SHARES
SHARES HIS STORY ABOUT THE FINAL DAYS OF THE VIETNAM WAR RIGHT HERE ON THE DECK OF THE
USS MIDWAY MORE THAN 3000
PEOPLE FOUND FREEDOM, HOPE AND
A BRAND NEW LIFE AND THE SAN
DIEGO.
>> WHO WAS AIRBUS AT THE TIME
WHO CONTROLLED IT ALL FROM THAT
TOWER RIGHT THERE SAYS WHAT
HAPPENED HERE WAS TRULY A
MIRACLE COMMUNITY OF IT IS A
MIRACLE BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST
DANGEROUS 30 HOURS I'D EVER
SEEN ON AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER.
MEMORIES OF OPERATION FREQUENT
WIND.
>> THE CHAOS THE COMPLICATIONS
INVOLVED WERE JUST TREMENDOUS.
OUR CRYSTAL CLEAR FOR 88 YEAR
OLD VERNON JUMPER WAS SO GOOD
ONE OF THESE HELICOPTERS WERE
SO LOW ON FUEL MAY FLAME OUT
AND CRASH ON THIS FLIGHT DECK.
>> A FULL SCALE EMERGENCY
EVACUATION HAD BEEN ORDERED 45
YEARS AFTER THE EVACUATION OF
AMERICANS AND AT-RISK
VIETNAMESE FROM SAIGON.
>> THE RETIRED NAVY COMMANDER
SHARES HIS STORY AS A VOLUNTEER
ON THE SAME SHIP AND PEOPLE
APPRECIATE THE STORIES SO MUCH.
>> VERN WAS THE AIR BOSS OF THE
USS MIDWAY AND FROM THIS SEA HE
CALLED ALL THE SHOTS RIGHT
THERE.
>> THE TITLE THE BOSS.
IT WAS HIS TOWER IN APRIL 1975
WHERE VERN WATCHED OVER THE
INTENSE 30 HOUR OPERATION WITH
LASER LIKE FOCUS RESPONSIBLE
FOR EVERY TAKEOFF AND LANDING.
WHAT DID YOU SEE WHEN YOU
LOOKED OUT FROM THIS PERCH?
WHEN I LOOKED ON THE FLIGHT
DECK WAS COVERED WITH PEOPLE
AND HELICOPTERS.
OF COURSE ONE TIME HELICOPTERS
CAME UP IN THE AIR HOVERING
ALONGSIDE THE SHIP AND THEY HAD
LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES OF FUEL
REMAINING.
YOU'RE ALMOST EYE TO EYE WITH
THEM, RIGHT?
>> ALMOST NOTHING TO HIDE.
AT ONE POINT HE COUNTED MORE
THAN 20 SOUTH VIETNAMESE
AIRCRAFT WAITING TO LAND ON THE
CROWDED FLIGHT DECK.
SOME PILOTS HOVERED JUST LONG
ENOUGH TO UNLOAD THEIR
PASSENGERS THEN HEADED THE SIDE
OF THE SHIP WHERE THEY JUMPED
OUT WEARING LIFE VESTS AS THEIR
HELICOPTERS WENT DOWN.
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW OR
BERGDAHL THE PILOT DROPPED A
NOTE ON THE FLIGHT DECK ASKING
IF HE COULD LAND ON THE RUNWAY,
ADDING THAT HIS WIFE AND FIVE
CHILDREN WERE ON BOARD.
I IMMEDIATELY RAN THIS NOTE TO
CAPTAIN LARRY CHAMBERS, HER
COMMANDING OFFICER AT THE TIME
THE DECISION WAS MADE TO PUSH
MORE THAN 10 MILLION DOLLARS
WORTH OF HELICOPTERS OVER THE
SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO
MAKE ROOM.
>> YOU NEED A BEAUTIFUL PIER
LANDING WITHOUT A TAIL FOR THE
FLIGHT DECK CREW SURROUNDED THE
FAMILY AND CHEERED.
AND THEY'RE JUST WHOOPING AND
HOLLERING.
THEY WERE SO PROUD THAT THEY
SAVED THEIR LIVES.
THEY'RE MY HEROES ALWAYS GONNA
BE MY HEROES.
>> COURTNEY HERMANN WAS ONLY
EIGHT YEARS OLD WHEN SHE AND
HER FAMILY OF 12 STEPPED ONTO
THE MIDWAY ALONG WITH HER AND
AND COUSINS.
THEY SAVED US.
THEY SAVED THOUSANDS PEOPLE
PEOPLE NOW THAT HAVE BETTER
LIVES.
SHE REMEMBERS SLEEPING ON THE
FLIGHT DECK BECAUSE THE SPACE
BELOW WAS FULL KNOWING THEY
WERE FINALLY SAFE.
WHAT IS THIS FLIGHT DECK MEAN
TO YOU?
FREEDOM.
BUT SHE KNOWS NOT EVERYONE WAS
ABLE TO LEAVE.
MY UNCLE OF THAT STATE BACK HE
WAS TORTURED MANY YEARS BECAUSE
OF HIS MILITARY STATUS.
COURTNEY HAS DEEP GRATITUDE FOR
THE U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN THE
UNPOPULAR WAR.
>> IF THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED IN
THE WAR I WOULDN'T BE SITTING
HERE ON THIS DAY TODAY.
A NEW DAWN BROWN BUD LYNN VERN
SAYS HE WILL NEVER FORGET HIS
FELLOW PILOTS AND AIR CREWMEN
WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
AND DIED IN THE WAR.
IT'S SO SAD TO SEE THEIR NAMES
ON THE BOARD BUT HE TAKES
COMFORT IN THE SUCCESS OF THE
HUMANITARIAN MISSION HE HELPED
LEAD ON THE USS MIDWAY.
IT'S THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF MY
LIFE.
WE SAVED THREE THOUSAND SEVENTY
THREE SOULS AND NOBODY'S LOST
THEIR LIVES.
THE USS MIDWAY MUSEUM IS SUCH A
TREASURE TO HAVE HERE IN SAN
DIEGO.
IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN A
LIMITED CAPACITY AND IF YOU'RE
LUCKY YOU JUST MIGHT CATCH VERN
JUMPER OUT HERE ON A MONDAY OR
FRIDAY SHARING HIS INCREDIBLE
FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF HISTORY ON
THE MIDWAY.
MARCELLA LEE MUSIC ALL RIGHT.
THAT STORY GIVES ME ABSOLUTE
CHILLS.
AND IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY TOLD BY
MARCELLA ALSO BECAUSE OF HER
FATHER'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE
MILITARY INCLUDING VIETNAM.
ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.
AND VERN, YOU HE'S A TREASURE
HERO TO US.
>> WOW.
LOVE TO SIT DOWN, BUY HIM A
COFFEE AND JUST LISTEN AND
TALK.
THAT'S THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
I THINK WE COULD.
YEAH.
JUST SO MUCH HUMANITY AND ALSO
HERO TO SO MUCH TO THAT STORY
THAT OUR PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW
ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT IT.
IT'S REMARKABLE ALL THESE YEARS
LATER STILL HERE.
YEAH.
>> AND OUR NEWSAT FAMILY ALSO
WANTS TO WISH VERNES WIFE
REBECCA HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
SHE TURNED NINETY FIVE YEARS
OLD YESTERDAY.
>> GET THIS SHE AND MET ON
CORONADO AND THEY'VE NOW BEEN
MARRIED FOR 63 YEARS.