As a volunteer for Friends of Children of Vietnam in 1975, LeAnn helped raise money and supplies for the war orphans. In April she agreed to escort 6 babies from Saigon to their adoptive homes in the USA. By the time she arrived in Vietnam, bombs were dropping outside the city! She was greeted with, “Have you heard the news? President Ford has okayed Operation Babylift. You’ll help take out not 6, but 300 babies!”

Three Vietnam Orphan Airlift Reunions!

Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Program took place at The New Jersey Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey, on Saturday, April 2, 2005.

Babies were gathered from FCVN foster homes throughout the city and brought to the FCVN Center in preparation for the Airlift.

The Vietnamese Adoptees Network (VAN) 30th Anniversary Babylift Reunion was held in Boston, Mass, April 15-17, 2005. The  2005 VAN conference brought together adult adoptees from Vietnam, and families who have adopted children from Vietnam, with the mission of exploring the adoptee experience.

Click: www.van-online.org/events to learn more about this dynamic group!

FCVN Center, Saigon

Babies and workers at the Center

The Pan Am Historical Foundation cosponsored a celebration and reunion at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Crystal City. They brought together all those who had a connection with Pan American Airlines and Vietnam. The event commemorated the final evacuation of Saigon staff and their families, plus the infants/orphans who survived the C-5A crash  - 24 hours later they were aboard a Pan Am 747 Babylift charter to begin a new life in America.

Babies and workers at the Center

And in the midst of the chaos, her son chose her! LeAnn is looking at Mitch.

In the photo at left LeAnn is helping to load babies into a VW van. She is signaling that there is ‘room for more’. This is the photo that was in Time Magazine.

After being transported to the airport in vans and busses, babies were hastily loaded onto an Air Force cargo jet for their rescue

Many of the orphans were also reunited at 25th Anniversary reunions held in 2000. There are two photos from year 2000 reunions on the main Operation Babylift page.