Last Airlift Read online

  The rescue operation described in Last Airlift was the last to arrive in Canada, and there were fifty-seven babies and children on the flight. The children arrived in Toronto on April 13, 1975. The flight was sponsored by the Ontario government and, unlike most of the rescue flights before it, the children on this flight were not pre-adopted. John and Dorothy Morris did not know that Tuyet would become their daughter until the day before they met her. In addition to Tuyet, John and Dorothy were parents to Beth, their birth daughter, Aaron, from Vietnam, and Lara, from Bangladesh.

  11-1 — Colonel “Hank” Henry, Base Commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, welcomes the crew of Service Flight 515 on their return from Hong Kong and Saigon

  On April 14, 2006, thirty-four of the original fifty-seven orphans met in Oakville, Ontario, for a reunion. They exchanged stories and toured Surrey Place. Since that time, they have become like one big extended family. One of the original fifty-seven has died. The orphans are trying to find the other twenty-two. If you know one of these remaining orphans, please contact:

  [email protected]

  11-2 — Master Corporal Dave Melanson, a 426 Squadron Loadmaster with the Canadian Air Force on the relief flight, with two of the children

  Further Resources for Parents and Teachers

  Internet

  • http://www.vietnambabylift.org/

  •http://www.vietnampix.com/ (Warning: an excellent site, but some graphic images are included.)

  Books

  • Beyond the Babylift: A Story of an Adoption, by Pamela Chatterton Purdy, Abingdon Press, 1987

  • The War Cradle: Operation Babylift—The Untold Story, by Shirley Peck-Barnes, Vintage Pressworks, 2000

  Film

  • Daughter from Danang, a co-presentation of ITVS and NAATA with American Experience; WGBH Boston; producer, Gail Dolgin; directors, Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco.

  Author’s Note

  Son Thi Anh Tuyet is now an adult, and she lives in my hometown of Brantford, Ontario. Her married name is Tuyet Yurczyszyn. She and her husband Darren bought the house Tuyet grew up in, and they have two happy, healthy children named Luke and Bria.

  As part of my research, I interviewed many people. Special thanks to Thi Mai Murphy, Trent Kilner, Thanh Campbell, and Kit Spencer. Cliff Zacharias recounted his vivid memories of that fateful flight and shared his photographs. Special thanks to Dr. Georgiana Stanciu, Curator of the National Air Force Museum of Canada and also Assistant Curator, Hailey Latour. Many thanks to RCAF 426 Squadron historian Robert Fleming. Tuyet’s mother, Dorothy Morris, was amazing. Her detailed recall of Tuyet’s earliest days in Brantford helped me rebuild that time with accuracy. I have such admiration for Dorothy and her late husband John for their unconditional love and acceptance of not just one, but three war orphans.

  In addition to the personal interviews, I read American Babylift memoirs and also watched news clips and documentaries. I pored over weeks’ worth of microfilm copies of the Brantford Expositor and accessed The Globe and Mail online historical database. The Toronto Star’s “Pages of the Past” online database was especially helpful, as they ran a series of articles following the day-to-day progress of the last Canadian airlift, from the children’s escape from Saigon until their placement with their adoptive families. Staff writer Jim Robinson’s articles were particularly detailed.

  When I initially approached Tuyet about this book, I was going to write it as a novel rather than non-fiction. Many of Tuyet’s memories from that time were suppressed, so I was going to piece together a story of one orphan based on the experiences of many. But as I recreated these experiences from my research, an interesting thing happened. In small flashes, Tuyet began to remember more. I read every word of this story aloud to her and, as I did, she would stop and correct me. As time went on, her memories became clearer. Once, she called me the day after a marathon reading session; a random scene from television had just sparked a suppressed memory. When Last Airlift was complete, Tuyet was overwhelmed by the fact that it was, in fact, her own story that had been reclaimed.

  11-3 — The author with Tuyet Yurczyszyn, spring 2011

  Tuyet is my hero. The brave little girl whose early life was fraught with sadness and pain has grown into a remarkable woman filled with joy, generosity, and love.

  Thank you, Tuyet, for sharing your story with the world.

  Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is the author of more than a dozen historical picture books, chapter books, and juvenile and young adult novels. She has received numerous awards and nominations for her work. Her most recent novel, Stolen Child, has won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Americas and is an OLA Best Bet, a CLA Book of the Year nominee, a Resource Links Best Book, and a CCBC Our Choice starred selection. It was also nominated for three readers’ choice awards: the Saskatchewan Diamond Willow, the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice, and the Ontario Golden Oak.

  In 2008, in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the development of the culture of Ukraine, Marsha was awarded the Order of Princess Olha, which was bestowed upon her personally by President Victor Yushchenko. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario.

  Tuyet would like to add her thanks.

  Mom and Dad: Thank you so much for all the love. You have made me the way I am today. Also a BIG THANKS for saving my life!

  Index

  Page numbers refer to print edition.

  A

  Aaron, 60, 70

  adoption, 55–57

  airport, Saigon,

  14–17, 20

  B

  babies

  in boxes, 9–10, 16,

  20–22

  caring for, 31–33,

  36–37, 48–50

  backyard, 93

  bath, 68–69

  bedroom, 74–76,

  78–80, 98–99

  Beth, 59–60, 61–62,

  70, 85–86

  brushing teeth, 73

  C

  cameras, 38–40, 43

  Canada

  Toronto, 37, 41

  travel to, 36–37

  Catalina dressing,

  71–72

  Cheerios, 87

  chicken, 72

  Christmas, 5

  crackers, 61–62

  D

  Dad, 60–61, 66,

  88–91

  dolls, 25–26, 46–47

  E

  elevator, 45

  escape from orphanage, 8–13

  F

  family, 6, 58–61

  food, 61–62, 70–73,

  79–80, 87

  G

  grass, 67, 91–92

  H

  Hercules airplane,

  19–22, 31–34

  seatbelt, 24–25

  takeoff, 26–29

  home, 63–64, 66–67,

  80–82

  See also bedroom

  Hong Kong hospital,

  34–35

  I

  injuries, Tuyet, 3

  L

  Lara, 60, 66–67, 72

  Linh, 27–28, 31–34,

  40, 46–48, 52,

  97–98

  M

  Mom, 57, 85–87

  morning, 84

  N

  nighttime, 37–38,

  80–82

  nuns, 5

  O

  orphanage, 1–4, 47,

  49, 60–61

  escape from, 8–13

  P

  pilot, 23–24, 27–28

  play, 93–94, 96

  polio, Tuyet, 3–4,

  51, 57

  R

  rosary, 11, 25

  S

  school, 4

  seatbelt, 24–25

  so
cks, 69, 72–73, 75,

  79

  soldiers

  American, 3

  North Vietnamese, 23–24, 13

  stars, 38

  Surrey Place, 43–45,

  51–52

  swing, 92–93

  T

  takeoff, 26–29

  throwing up, 62–64,

  66–67

  Toronto, Canada,

  37, 41

  travel to Canada,

  36–37

  U

  underwear, 51

  W

  washing dishes, 89–90