AUSTIN, Texas — For two days, April 29 and 30, 1975, the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Midway was in chaos.

As the huge ship sat in the water near the shores of South Vietnam, a steady stream of helicopters was landing. They were carrying evacuees from South Vietnam who were fleeing their country as their enemy, the North Vietnamese, were taking over. The time was known as “The Fall of Saigon.”

So many helicopters were crowding Midway’s flight deck that the order went out to push the empty choppers into the water.

“The captain passed the word on the ship’s speaker system and said anyone who’s off duty and wants to help push helicopters over the side, we need your help,” said Navy enlistee J.J. Johnston. “I volunteered to push one over. I couldn’t resist that.”

Pictures of the helico

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