Hanoi at the end of 1954 was quiet and gloomy in the middle of a cold winter, and no one knew what Operation Passage to Freedom was.
The fluttering long tunics and colorful shawls of Hanoi girls and their smiling faces suddenly disappeared. Stern-looking women and men in black uniform, bamboo helmets, and sandals made from car tires took their place.
Sailors from the USS Bayfield raised a banner to welcome migrants aboard the ship in Hai Phong, to take them to the South on September 3, 1954. (Image: US Navy Department).
Gone were the happy chatters, the Hanoians now tiptoed around each other whispering about the newly issued “policies”. Menacing-looking officers flooded the streets from nowhere, scrutinizing people through cold piercing eyes.
A page in Vietnamese history had turned!
Operation Passage to Freedom
Not long before that, on a warship somewhere in the Western Pacific, US Navy Admiral Lorenzo S. Sabin received an unexpected order: Command Task Force 90 and execute an operation called ‘’Passage to Freedom’’.
Admiral Sabin was not given much time to prepare, Passage to Freedom began on August 8, 1954, with one mission: Providing the safest and fastest transport for the maximum number of North Vietnamese who wanted to migrate to South Vietnam.
Responding immediately, Admiral Sabin requested help from the US and French intelligence in order to gain as much understanding as he could about a country that he had known little about before receiving his order. US intelligence had not invested much in Vietnam at that time and the French were no longer much interested in helping the Americans. According to intelligence sources, the Viet Minh, despite signing the Geneva Agreement, did not want North Vietnamese to move South and would find every way to prevent it. It was reported that the Viet Minh could place underground mines near the ports where migrants would be loaded onto US ships carrying them to Saigon, and more importantly, the Chinese military would most likely help the Vietnamese communists to hinder the movement of these migrants.
According to Ronald B. Frankum, author of “Operation Passage to Freedom, The US Navy in Vietnam, 1954-1955,” in just over a week, Admiral Sabin developed a detailed action plan with instructions longer than one hundred pages and immediately distributed it to related units everywhere for implementation.”
In the North, Hai Phong was considered the ideal port to receive the migrants. The Control Unit was therefore ordered to study the seabed and the beach near where the US carrier would dock to pick up these migrants. In the South, they were ordered to search for and destroy mines near the Bach Dang River, where US warships would dock and disembark these people onto the streets of Saigon.
A sailor helped a woman to board USS Bayfield in Hai Phong, to be taken to Saigon. September 3, 1954, (Image: US Navy Department)
Across the South China Sea, captains of more than 110 large and small US warships received their urgent orders: In the shortest possible time, make the necessary adjustments to turn their warships into passenger ships capable of transporting and taking care of the health of thousands of people, in a secret mission called “Operation Passage to Freedom.”
The US Navy’s Passage to Freedom Operation was planned so meticulously that every ship headed to Hai Phong had full medical staff, at least one person who spoke Vietnamese, and another who spoke French fluently. All crew members were told to treat the migrants with kindness in order to “highlight the humanity of the US military against the brutality of the communists.”
Aboard the USS Montague, an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship sailing somewhere in the Philippines, a military physician wrote in his memoirs: “We were ordered to go to Hai Phong, Vietnam, on August 12, anchor there, and wait for instructions about Operation Passage to Freedom. We were told this was a secret that could not be disclosed. It was not that hard for us to keep secret, because no one knew anything about this operation, nor did we know whom we were about to take to freedom, from where, or why.”
In his memoirs, “Deliver Us From Evil” published in 1961, Dr. Tom Dooley wrote: ‘’Although he had not yet received his orders, Captain William Cox seemed to understand very well what needed to be done. He ordered his crew to, within a few days, turn the USS Montague into a passenger ship that can accommodate 2,000 passengers, the number dictated by his superior, given the ship’s capacity.’’
The USS Montague was 460 feet long, had 5 large warehouses, each 3 stories high. These warehouses are used to store trucks, fuel tanks, and other vehicles used for landings, so there were no vents.
‘’So for one week, the entire crew was busy amid the sound of hammers, saws, and the voice of the captain giving orders. All the talents and ingenuity of the crew were applied to create the most comfortable environment for their ‘passengers’.”
