had met with the waiting President Duong Van Minh,
who had been appointed less than 48 hours earlier.
He was accompanied by his improvised cabinet,
ready to transfer power.
The North Vietnamese replied, "There is no question of you transferring power.
You cannot give up what you did not have."
And with that, the 10,000-day war comes to an end...
and history is written.
Indeed, today is a sad day.
The streets of Saigon are completely deserted.
The last of the Americans have left.
The Americans have lost the war.
In closing, we have a statement recorded earlier this week by President Ford.
Today America can regain the sense of pride...
that existed before Vietnam.
But it cannot be achieved by refighting a war...
that is finished as far as America is concerned.
Can I join you?Sure.
So you can't sleep?
It's too quiet.
I miss the old man's knocking sound.
Yeah.
I have been thinking about what Thuy said.
And I realize that there was great losson both sides.
But I wanted to show you this.
It belonged to my brother who died eight years ago,
and I've never had the courage to open it since.
You see, it should have been me that died.
But I got hurt, and they wouldn'tlet me go back.
So I pushed him to go. I told him it was his duty andthat he owed it to his country.
So he went without question.
He even had honor and pride in his eyes.
I thought I knew my brother.
I thought we were cut from the same cloth, butafter I read this letter, I...
realized he wasn't like me at all.
Can I read it to you?
Yes.
Oh, uh, that's him.
"Dear Unknown Grace:
I'm sorry I don't even know your name,
but I wanted to express my thanks...
to you for how well you fixed me up.
I'm all right now, and I will be returningto my platoon...
first thing tomorrow,
but tonight I cannot sleep.
I'm so scared of returning to the darkness of the jungle,
to the ambushes and the smellof dead flesh.
To be honest with you, I'm scared of dying.
I never wanted to come here. I don't wanna be a hero.
But I also don't wantto return home.
For the last few days I cannot stop thinking about you.
The thought of your black hair...
touching me with its length keeps me awake at night.
Your smile assures me that tomorrow will come again.
Your soft hands parting the hair from my eyes...
have caused me to feel safe,
a sense that has avoided me since my arrival.
I'll be brave and fight tomorrow.
Only so that I can returnand ask you for your name.
Love, Jacob."
You know, he'd never even had a girlfriendbefore, you know?
He was just a kid when he left.
You know what we need?
We need some grooves here. Something to get it shakin'.
Let's get this thing rolling.
Come on. Help me out with this. I need some green.
Get the brush, get the brush, get the brush!
Oh!
I believe we got a Picasso in here.
Where'd you learn how to paint like that?
Amazing! Look at it.Look at it!
When I was younger,
I always dreamt that a green dragon...
would come and take me to find my father.
Maybe this dragon will help you find your mother, Minh.
Oh, yeah, I forgot.
Got something for you.
For you. Open it.
Go ahead. Look inside.
It's my favorite yo-yowhen I was a kid.
Mighty Mouse! Mighty Mouse!
I think you should go.
Your uncle-- he's gonna be worried about you.
I'll see you tomorrow. Same Mighty Mouse time, same Mighty Mouse station.
Pow.
Settle down! Settle down!
Get him out of here!
He's sitting right in front of me, sir.
I understand.
Yes, sir.
What happened today, Tai, will not happen again.
I need you to keep your eyes and your ears open...
and report to me any Communist wrongfully being kept here...
and those who may be of high risk,
and they will be put in designated areas.
Those men were not Communists.
Their loyalties separated them.I don't care.
I will tolerate absolutely no violence...
and absolutely no hierarchies in this camp.
Everybody is to be treated equal.Do you understand?
Now,
I think your nephew might want these.
This man-- he looks familiar.
His name is Addie Singer.
Worked in the mess hall as a volunteer since day one.
No friends. Except your nephew, I suppose.
Anyway, all of these drawings were found hangingin his locker...
when he was found dead in his room this morning.
Some terminal illness that no one knew anything about.
Is that all, sir?One more thing.
How's the lady doing? The one whose father died.
Just like the rest of us.
No special treatment.
Tai.
I can only imagine...
just how difficult this must be for you and your people.
But you need to know that we are trying to help,
and we are your friends.
I know.
Somehow, I just don't get that feeling.
You should try speaking to us without your bullhorn.
Duc, you better rock, my man, or you're gonnamiss that flight.
You're a good man, Lance. Thanks, Lance.You too. Good luck.
So, what do you think?
Think it's about time for you to start lookingat rebuilding your life?
I can move your file to the top.
If you want.
You think.
With the war officially over,
54,000 Americans have lost their lives.
Today, many families are still waiting...
for the return of their American heroes.
Experts believe there are as many as 2,400 men...
listed as M.I.A.'s and P.O.W.'s in Southeast Asia.
There you go!
One for you.
Excuse me, ma'am.
It's time for you to go now.
Yes, please, can you come with me? It's time to go.
Come on now.
Come on. It's okay.
Come on, ma'am, we have to go.
- Come on. Hey!
- It's okay. - What is going on?What are you doing to them?
We have orders to remove them.
Let go of her! Let go of her! Get off!
- Let go now, or I will arrest you!
Come on.Hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey.
Come on!
- Get her out. Let's go.
I thought you were our friend.
Corporal, could you step out?
Roger that, Gunny.
I could have you arrested for what you did.
Do you realize I put my career on the lineto save your ass?
You were not there to hear them cry.
My people just came from war, and you just brought them back.
The moment you step foot in this camp, you are on your way out.
This is not a home, Tai.
You could have told them not to do it. You could havetalked to me first.
There was absolutely nothing you could have done.
How do you know?I know because I know.
I know these people were never going to leave.
I found three different sponsors for every one of them, and theyall found a way to stay.
So, you come in the middle of the nightand grab them like animals.
That is my job, and those are the rules.
You always follow rules. Now I have families who areafraid to sleep tonight.
And I have 16,000 refugees right outside,
and 400 more that just arrived this morning.
There is absolutely no space.
I give up my space. I will help youbuild new tents.
Whatever it takes.That is not the point!
What is the point? The point isthis is a camp.
Those who get sponsors must leave,
and that is final!
You know why they don't want to go?
I heard a lot of reasons.
Is one of the reasons because they are scared?
They are afraid. Like I am afraid.
Afraid of how their lives will be like tomorrow.
Afraid of never seeing their friends and loved ones again.
As your brother was afraid.
You remember that,
don't you?
What are you doing here?
I have something I want to show you.
- What? - It's a surprise. Come on.
See you, little fella.
Okay.
Thank you.Sure.
How much does he get for washing car?
$2.10 an hour.
That is minimum wage, and they cannot pay you any less than that.
Don't hold back out there, my friend.
How I can repay you?
You have done so much for everyone.
I'll tell you what.
You just promise me...
that you're gonna do better than $2.10, okay?
Oh.
A little something to remember when.Ahh!
I will miss you, Tai.
- Lance Corporal. - Yeah, Gunny.
Camera.Roger that.
Wanna do a photograph?Okay.
Okay.
- Say cheese!
Lance Corporal, take the jeep back.
Aye, Gunny.