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Nicoline Smits
Ellicott city, MD, USA
In 1975, I was nine years old and lived in my native country, Holland. April 30 happens to be our national holiday, so we had plenty of time to watch television that day and see how the last Americans fled Saigon in helicopters from the roof of the embassy. I remember how upset my parents were at this. I was too young to understand all of it, but it left me curious as to why the Americans had been there in the first place, why they had lost (weren't they supposed to be our protectors?) and why it was such a big deal. As I grew up, I saw movies like "The Deerhunter" and read about the plight of vets and I became even more curious. I think it is one of the reasons I studied history, and even why I live in this country (I moved here in 1995).
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