US Naval Officer Francis J. Fitzpatrick helped translate for a woman who immigrated aboard the USS Bayfield, on her journey from Hai Phong to Saigon, September 1954. (Image: US Navy Department)
“The most unique creation of Captain William Cox was his toilet system: the oil tanks were split vertically in two, the two ends were welded together, and a wooden toilet seat was fitted. After the seat was cut, the captain went around inspecting them, and ordering his crew to use sandpaper to smooth the seats so people would not be hurt by splinters.’’ Dr. Tom Dooley wrote with humor.
‘’Had he known about East Asian people’s squatting position during defecation, he might not have had to work so hard.”
‘’The USS Montague arrived in Ha Long Bay on August 14, 1954. Several other ships docked on the same day. Early in the morning of August 15, five ships were lined up. The USS Montague came in first, and the USS Menard came in 5th.’’
‘’With the signs ready, we anxiously awaited the first group of migrants to board the ships.’’
The Escape
On paper, the Geneva Agreement stipulates that everyone is free to choose the regime in which they will live and that any North Vietnamese who wished to emigrate to the South would be allowed to leave until the end of May 1955.
In reality, on every street, especially in small cities where there were no international observers, the Viet Minh surreptitiously sought to prevent and harm people who wanted to leave, causing them to have to risk their lives to find a way to secretly escape to the South.
To avoid being watched, monitored, and stopped, many families had to split up into small groups. In an article titled “The Escape of My Family”, writer Mac Giao recounted his family’s escape:
“My family had to go to Hai Phong in two groups. In the first group, my father took me and my two younger brothers along. My mother, my cousin, and my two younger siblings had to wait for the next trip.’’
‘’We took passenger service vans to Hanoi and then from there traveled by train to Hai Phong. The Viet Minh had been in control of Hanoi since October. So you were required to have a permit if you want to go to Hai Phong, because, according to the Viet Minh, you are traveling to a city still under the control of whom the Viet Minh called ‘enemy’. ”
Mac Giao recounted the scenes of migrants being mugged at the border between the two controlled areas:
“The boundary between the two controlled areas is Do Xa station in Hai Duong province on Highway 5. At this station, before crossing over to the area controlled by South Vietnam, all passengers’ belongings were searched. Many women and children were stripped to see if they had gold marks and the Indochina Bank money hidden behind their clothes. Gold and money were confiscated. Many people who were stripped of all their gold and money cried on the way back, for they did not dare to go to the South empty-handed. ”
Dr. Nguyen Y Duc in his article “From Northern Vietnam to Political Refugee,” published April 2004, also described in details how the Viet Minh tried to stop people going to the South at the station:
‘’My journey from Hai Duong to Hai Phong was quite an ordeal. I witnessed so much tragedy as well as comedy. Our train had to stop at many stations along Highway 5 to pick up more passengers, most of them wanted to go to Hai Phong to get onto the American ships heading South. Local Viet Minh members were employed to use every trick they could think of to stop these poor migrants. Well, they were either shouting or holding them back, preventing them from getting on the train. There were also those who shouted loudly “why do you want to go south to lick the boots of the colonialists, to betray Vietnam?”
In “Deliver Us From Evil”, author Dr. Tom Dooley wrote down the words of some migrants from Cua Lo village, Nghe An, who were fortunate enough to escape to Hai Phong:
“Tonight we loaded hundreds of people on 25 people capacity boats. Our boats quietly left the shore, facing the East Sea, silent as the night. The trip lasted five days and five nights. Unable to light the fire because the wood was too wet, we had to eat uncooked rice, the tea was flooded with seawater so we could no longer drink it. No one drank any water for several days; many children and women died of hunger and thirst. ”
‘’This explained their horrible conditions when they reached the place where the ships were docked.’’ Dr. Tom Dooley recounted in his memoirs that he and many other sailors “were very shocked to see the first group of migrants.”‘’A French “tanker ship” was slowly approaching. Looking inside, I was terrified: more than 1,000 people stood huddled on the deck, piled up like chickens and ducks in a cramped pen. They were wet, seasick, and fainted from the sun. They were speechless with fear and the children sat crammed in the midst of adults. ”
“The French ship came to our side; a staircase was dropped onto the deck. The migrants were told to climb up the stairs. I saw them hesitating because of fear. Only later did we learn that they had been told by the Viet Minh’s propagation machine that the Americans were barbaric and inhumane and that American sailors would take them out to the sea and push them all down to drown in the sea.”
