西貢殞落前的最後幾天,混亂程度是當今世界史無前例。
使命:《寶寶升降》行動
1975年,越南陷入前所未有的混亂,逃離國土幾乎是每個南方人所要做的迫切事情。但,成千上萬因戰爭而失去雙親的孤兒怎麼辦?他們或將被遺棄,生活在越南戰爭的瓦礫中。
西方世界的美、英、法、德、澳洲及加拿大等國的慈善團體,立即展開一項高貴的人道主義使命:《寶寶升降》(Operation Babylift) ,目的是將在混亂的戰火中的越南孤兒,把他們回帶到安全的地方。
拯救孤兒有著其迫性,也是爭分奪秒的行動。面對慈善團體的壓力,美國總統福特作出了緊急命令,展開營救計畫,所有兒童都被安排在特定的地方,由美國駐西貢大使館人員照顧。最終有超過3,300名嬰兒與兒童從南越撤離,並由西方世界各地人士所收養。
可是,很不幸 ……





1975, April 5 – Aircraft at San Francisco International Airport – San Francisco, CA – Nurses, Refugee Children, Others – children buckled into seats on plane; nurses moving in the background; all not in frame – Vacation Trip to California – Arrival of Operation Babylift Plane from South Vietnam; Vietnam Refugee – San Francisco, California
可是,很不幸 ……
可是,很不幸於4月4日的第一次執行任務時卻發生空難事故,在準備緊急降落新山一空軍基地時墜毀,造成153人死亡。事故原因是飛行中結構失效、爆炸性失壓,導致飛行員不能控制飛機。

With its tremendous payload capability, the gigantic C-5 Galaxy, an outsized-cargo transport, provides the Air Mobility Command intertheater airlift in support of United States national defense. The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world. It can carry outsized cargo intercontinental ranges and can take off or land in relatively short distances. Ground crews can load and off load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings since the nose and aft doors open the full width and height of the cargo compartment. It can also “kneel down" to facilitate loading directly from truck bed levels. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brett Snow)
但,為甚麼是4月4日?
(侯思傑)