SAN JOSE, Calif. – April 30, 2025 – NBC Bay Area will premiere Voices After the Fall of Saigon, a half-hour special marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, Saturday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. PT. The program will also stream on NBC Bay Area’s digital platforms, including Roku.
Hosted by NBC Bay Area anchor and reporter Gia Vang, the special shares untold stories of refugees, veterans and families affected by the end of the Vietnam War. The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, marked the collapse of South Vietnam and the end of U.S. involvement in the war. In the years that followed, millions fled Vietnam and neighboring countries, with many resettling in the United States – including in Northern California.
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WATCH HERE“Fifty years later, the impact of the Vietnam War is still deeply felt in our communities,” said Vang. “This special gives voice to those whose lives were forever changed by the war and its aftermath. It’s also a reminder of the resilience and strength of so many who rebuilt their lives, raised families and shaped the cultural fabric of the Bay Area.”
Voices After the Fall of Saigon includes:
- A profile of a Vietnamese refugee who fled twice by boat as a child before rebuilding his life and settling in Oakland to help run a family business.
- A conversation with the developer behind Viet Nam Town in San Jose’s Little Saigon, a city known for the largest Vietnamese enclave outside Vietnam.
- The story of a Hmong family who helped fight in a covert U.S. war in Laos and the challenges and triumphs of resettlement in the Bay Area for them and other lesser-known impacted groups.
- A roundtable discussion with Vietnam War veterans reflecting on the legacy of war, the process of healing, and concerns for the future.
- An interview with Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong, the first Vietnamese American elected to the board.
- A feature on NBC News journalist Vicky Nguyen and her memoir, Boat Baby, which details her family’s journey from Vietnam to the United States.
The special also explores how the implications of the war in the broader Southeast Asia region, including Cambodia and Laos, and how those displaced by violence became part of the cultural and civic fabric of the Bay Area.
In addition to the half-hour special, NBC Bay Area is featuring segments from Voices After the Fall of Saigon during its newscasts throughout the week, offering viewers a deeper look at these powerful local stories.
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About NBC Bay Area / KNTV
Owned by NBCUniversal, NBC Bay Area/KNTV is the Bay Area’s investigative station located in the heart of Silicon Valley. The mission of NBC Bay Area is to reflect the communities it serves and support its viewers through solution-based journalism that moves the community forward. The station addresses the Bay Area’s most pressing issues across all platforms, featuring the Investigative Unit and NBC Bay Area Responds. NBC Bay Area can be seen locally on Comcast 3 and 703 and over-the-air on 11 as well as streaming platforms NBCBayArea.com, Peacock, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube, Samsung TV Plus and Xumo Play.
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NBC Bay Area
