VHM_0062

This air force jacket belonged to An Carmichael, who served in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. During the Fall of Saigon, he was evacuated by airplane as part of the U.S. military’s final withdrawal efforts. As direct flights to the United States were not available, evacuees were first flown to Thailand, most commonly U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, a U.S. Air Force base that served as a major evacuation hub. From Thailand, he was transferred to the United States as part of Operation New Life/Operation New Arrivals, where South Vietnamese military personnel and their families were processed and resettled. He lived in the United States until his passing. After his passing, An Carmichael's wife donated his VNCH (Air Force) uniform to the Vietnamese Heritage Museum (VHM) in Garden Grove, CA.