Speaker 1: My name is Trim, and this is Saigon, the story
Speaker 1: of my family and of the country that shaped us.
Speaker 2: The United States will not stand by and allow any.
Speaker 1: Power, however great ape over another time.
Speaker 3: Or.
Speaker 4: That's brought all the news.
Speaker 5: And land a bat eighty batle eighty battle.
Speaker 6: That could be no peace without justice, and facn be.
Speaker 7: No justice without peace.
Speaker 1: Chapter eight. By the time Joseph and Naomi reached Saigon,
Speaker 1: the North Vietnamese Communist army all he had the city surrounded.
Speaker 8: Is this.
Speaker 9: Is this the house?
Speaker 10: Yes?
Speaker 9: I thought you said it was opulent, Well it was
Speaker 9: once looks deserted.
Speaker 4: Well, let's hope someone's still here. Will you wait?
Speaker 9: Yes, just wait, thanks, he won't be long.
Speaker 4: You Sin Chao.
Speaker 11: I'm looking for the Tran family.
Speaker 4: This is their home Earth, this used to be their
Speaker 4: home American.
Speaker 6: Yes, I'm Joseph Sherman. I'm looking for my granddaughter. Her
Speaker 6: name is Trin. I wondered if anyone here had any
Speaker 6: news of her. Is there anyone here from the Tran
Speaker 6: family who I.
Speaker 4: Could talk to? No here now? No?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 4: Wait, wait wait wait, I have a photo? Yes, photo here,
Speaker 4: there you go. See do you know this girl? No here? Yeah, yes,
Speaker 4: but I thought someone might know something. No, but wait,
Speaker 4: I'm the America. No good tire, no luck. No, I
Speaker 4: don't think it's their house anymore. I can't believe what's
Speaker 4: happened to it.
Speaker 9: Well, that isn't how you described it.
Speaker 6: Monsieur Hue turn in his grave and he saw it
Speaker 6: like this, plaster crumbling and the garden overgrown. This used
Speaker 6: to be one of the grandest villas in the district.
Speaker 9: Oh, they're getting closer. You go, yes, go hotel first,
Speaker 9: then the palace.
Speaker 4: You mean the presidential palace.
Speaker 9: Yes, the Press of Auburn invited big men swearing in ceremony.
Speaker 9: By six pm, he'll be the next president of South Vietnam.
Speaker 4: What's the point that gunfire? That's how close the North
Speaker 4: Vietnamese forces are.
Speaker 9: I agree, it's deck chairs on the Titanic, but they
Speaker 9: still want to keep up appearances. I just have to
Speaker 9: swing by the caravel and pick up Philip Who manu, cameraman?
Speaker 4: What happened to Dar?
Speaker 9: He took a bullet in his arm while he was
Speaker 9: embedded with the South viet Army. They flew him out.
Speaker 9: It's like crop block British, I'm British, you spy no, no,
Speaker 9: no with press. Look look my card foreign press. Naomi Howell,
Speaker 9: British movie tone, Joseph Sherman, producer, Okay, thank you. Wow,
Speaker 9: it's getting happier. Com Moon is so blow.
Speaker 4: That still sounds a fair way off.
Speaker 10: Not blow everyone fight them no good one second?
Speaker 9: Better you leave, go home after the palace, hotel, caravel,
Speaker 9: then palace, then airport. Ten minutes then we'll be back. Okay, okay,
Speaker 9: pack what you can, Joseph, I'll be I'll be down
Speaker 9: in a set.
Speaker 11: Naomi, listen, I can't go tonight. Jer I came back
Speaker 11: to find Trin.
Speaker 9: You've tried. No one could tell us which unit she's with.
Speaker 9: None of her family is still here. Just just pack up.
Speaker 11: I have to go talk to the concierge.
Speaker 9: I'll be down in a minute. Ah, mister Trunk, good evening, Sherman.
Speaker 11: Good evening.
Speaker 4: Are there any messages.
Speaker 9: But your granddaughter?
Speaker 11: Yes, I'm afraid not, Monsieur, nothing at all.
Speaker 9: Sadly, my usual sources cannot help.
Speaker 8: Whoever.
Speaker 10: Guyan Tuk the obaman on the terrace, he was looking
Speaker 10: for you a little earlier.
Speaker 6: Why okay, thank you, Mercy.
Speaker 10: Duke Monsieur Joseph my best customer.
Speaker 4: My Tini later and no time.
Speaker 11: I don't know.
Speaker 4: Mister Trunk said you were looking for me?
Speaker 10: Yes, well he told me. You've been trying to find
Speaker 10: your granddaughter te Trin.
Speaker 11: Yes, what do you know?
Speaker 10: Please, Well, some of my contacts are a little closer
Speaker 10: to our comrades from the north than mister Trunk's contacts.
Speaker 11: So and what did they say?
Speaker 10: They said, first of all, asking questions about now is
Speaker 10: a costly business?
Speaker 11: Yes, okay, how about you? Yes?
Speaker 10: Unfortunately things have become very expensive in Saigon.
