50th Anniversary of Vietnam War

If you are a Vietnamese adoptee check our AVI FB group and news here for events related to the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War era adoptions (including pre, during and immediately after Operation Babylift) internationally. There is also a summary of international stories here and activities by Adopted Vietnamese International below.

AVI in Australia – National Event held in Canberra, ACT – 23 July 2025

A formal event will be held on 23 July 2025 at the Australian War Museum. Formal program here. If you are an adopted Vietnamese considering attending (we will have an after-event meet up with drinks and snacks and a small amount of funds for NSW attendees ($100 x 7 people depending on demand). Read more here

AVI in Australia – NSW QLD 30 April 2025, Williamtown Newcastle

Col Coyne, President of the No 37th Squadron RAAF, Dr Indigo Willing, founder of AVI, and Air Commodore (retired) Jack Fanderlinden, AM, CSC, AFC, Defence Attche, RAAF, pilot of the last flight out of Saigon April 1975 with babylift children. Event on 50th Anniversary of Vietnam War, 30 April 2025. Fighter World. Williamtown. Newcastle NSW. Photo by Chris Willing
Pilots from the Vietnam War and final flights. Right is Hugh Howell who flew one of the earlier babylift flghts. Photo by Dr Indigo Willing

Vietnam War RAAF pilots gather for Jack Fanderlinden’s talk ‘First Plane In, Last Plane Out’ talk at Fighter World, 30. April 2025. Photo by Dr Indigo Willing

11 April 2025 Talk for Australian National University, Sydney and Melbourne Campuses

ACU Friday Forum (2025) ‘Post-Traumatic Growth 50 Years Since the End of the Vietnam War’ Talk 3.30pm to 5pm, 11 April 2025.  Speakers: Dr Anh Nguyen, Dr Mia Martin Hobbs, Dr Indigo Willing and Chair Dr Mary Tomsic

AVI in QLD, Brisbane 1 April 2025

Photo of newspaper article from 2004 where Dr Indigo Willing was beginning her PhD studies on adoption following her completion of a MA thesis on Vietnamese adoptees. The article also featured Jen Fitzpatrick, a Vietnamese Operation Babylift adoptee who came out on a QANTAS flight via Bangkok. The pilot John Douglas saw this article and reached out to Indigo from AVI who connected him to Jen.

In 1 April 2025 in Brisbane on the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Operation Babylift adoptee Jen Fitzpatrick with the pilot who flew the plane from Bangkok to Australia in 1975 with Dr Indigo Willing, Vietnam War adoptee and AVI founder, and Mai Nguyn, a Vietnamese Refugee leader who arrived via boat post-war.

50th Anniversary Media Stories on AVI

Radio National and ABC Sydney Radio (2025). Australian Broadcasting Service. Operation Babylift and the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. Interviewed by Rachel Hayter. 30 April, 2025.

The Wire (2025) Radio 2SER. Interviewed by George Pople. 30 April 2025.

https://www.theverge.com/cs/features/651701/vietnam-operation-babylift-adoption-transnationalThe Verge (2025) ‘Out of the Fog’. Interviewed by Camille Bromley. 21 April 2025. URL: https://www.theverge.com/cs/features/651701/vietnam-operation-babylift-adoption-transnational

The Verge (2025) ‘Out of the Fog’. Interviewed by Camille Bromley. 21 April 2025. URL: https://www.theverge.com/cs/features/651701/vietnam-operation-babylift-adoption-transnational

SBS News TV (2025) Looking Back at Operation Babylift: Vietnamese Mass Evcation of Children and Babies to Australia. Interviewed by Alexandra Jones. Screened 7 April 2025. URL: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/video/sbs50-looking-back-at-operation-babylift-vietnams-mass-evacuation-of-children-and-babies-to-australia/h2m28br6s

SBS News In Depth Podcast (2025) SBS Looks back at the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam. Group interviews including Dr Willing by Alexandra Jones. Posted 6 April 2025. URL: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/sbs-looks-back-at-the-50th-anniversary-of-operation-babylift/rf7pufdkc

SBS World News. (2025) Remembering Vietnam War Operation Babylift Adoptees 50 Years On. Group interviews including Dr Willing. Story by Alexandra Jones. 5 April 2025. URL https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/remembering-vietnam-war-operation-babylift-adoptees-50-years-on/s7zpnmq8c?fbclid=IwY2xjawJfQKtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHnLPuIg2OZfRCOT4rMRki0VRj2AHoKhtKD7fIs9MTsTAMwQl4pdWH9wiwrCu_aem_Fr3MAc-zRUWjPi6-ANIXxw

The Daily Telegraph (2025) Interviewed about my Vietnam adoption research within a feature on Chantal Doeke. ‘Emotional Reunion after 50 years’. Interview by Adella Biaini. 4 April 2025