22 Gia Long Building

Did the 22 Gia Long Building always house secrets? Today, we stand before 22 Ly Tu Trong Street, once known as 22 Gia Long Street. This unassuming building holds a dramatic piece of history. It’s forever linked to the Fall of Saigon in 1975. The 22 Gia Long Building wasn’t the US Embassy. It was actually an apartment complex. It housed employees of USAID. The top floor was reserved for the CIA’s deputy chief of station. As North Vietnamese forces closed in, a frantic evacuation unfolded on the rooftop. Photojournalist Hubert van Es captured an iconic image. It shows an Air America Huey helicopter perched precariously on the roof. People were being evacuated. This photo became a symbol of the chaotic end of the Vietnam War. However, the photo’s caption was mistakenly changed. It identified the building as the US Embassy. Van Es tried correcting the error. His attempts were unsuccessful. The 22 Gia Long Building continues to stand as a silent witness to history. The city changed its name from Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City. Gia Long Street was renamed Ly Tu Trong Street. Yet, the building remains. It stands as a reminder of the dramatic events of April 1975. You can still visit the rooftop. Take the elevator to the 9th floor. Stand where history unfolded. Imagine the whir of helicopter blades and the rising panic. The 22 Gia Long Building whispers a story. It’s a story of escape, misidentification, and the enduring power of an image.