Dr. Dooley’s story continued: “A frail old man, perhaps the leader of the group, reacted first. He stood up with much difficulty. He wore a conical hat and held a pipe in one hand. In his other hand, he held tightly to a picture of Mother Mary in a broken frame. Obviously, these were his two most valuable properties and probably the only properties he brought with him. He took a few first steps, very determined, but after looking through the gap into the sea, he stopped and his legs froze. When he looked up, his wrinkled face revealed so many things: hunger, fear of the immense sea the uncertain future ahead. His back was bent as if he had suffered a long burden when he worriedly took off his hat; there were impetigo sores on his head. His bones seemed to protrude from his body, a pathetic image that I had never seen in my life. Is that what Vietnam is like? ”
Một thủy thủ trên chiến hạm USS Bayfield chia nước uống cho dân di cư trong cuộc hành trình từ Hải Phòng vào Sài Gòn, Tháng Chín, 1954. (Hình: US Navy Department)
Journalist Gertrude Samuels wrote in a special report in the National Geographic published in June 1955: “Malaria and general health impairment have killed many people. The health conditions of many Vietnamese reaching American ships can only be described as pathetic. Many people have risked their lives to take very dangerous and arduous long journeys to reach the settlement centers. ”
On the American ships
For the migrants, the time aboard the American ships they called the “open-mouthed ships” was over two-thirds of their arduous journey. To many US sailors serving on these ships, participating in Operation Passage to Freedom was a “once in a lifetime experience.”
Sailor Warren Carara, who served on the USS Skagit, recalled: “I still remember the horrific heat, the hungry people, and the stench of the toilet. Every single trip to Hai Phong or Saigon was a pristine new experience. I remember taking the boys to the bathroom, helping them to wash, and rewarding them with chewing gums after their bath. Having never seen chewing gum before, many of them chewed even the wrapper.”
“But my most memorable moment was when I helped an old lady with a bamboo stick on which hanging two heavy baskets one on each side to board the ship. She probably weighed less than 36kg, while I weigh 84kg and was a very proud athlete. But by the time I bent down to find a way to lift the burden for the old woman, I lost my balance because the load was too heavy. I was so embarrassed. Of course that whole day the guys laughed hysterically every time they saw me. ”
An emigrant who was once on the USS Skagit signed his name Henry Do, wrote:
“I could never forget the first moment when I boarded an American ship to go to the South. One sailor gave me a piece of candy. At that time, I could not thank him in English. Oh my God! How delicious that candy was. The best candy in the world! Twenty-one years later, the most touching moment of my life came was when I saw that candy again in … America. Now I can afford to eat all of the candies my heart desires, but I don’t eat candy anymore. But that day, I ate that specific candy once again, because I wanted to remember the sailor and the ship that took me and my family to the land of freedom.”
Journalist Gertrude Samuels recounted the moment the USS Mountrail battleship welcomed people in Hai Phong: “Near the ship, large banners welcome the migrants in three languages: “Good luck on your passage to freedom.” Volunteers gave each family a welcome package, including soap, towels, toothpaste, and milk cartons with the words ‘A gift from the American people to the Vietnamese people.’ But it seemed no one was paying attention to the banners, they accepted the gift without responding, as though what had happened during their journey to reach the ship make them lose all emotions.”
Dr. Tom Dooley, with the meticulous pen of a journalist, recorded every detail of the USS Montague’s journey to Saigon:
“Many of them carried on their shoulders a long bamboo stick with two large baskets full of stuff one hanging on each side of the stick. All their belongings were contained in these baskets. Usually some clothes, rice bowls, chopsticks, some statues, or religious images. Many people were so afraid that they could not look directly at us. There were those who carried their bamboo stick with the hanging baskets on their shoulders and their children on their backs. Older children also carried younger ones on their own backs. There was a glimpse of fear across their innocent young faces.
“Understanding the dangerous and difficult journey they have just overcome, we were not surprised to see that no one was laughing. The young and the old together climbed the stairs, then fell into the giant belly of the battleship with their pitiful belongings. It was hard to describe the heart-warming sight of a few hours later when some shy smiles began to appear first on the younger faces, and then older ones. It seems that USS Montague passengers were starting to calm down.”
Vietnamese refugees getting aboard the American ship in Hai Phong to be brought to the South under the US Navy’s ‘Operation Passage to Freedom’ campaign in 1954. (Image: US Navy Department)
“We informed the kitchen that they have the honor of cooking for over 2,000 passengers. Some younger Vietnamese men who looked healthy and decent were chosen to help to serve the food. We planned to serve only two meals a day, but because there were so many passengers, one meal seems to end only when the next one began. So the line of people waiting for food seemed to last all day long. ”
“At first, the kitchen staff cooked American-style rice, which means the rice grain separated from each other, but it was a little embarrassing for us to see that no Vietnamese would like rice cooked that way. We quickly invited one or two Vietnamese into the kitchen to help us and from the subsequent meals, our passengers seemed to enjoy their rice much better, and after being full, they also form leftover rice into small balls, put them in their bags, probably to save for rainy days.”
