 Just before the break, Mickey was telling the dramatic story as communist forces in the Viet Cong were descending on Saigon. Ba Nguyen commandeered a Chinook helicopter, had told his family that when they heard the Chinook, it was time to go. It finally happened on April 29, 1975. So, Mickey, then what happened? Yeah, so again, morning of April 29, 1975, we got on board, and my dad quickly lift off in front of my grandma's house.