Escape from Saigon: Teen Flees City's Collapse Amid Chaos

(NEXSTAR) — Tears start flowing before our conversation with Stephanie Dinh even starts. "I'm about to delve into my past, so this could get difficult," she says, crying.

Her adventure through history starts in her birthplace: Saigon, Vietnam—a city teetering on the edge of disaster in April 1975. Raised during an intense conflict, Stephanie’s tale leads us to April 29, 1975.

“She remembered him saying, 'Let’s head out, get prepared,'" she recounted.

It would take her onto the USS Midway during what was later called Operation Frequent Wind.

Fifty years ago, the Midway served as the initial destination for liberty for countless Vietnamese refugees when word spread that Saigon was imminent to be captured by the communist North.

When Stephanie was 15 years old, her father, a colonel in the South Vietnamese Army, got his wife, five children, including Stephanie, ready to escape. He made them promise not to tell anyone about their plans.

“She mentioned that she had three really close friends," he stated. "It's extremely difficult for children, particularly when they have to think about calling their friend and trying to say, 'I might not ever get to see you again.'"

Early one April morning, dressed just as they were, it was time. A fleet of buses pulled up to transport them elsewhere.

People were shouting and fleeing everywhere. It was complete pandemonium," Stephanie recounted. "At some moment, I noticed a lady who was hysterical. She glanced at me through the window, looked upwards, and yelled, 'Tell the bus driver to halt the vehicle; I need to board.' I stared back at her and replied, 'I am unable to do that.'

Stephanie's family had to keep moving forward; their liberty relied on not looking back.

They climbed aboard a helicopter, en route to the USS Midway, which was docked off the Vietnamese coastline.

Amazingly, due to the quick thinking of the Midway crew, over 3,000 evacuees were able to find liberty.

"Each time I spot the ship, it brings back memories of that day when it was out there awaiting us," she mentioned.

Stephanie went on to establish a prosperous life in America. Although she always remembers Vietnam and the Saigon of her past, she attributes her safe arrival and new beginning—thanks to Operation Frequent Wind and the bravery of the Midway crew—to be reasons for which she feels immense gratitude.

“She remarked, ‘I don’t dwell on the past. This land is mine,’ adding, ‘I forge ahead and give back all that I have received.’”

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This content must not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

To stay updated with the most recent news, weather forecasts, sports updates, and live streams, visit CBS 42.