CBC Digital Archives

Canadians pull out of Saigon, Vietnam

Vietnam may have been America's war but Canada was heavily involved — for and against. Canada harboured American draft dodgers and helped supervise ceasefires. But at the same time, about 30,000 Canadians volunteered to fight in southeast Asia. And there was Canada's involvement in secret missions, weapons testing and arms production. CBC Archives looks at Canada's role in the Vietnam War.

With the communist takeover of South Vietnam looming, diplomats scramble to pull Canadians out of Saigon. Amidst the chaos, little real assistance is offered to Vietnamese civilians desperate to escape the imminent communist regime. The decision to airlift two diplomatic vehicles loaded with art and souvenirs while leaving Vietnamese staff behind causes some concern about Canada's priorities. CBC reporter Peter Kent covers the story and wonders about the upcoming U.S. departure. 
• Thousands of South Vietnamese were in danger of being executed by the Communists for their service to the South Vietnam government or the United States.
• Canada issued 14,000 visas to Vietnamese, but getting out of the country was left up to the individuals. Canada did not have the means to provide assistance in evacuating Vietnamese.
• In April 2000, Canadian embassy chargé d'affaires Ernest Hebert spoke on the record for the first time since the pullout.

• In the years following the Vietnam War, over one million refugees fled the war-ravaged countries of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Those Vietnamese who took to the ocean in tiny overcrowded ships were dubbed the boat people.
• Canada accepted 69,000 Indochinese refugees between 1975 and 1980.
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News
Broadcast Date: April 24, 1975
Guest(s): Reg Rhymer
Reporter: Peter Kent
Duration: 4:41

Last updated: February 17, 2012

Page consulted on August 21, 2012

All Clips from this Topic

Related Content

1942: War effort spreads to butter

Government adds butter to the growing list of rationed food.

1960: Canada celebrates two millionth immigra...

Annette Toft, formerly of Denmark, becomes Canada's two millionth immigrant since the Second W...

1944: 91 die in sinking of HMCS Shawinigan

A Second World War veteran recalls the day a German U-boat sank the ill-fated Canadian warship...

1972: 'Henderson has scored for Canada'

The country's largest TV audience ever watches Paul Henderson score an epoch-making goal.

1974: 28 million rotten eggs

Agriculture minister Eugene Whelan is in the frying pan over an egg scandal.

1939: 'Canada at the side of Britain'

As England and France go to war, Prime Minister Mackenzie King tells Canadians, "To save one, ...