Description:

Frank Snepp
Saigon, Vietnam, April 29, 1975
Frank Snepp Vietnam War Photo With Lengthy Handwritten Essay
Signed photograph
Frank Snepp (b.1943). A 20" x 24" glossy photograph bearing a fascinating and lengthy handwritten account of the U.S. Rooftop Evacuation during the Fall of Saigon on April 29, 1975, the closing bookend of the Vietnam War. This recollection is written by Intelligence Medal of Merit awardee, Frank Snepp, who served as the CIA's Chief Strategy Analyst at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon during the Vietnam War. In near fine condition. Accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity by Snepp and a signing photo.

Having survived the helicopter evacuation himself that day, Snepp writes upon the photograph, in full: "Just before daybreak, April 29, 1975, enemy gunners began pounding Saigon's outskirts. A naval task force was standing by offshore to evacuate Americans and at-risk Vietnamese by chopper. But not until mid-afternoon did the big birds from the fleet begin arriving at regular intervals because Ambassador Graham Martin was slow to admit defeat. Meanwhile, the CIA's in-country carrier, Air America began sending it Hueys around the city to pick up terrified evacuees and ferry them to the embassy, Saigon's airbase and to the fleet itself. Around mid-day CIA Station Chief Tom Polgar directed me to help organize the rescue of a group of Vietnamese VIPs. It was to be a rooftop extraction from one of the nearby buildings. I identified the more secure locations. CIA Air Officer OB Harnage decided on a nine-story high-rise a half mile from the embassy. It was home to a senior CIA officer with a raised helipad up top.

Four weeks before, I had met there with a top CIA intelligence source and received early warning that the Communists meant to seize Saigon militarily without pausing for negotiations - exactly what was happening now. With no time to spare, Harnage, a grizzled Navy veteran of WWII summoned an Air America Huey and headed for the chosen address, 22 Gia Long Street. Panicked civilians were already inside the building and swarming the metal stairways leading up to the chopper pad. Sizing up the chaos, Harnage morphed into a bat out of hell. Jamming a cigar in this mouth, brandishing his Swedish K., he punched an unruly Korean national, then began exercising rough crowd control at the lip of the pad. At least three times that afternoon, using 2 different choppers, he loaded up desperate souls and sent them off to safety.

Each time -- though a Huey can comfortably carry only 13 passengers - he crammed more aboard, making extra space by planting himself on a chopper skid for the ride out. At about 2:30 pm a UPI photographer caught this famous shot of him. Among those Harnage rescued from 22 Gia Long was Saigon's Defense Minister. By the time the entire evacuation ended early the next morning, nearly 1400 Americans, including yours truly, and more than 5000 Vietnamese were safely aboard U.S. Navy Ships thanks in part to Air America crews and U.S. military pilots who had bravely stayed aloft during Saigon's death throes. / Frank Snepp, senior CIA analyst / Saigon Station / 1969-75".

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Provenance: LOA and signing photo.
  • Dimensions: 20" x 24"
  • Medium: Signed photograph

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