The event was part of activities part of the activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025).
The book "The Final Memos at the White House: The Collapse of the Republic of Vietnam" was published for the third time in collaboration with the ORDI (following its first edition in 2019 and the second in 2022).
The book discloses exceptionally valuable documents that help readers better understand the political and military developments on the American and Saigon regimes’ side during the final days of Vietnam’s resistance war against the US.
Through the book, readers gain detailed insights into the internal affairs of US officials in the final days of the war and the confusion and helplessness in Washington as the conflict neared its end. It affirms that the failure of the US in its war of aggression against Vietnam and the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam were historical inevitabilities.
The victory of the Vietnamese army and people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam will forever be an immortal epic of people’s war in the Ho Chi Minh era—cherished and upheld by current and future generations in the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The book compiles a wealth of documents, records, and internal memos from the US government—including classified notes, Pentagon Papers, and files from the US Department of Defence—offering a profound perspective on the collapse of the Saigon regime and the strategic failure of the US in Vietnam. This was a war that triggered the so-called "Vietnam Syndrome"—the deepest wound in America’s military and political history.
The first part of the book features original and formerly top-secret materials declassified by the US government in 2015. These documents revolve around the deliberations, decisions, and actions of top American war officials during the final days of the Republic of Vietnam regime. They include full translations of National Security Council meeting transcripts chaired by President Gerald Ford; memoranda, briefings, and situation reports on Vietnam; and transcriptions of telephone conversations between President Ford and the US Secretaries of State and Defence.
The second part presents unforgettable reflections and writings by several senior US generals who were directly involved in and commanded the evacuation during the final hours of the Republic of Vietnam. Many details are revealed for the first time in these accounts, offering readers a sweeping view of the chaos surrounding the American evacuation, as well as the bitter failure of US forces in their war of aggression in Vietnam.
In light of today’s volatile global context, marked by ongoing conflicts and shifting power dynamics, the book is not merely a retrospective. It delivers enduring lessons on war, raising fundamental questions about historical truth, how different sides in a conflict record and interpret the past, and the lasting impacts of war on people and societies.
Through the content of the book, readers can grasp the brutal reality of the war and the psychological trauma experienced by American generals and veterans who participated in the conflict. It reaffirms a profound truth that war only brings suffering to humanity. Therefore, the book is also a call to cherish and safeguard the precious peace we are privileged to live in today.
