On October 15th, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will host a symposium on the US military’s departure from Saigon, Vietnam and Kabul, Afghanistan. Two distinguished commanders from the Charleston area will share their personal experiences in each conflict and provide contextual insight into each situation’s complexities and policies attributed to their results.
This free event will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. aboard the USS Yorktown in the Smokey Stover Theater. Tickets must be reserved in advance and can be secured through Eventbrite. At 3:00 p.m., General James E. Livingston will be on the ship to visit with guests.
In 2021, a striking photo of a CH-46E Sea Knight flying over the U.S. Embassy in Kabul elicited immediate visual and emotional parallels with the Fall of Saigon, nearly fifty years before. The historic departures of US forces from Kabul in 2021 and Saigon in 1975 successfully evacuated hundreds of thousands of personnel and allies of their respective conflicts under extremely challenging conditions. Col. Alexander Pelbath (USAF ret.) and Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston (USMC ret.) were among those experiencing firsthand the two military exoduses.
While serving as Commanding Officer, Co E, 2nd Bn, 4th Marines, Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. Livingston distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy forces and earned the Medal of Honor. After his second tour in Vietnam, he served as an instructor at the Army’s Infantry School, Director of Division Schools for the 1st Marine Division, and later, as S-3 of the 3d Battalion, 7th Marines. In March 1975, he returned to Vietnam and served as Operations Officer for the Vietnam evacuation operations which included Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon.
Over his 22-year career, Col. Pelbath commanded numerous highly dynamic organizations and amassed over 4,000 hours flying multiple aircraft, including over 1000 hours in combat. He completed multiple deployments supporting nearly all major military operations since 2001. In August of 2021, Pelbath was the Air Mission Commander for the final evacuation of military and civilian personnel in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was charged with piloting the final military flight out of the city, marking the last mission of America’s longest war.
Tickets to this free event can be reserved through Eventbrite.
