Untold story of how USS Kirk saved 20-30,000 South Vietnamese
USS Kirk, a destroyer escort, rescued 20,000 to 30,000 Vietnamese refugees as Saigon fell in 1975. That heroic story was overlooked until now.
The warship was dispatched to an island 50 miles off the coast of South Vietnam by Adm. Donald Whitmire to lead remnants of the South Vietnamese navy to safety.
It soon found itself surrounded by 30 South Vietnamese navy ships, dozens of fishing boats and cargo ships at Con Son Island. Each of them crammed full of people fleeing the country.
Together with other U.S. Navy ships, USS Kirk lead the flotilla over a six-day journey to Subic Bay, Philippines. Only three died during the voyage.
Today, USS Kirk is serving in the Taiwan Navy as ROCS Fen Yang.
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