Vietnam’s scorching heat, together with a large number of people on board, created many pitiful scenes on our journey to the South.
Dr. Dooley recounted: “The heat made it hard for us to breathe, and the smell was so strong. People vomited all over the ship. No one knew how to use the toilet system that Captain Cox had painstakingly devised and made sure every detail was attended to. Pulling me aside, Captain Cox pointed to groups of people squatting instead of placing their buttocks in the circles that he had told the sailors to cut out and sanded smooth for their comfort. Forgetting my rank at that moment, I burst into laughter. That’s their habits; we couldn’t do anything about it.”
“I was busy taking care of patients almost all day long. Soon, I recruited a few young people to help me, and after a few simple instructions, they became effective assistants, agile in dispensing medicine, wiping wounds, and even applying the disinfectant solution in the right place.”
Cultural differences were also a problem during the voyage.
According to Dr. Dooley, “the ship had not left Hai Phong for long, a sailor told me that in the fifth area, a baby was about to die, apparently because of cholera. She died before I could determine if she had cholera or not. To keep everyone safe, we decided to have a sea burial immediately, and this decision nearly caused the passengers on board to rebel. The baby’s relatives wanted to jump into the sea after their child’s body. It took three or four strong sailors to hold them back. I asked people to persuade them to drink tea, and just a few minutes later they fell asleep peacefully on the deck. I had sneaked some sedative into their tea. ”
“To make the journey less boring, we organized a beauty pageant, and the captain selected an emigrant to be the “Miss Journey of Freedom.” Miss Journey of Freedom was dressed in a white coat from the medical room, wearing a crown invented by the boys in the engineering team, sitting on the throne built by the carpenter’s team, and given a piece of fruit by the kitchen team. All these offers were very pleasing to Miss Journey of Freedom, and she rewarded us with a bright smile, showing off her black teeth and lips reddened by lime.’’
“Then suddenly there was a strange phenomenon, bread, candies, and freshwater appeared from nowhere. It turned out that our sailors all sneaked into the warehouse to ask for extra food to offer their favorite children. Image of a famously cranky and hot-tempered sailor holding a baby about four years old, throwing him up the air so that he laughs out loud, and then put a Baby Ruth in his mouth full of missing teeth, touched me. Humanity crosses all borders. “
“Every early morning of our three-day journey, a priest gave mass and watching the poor refugees kneel down to make their cross, prayed and sang to thank their God made me cried. Their god probably has been very busy of late, that’s while they fell into this miserable situation. But their intense religious belief made me feel small before God. ”
Dr. Tom Dooley cares for refugees in a refugee camp in Hai Phong, 1954. (Photo taken from “Deliver Us From Evil” by Dr. Tom Dooley)
Reaching freedom
“Around noon of the third day floating in the sea, we arrived at Saigon River. A few hours later, USS Montague finished anchoring.”
“Saying farewell to the crew that had won them over in just a short three-day journey, the refugees were tired but seemed more alert than before, following one another off the ship. We again helped to bring their belongings and baskets down. Many mothers passed their children down first. But most of the children clung to their favorite sailor till the last moments. We waited for the refugee passengers to be picked up by the delegation that came to get them to start their settling process and then prepared to return to Hai Phong. The three-day journey back gives just enough time for the crew to clean the ship before picking up its second batch of passengers. ”
“More than 2,000 USS Montague’s first passengers have arrived at the land of freedom. This historic moment, of their lives, and of Vietnam, was witnessed only by our crew of sailors and the banks of the Saigon River. ”
On May 13, 1955, Hai Phong was taken over by the Viet Minh. When the last French soldiers left Ha Long Bay on May 22, 1955, the Viet Minh took complete control of North Vietnam. Operation Passage to Freedom officially ended.
That was the end of the 300-day period that North Vietnamese could freely enter the South.
No one knew at the time that only twenty years later, many of them and their children would have to escape communism one more time, with or without the help of American ships, across the Atlantic Ocean.
Tina Hà Giang
Đọc bằng Tiếng Việt
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