Then Col. Timothy J. Daugherty, deputy commander, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, passes a coin to Retired Army Col. John “Jack” Madison during a surprise ceremony July 16, 2015, to honor Mad-ison for his actions during the evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel and South Vietnamese from Sai-gon, Vietnam. Daugherty was promoted to brigadier general July 23. (Photo by Alexandra Flodin)
By Alexandra Flodin
Garrison Public Affairs Office
The last Army officer to leave the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam, was honored in a surprise ceremony July 16, 2015, at the Valley Hi Golf Course in Colorado Springs.
Then Col. Timothy J. Daugherty, deputy commander, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, spoke about Retired Army Col. John “Jack” Madison’s actions during Operation Frequent Wind and presented him a coin during the ceremony. Daugherty, who was promoted to brigadier general Thursday, was invited to honor Madison by The Argonauts, a group for local retired professionals.
Daugherty said it is important to recognize veterans because “when the nation calls, we are there.”
He said there is respect among the generations of veterans and today’s Soldiers can always learn from veterans’ experiences of past wars and conflicts.
“I think Jack will be surprised, but humble about (being honored during the ceremony); only about five people know what’s about to happen,” said Retired Air Force Col. Rick Schlegal, The Argonauts vice president.
Madison served as the chief of the four- party negotiation group that was outlined by the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, which started troop withdrawal from Vietnam that same year. He was stationed at the U.S. Defense Attaché Office in Tan Son Nhut Airbase, just a few miles north of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, when North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, taking the country by force in just 55 days.
“I about got blown out of bed. The north Vietnamese decided to give us a final push out of there by rocketing the Tan Son Nhut airfield,” Madison said of the April 29, 1975, morning of the attack.
He said those morning rockets began Operation Frequent Wind, an evacuation plan that would last about 24 hours. Marine aircraft flew nonstop sorties between the embassy compound to awaiting U.S. naval ships in the South China Sea. Knowing that South Vietnamese persons found to have been working or supporting U.S. efforts would be killed or imprisoned in re-education camps, then U.S. Ambassador Graham Martin insisted they be evacuated as well. The helicopters were packed to capacity with workers and only two or three American personnel in attempts to save as many South Vietnamese as possible.
A few of the ambassador’s staff and military officers, including Madison, began the process of bringing in the nationals and organizing the airlifts to safety. Though the gates were closed and manned by Marine guards, the embassy grounds were surrounded by thousands of South Vietnamese, ranging from infants to the elderly, seeking refuge inside the compound.
“I had to tell them they couldn’t take any baggage with them, and we made them throw all their weapons in the pool, so it was quite chaotic,” Madison recalled. “I’m glad they didn’t leave us there like they had planned.”
Madison and his team were ordered to stay in Vietnam after the evacuations since his team was issued paperwork recognized by North Vietnam. After President Gerald Ford officially ordered the ambassador to finally board an aircraft for evacuation, the decision was made to take Madison’s team as well. His flight was one of the last.
As Operation Frequent Wind ended in the early hours of April 30, 1975, Marine pilots would log a combined 1,054 flight hours and complete about 682 sorties to safety. Madison and his team would help save more than 1,300 Americans and 5,500 South Vietnamese and foreign nationals.
“It was a really amazing moment for me to be a part of an event recognizing Col. Madison’s contribution to this country and service to the nation,” said Daugherty. “What he did in Vietnam is absolutely remarkable.”