75-13-A6
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Phu Quoc[edit]
Transcript[edit]Did we tie up all the loose ends of our rescue operation in Indo China? There is a tragic chance we didn’t.—I’ll be right back. Let me set the stage by reviewing a little history. The war in VN. went on for so long it’s possible some of us have forgotten the prelude to that war. Indochina was French Indochina until during the 1950’s when the colonial period ended and a meeting of Nations including our own created North and South Vietnam as 2 separate and independent Nations. North Vietnam was already under communist rules with Ho Chi Minh the unelected dictator. South Vietnam had to start from scratch. Part of the settlement called for the people of both countries to have for a certain period of time the right to move and live in whichever of the 2 countries they chose. It turned out to be a one way move. Few if any chose to go North but an estimated 1½ mil. went South. This resulted in the 1st of the many communist violations of the terms of the agreement. Long before the set period was up Ho Chi Minhs soldiers set up barricades at the dividing line and refused to allow the north to south migration to continue. He probably suspected that if he didn’t he’d have a lot of empty real estate on his hands. Many of those who moved south did so for religious reasons, aft They knew there would be no freedom of religion under Ho Chi Minh. A number of Catholic Priests led their whole entire congregations across the border. Now the border is gone and apparently the flight to freedom has begun again. When Hue and Da Nang fell many of those same congregations moved to the island of Phu Quoc some 40 or 50 miles off the mainland. In fact some were carried there by American ships. It is believed there are about 42,000 refugees on the island including hundreds of nuns and 1000 orphans. The refugees have weapons but only a limited supply of food and ammunition. It is reasonable to assume they will try to hide out if possible in the islands hills and mountains for as long until they are overtaken by the enemy or by starvation. The communist conquerors have seized and control the airstrips making rescue by air impossible but some are escaping in small boats and sampans under cover of night. Of course this means heading out to sea with only the hope of intercepting a passing ship or dying at sea instead of on the island. One recent pickup of 52 people was recently reported from by a Swedish freighter. We know that South Korea, Taiwan, Chile and Canada have agreed to accept them as immigrants. We also know that our own ships and naval vessels at least for a time have been receiving radio messages pleading desperately for someone to come to thier rescue. The press has reported that Ron Nessen1 in a White house press briefing on May 21st said with regard to Phu Quoc that “the evacuation of refugees from V.N. and their territorial waters is over.” One wonders if the anguished radio cries for help are still being heard by our radio operators or is there only silence now; the kind of silence we heard in Oct. 1956 when the Hungarian Freedom Fighters went off the air in Budapest. Russian soldiers were battering down the doors as we heard the mass cry “People of the world—Help us! People of Europe whom we once defended against the attacks of Asiatic barbarians listen now to the alarm bells ring—People of the civilized world, in the name of liberty and solidarity we are asking you to help. The shadows grow darker. Listen to our cry. God be with you and with us.” Then came the silence. I wonder if we’re hearing only silence from Phu Quoc. Or is that the faint sound of alarm bells. This is Ronald Reagan—Thanks for listening. |
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