Editing Operation Frequent Wind (section)

==Tan Son Nhut under attack==
[[File:RVNAF C-130 burns on the runway at Tan Son Nhut, 1975.jpg|thumb|right|250px|RVNAF C-130A burns at Tan Son Nhut after rocket attack on 29 April]]
On 28 April at 18:06, three [[A-37 Dragonfly|A-37 Dragonflies]] piloted by former RVNAF pilots, who had defected to the [[Vietnamese People's Air Force]] at the fall of Da Nang, dropped six [[Mk81]] 250&nbsp;lb bombs on [[Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base|Tan Son Nhut Air Base]], destroying several aircraft. RVNAF [[Northrop F-5|F-5s]] took off in pursuit, but they were unable to intercept the {{nowrap|A-37s}}.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|70}} C-130s leaving Tan Son Nhut reported receiving PAVN 12.7&nbsp;mm and 37&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft (AAA) fire,<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|71–72}} while sporadic PAVN rocket and artillery attacks also started to hit the airport and air base. C-130 flights were stopped temporarily after the air attack but resumed at 20:00 on 28 April.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|72}} At 21:00 on 28 April Major General [[Homer D. Smith]], the Defense Attaché, informed the evacuation control center that 60 C-130 flights would come in on 29 April to evacuate 10,000 people.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|73}}

At 03:30 on 29 April a PAVN rocket hit Guardpost 1 at the DAO Compound, instantly killing Marine Corporals [[Charles McMahon and Darwin Judge]]. They were the last American ground casualties in Vietnam.<ref name=Pilger>{{cite book|last=Pilger|first=John|title=The Last Day|publisher=Mirror Group Books|year=1975|isbn=978-0-85939-051-4|pages=56–57}}</ref>

At 03:58, C-130E, #72-1297, flown by a crew from the [[776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron|776th Tactical Airlift Squadron]], was destroyed by a 122&nbsp;mm rocket while taxiing to pick up refugees after offloading a [[BLU-82]] at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed.<ref name=Dunham/>{{rp|182}} This was the last USAF fixed-wing aircraft to leave Tan Son Nhut.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|79}} Between 04:30 and 08:00 up to 40 artillery rounds and rockets hit around the DAO Compound.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|80}}

At dawn the RVNAF began to haphazardly depart Tan Son Nhut Air Base as A-37s, F-5s, [[C-7 Caribou|C-7s]], [[C-119]]s and C-130s departed for Thailand while UH-1s took off in search of the ships of TF-76.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|81}} Some RVNAF aircraft stayed to continue to fight the advancing PAVN. One [[AC-119]] gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on the approaching PAVN. At dawn on 29 April two [[A-1 Skyraider]]s began patrolling the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut at {{convert|2500|ft}} until one was shot down, presumably by an [[SA-7]] missile. At 07:00 the AC-119 was firing on PAVN to the east of Tan Son Nhut when it too was hit by an SA-7 and fell in flames to the ground.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|82}}

At 07:00 on 29 April, Smith advised Ambassador Martin that fixed-wing evacuations should cease and that Operation Frequent Wind, the helicopter evacuation of US personnel and at-risk Vietnamese should commence. Martin refused to accept Smith's recommendation and instead insisted on visiting Tan Son Nhut to survey the situation for himself. At 10:00 Martin confirmed Smith's assessment and at 10:48 he contacted Washington to recommend Option 4, the helicopter evacuation.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|90}} Finally at 10:51 the order was given by [[CINCPAC]] to commence Option 4; due to confusion in the chain of command, Carey did not receive the execute order until 12:15.<ref name=Dunham/>{{rp|183}} At 08:00 [[Trần Văn Minh (aviator)|Lieutenant General Minh]], commander of the RVNAF and 30 of his staff arrived at the DAO compound demanding evacuation, signifying the complete loss of RVNAF command and control.<ref name=Tobin/>{{rp|85–87}}