Operation Babylift: The Forgotten Aftermath of a Mass Adoption

Operation Babylift, the mass adoption of Vietnamese children in 1975 during the fall of Saigon, is often portrayed as a humanitarian rescue. However, this article reveals a more complex and tragic reality. Many children were not orphans, their parents forced to relinquish them amidst the chaos of war. The operation was fraught with logistical problems, including a plane crash that killed over 100 children. The adoptees, now adults, grapple with identity crises, psychological trauma, and even denials of citizenship. They are actively seeking their origins and rewriting their narratives, challenging the official narrative of a simple rescue mission.