America’s ‘Last Days in Vietnam’ surface in Oscar-nominated documentary

In her latest documentary, “Last Days in Vietnam,” director and producer Rory Kennedy takes viewers on a 98-minute, riveting journey about the final hours of the evacuation of Saigon. Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, has chosen to hone in on a few precious hours that would shape the course of history and millions of lives. The sequence of events, including President Gerald Ford’s unsuccessful attempt to get congressional approval for more military aid to the South Vietnamese and the story of the U.S. ambassador on the ground who, despite being warned of the north’s steadfast advances, waited until the last minute to order evacuations, plays out in rapid-fire ticktock fashion, punctuated by personal stories of heroism.

I was blown away by the story and how dramatic it was.

Rory Kennedy

Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga recounts one particularly emotional scene in the film shows U.S. Army Capt. Stuart Herrington tearfully recalling the promise he made to the final hundreds crowded on the embassy yard and rooftop that “nobody is going to be left behind. … When you are in the American Embassy, you are on American soil.” Herrington was not able to keep his promise.

Arts last days vietnam