Operation Babylift: A return to Vietnam 50 years later

In March and April of this year, Mary Nelle Gage SL and Ruth Routten CoL escorted former Vietnamese adoptees and their families to Vietnam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Operation Babylift. The group ate together, traveled the country together, grieved and laughed together.

“The aim of Operation Babylift,” Mary Nelle Gage SL told a former Vietnamese adoptee, “was to get you children out of harm’s way.” Mary Nelle, who cared for war orphans in Vietnam starting in 1973, wrote in an article in the fall 2021 issue of Loretto Magazine, “By early April 1975, it was clear that South Vietnam was about to be overrun by forces from the north.” The situation was urgent, the children vulnerable; as the bombing came closer, Mary Nelle and others frantically arranged for transport. Mary Nelle shared, “On April 4, in a devastating turn, the first Operation Babylift flight out of Saigon on a C-5A military transport aircraft carrying 320 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff. On board were 230 children. Seventy-eight children and six of our volunteers died, in addition to crew members and other passengers.” In the 24 hours following the crash, two flights carried children to safety, and Operation Babylift flights continued through the month. In all, approximately 3,000 war orphans were emergency evacuated before Saigon was overtaken by Vietcong forces on April 30.

Creating community

Most adoptees are now in their 50s. They share a history largely lost to memory, and for many, an uncertainty about their origins. Over the years, in addition to planning regular gatherings, Mary Nelle has led trips to Vietnam so that those who were adopted into other countries are able to experience their homeland, visit orphanages they lived in as young children and get to know their peers. The gift of connection is priceless. Lani Lang, a Motherland Tour 2025 participant, wrote, “The unspoken bond with these adoptees is deeply woven.” Another adoptee said, “We are more than friends. We are family.”

Susan Carol McDonald SL, who died in 2020, also organized reunions and escorted groups to Vietnam. She had been a nurse who was caring for orphans in Saigon in 1973 when Mary Nelle offered to help. Susan Carol accepted, saying to come immediately. Serving with the children and getting to know them as adults has served as a priceless gift for Mary Nelle and Susan Carol.

Two Places, One Heart

Some say you must choose just one home,
But my family spans oceans, and I’ve grown
With stories told of both countries,
With love that crosses all the bridges.
Home is more than where you lay your head.
It’s in every word my mother said,
In every meal, in every song,
In all the hands that helped me belong.
I’m at home in every part
Two places, one heart.

Mirko Höfelmayr, Cologne, Germany

I was at the Sacred Heart Orphanage. My birth certificate is blank. My adoption may be different from the others, as I was adopted directly by an American Marine. I was found in the woods by an American troop patrolling the area. They took me to the Sacred Heart Orphanage where my adoptive father happened to be visiting with the chaplain from his troop to pass out candy to the orphans. He saw me and told the nuns he wanted to adopt me. He left the country the next month, so he hired a lawyer to handle the adoption which took almost three years to complete. I was able to sit with my adoptive father before he passed away to document my beginnings.

Kim Johnson

To read all of the articles in the summer 2025 issue click here.