"The United States... will not turn from our obligation to help the remaining refugees... The situation in Vietnam is tragic, but America can’t fix every problem." - President Gerald Ford
By 1974, the Vietnam War had entered its twilight. In this penultimate episode of his series on the conflict, The Hungry Historian, explores the war’s dramatic final years, beginning with the profound shifts in American politics and public sentiment that followed the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
Meanwhile, with U.S. military and financial support for South Vietnam sharply declining, the North Vietnamese Army seized the moment, launching a massive and relentless offensive that would culminate in the fall of Saigon on April 30th, 1975.
Listen as The Hungry Historian walks you through the unraveling of South Vietnam’s fragile government, the desperate evacuations of American personnel and Vietnamese allies, and the heartbreaking images that defined the war’s chaotic end.
The story doesn’t stop with the ceasefire!
Dive deep into the long shadow the war cast—on the American psyche, on U.S. foreign policy, and on Vietnam itself. From the struggles of returning veterans and the rise of the “Vietnam Syndrome,” to the staggering human and environmental cost borne by the Vietnamese people, examine the conflict’s aftermath with clarity and compassion.
As a culinary reward, Chef Money is stopping by with a Featured Recipe that is once again inspired by the events of the episode. You won't want to miss out on his Spring Roll Offensive!
Cheers!
The Spring Roll Offensive
Ingredients: