Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and `` at-risk '' Vietnamese from Saigon , South Vietnam prior to the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese People 's Army of Vietnam ( PAVN ) in the Fall of Saigon .

The fixed-wing evacuation was terminated Process_end and Operation Frequent Wind commenced Process_start .

In Operation Frequent Wind a total of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 Vietnamese and third-country nationals were evacuated Emptying by helicopter .

The total number of Vietnamese evacuated Removing by Frequent Wind or self-evacuated and ending up Process_end in the custody of the United States for processing Self_motion as refugees to enter Arriving the United States totalled 138,869 .

The capture Conquering of the city was preceded Process_start by Operation Military_operation Frequent Wind , the evacuation Removing of almost all the American civilian and military personnel in Saigon , along with tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians who had been associated Collaboration with the southern regime .