Speaker 11: All right, all right, Ah, what did they say?
Speaker 10: They said, she is with the infiltration ninth Brigade, who
Speaker 10: are advancing from the northwest. But she is in trouble.
Speaker 11: What sort of trouble?
Speaker 10: Well, the North Vietnamese Army were under orders to kill
Speaker 10: any villagers who didn't join the Communist Party as they
Speaker 10: moved south, but she refused to do that. Normally, refusing
Speaker 10: a direct order would mean a death sentence for her too.
Speaker 10: But then she's related to trans Van Kim and Comrade
Speaker 10: trans Van Kim is one of the heroes of the
Speaker 10: communist movement, so she's under arrest until they get to Saigon,
Speaker 10: and Kim can decide what to do with her.
Speaker 11: Kim We Kim is still alive.
Speaker 10: That's what they say.
Speaker 11: Where is he?
Speaker 4: Is he still in prison at it? Did he escape?
Speaker 11: Did they get him out?
Speaker 10: It'll take a lot more than four hundred dollars to
Speaker 10: find trans Van Kim, mister Sherman, of course.
Speaker 11: Well you've been very helpful. Thank you, Tuck. I hope
Speaker 11: you'll be okay when Saigon.
Speaker 10: Falls luckily comunist. Enjoy a drink too, mister Sherman.
Speaker 11: Yeah, I'm coming.
Speaker 10: Someone will have to keep running the bar.
Speaker 6: Well, make sure it's you, my friend. You make the
Speaker 6: best martinis in town.
Speaker 3: Hi.
Speaker 9: Are you ready? This is Philip Hi Hi?
Speaker 11: Yeah, Naomi, Nomi.
Speaker 6: I just heard about trind She's been arrested what she
Speaker 6: wouldn't follow orders, So they're going to hand her over
Speaker 6: to Transvent Kim Ho Chi Minh's former deputy.
Speaker 11: Her fate is in his hands.
Speaker 9: Okay, okay, So where's Tranvan Kim?
Speaker 11: I don't know.
Speaker 4: I actually saw him. Yeah, back in sixty eight.
Speaker 6: He'd been captured by the American army, but they left
Speaker 6: two years ago.
Speaker 9: Well, they probably gave him to the South Vietnamese Army
Speaker 9: and all their top brass are going to be at
Speaker 9: the palace. Oh, come on, come on, are you getting this, Philip.
Speaker 1: Even with the South Vietnamese government on the brink of collapse,
Speaker 1: a new president was being sworn in as though it
Speaker 1: was still a proud democracy.
Speaker 8: In an acceptance speech of delusional Grandeur, General Min is
Speaker 8: promising that as president he will be able to force
Speaker 8: a negotiated ceasefire with an enemy who has in fact
Speaker 8: already overtaken the entire country and is advancing through the
Speaker 8: outskirts of Saigon block by block. Even as we speak,
Speaker 8: the French and American diplomatic missions are about to pull out,
Speaker 8: and the fate of the South Vietnamese people is in
Speaker 8: the balance. Naomi Howell movie turn news.
Speaker 11: Cut, Well, perfect, let's pack up.
Speaker 4: How long should we give him?
Speaker 9: Do you think, big men? Six at most.
Speaker 10: Six months?
Speaker 9: No days, six days, Joseph, how'd you go?
Speaker 11: Well?
Speaker 6: I spoke to the chief of staff, but they've got
Speaker 6: no idea, none at all.
Speaker 11: Where's Tran Van Kim?
Speaker 6: I asked, and he just shrugged and said they've completely
Speaker 6: lost track of him. So he might have escaped, he
Speaker 6: might have been freed, or he could to be locked
Speaker 6: up somewhere. No one knows, so all we can do
Speaker 6: is try the main garrison. Now what, No, we don't
Speaker 6: have to the command barracks. Maybe someone down the line
Speaker 6: knows more than the generals.
Speaker 9: If we knew where to go, that would be one thing.
Speaker 9: But we can't just wander around and look. And I've
Speaker 9: got to get Philip out. I don't want to get
Speaker 9: another cameraman shot.
Speaker 10: Look.
Speaker 9: I gotta tell you what. Let's go to the airport first,
Speaker 9: get Flip onto a plane with all the footage, and
Speaker 9: then we'll we'll figure out what to do.
Speaker 1: Minutes later, they were on their way to the airport,
Speaker 1: but they'd barely driven a few miles when things started
Speaker 1: to go wrong.
Speaker 9: The brows block.
Speaker 4: It's like they're checking every car.
Speaker 9: Is there any other way there? No press, foreign journalists.
Speaker 9: We're going to the airport. An everyone go back. We
Speaker 9: have to get to the airport. No more black shots. Close, Finny,
Speaker 9: no plane.
Speaker 4: White hose?
Speaker 9: Alight, I don't draw.
Speaker 8: Where go?
Speaker 9: I don't know where? Where can we go to the hotel?
Speaker 12: No?
Speaker 5: Wait?
Speaker 6: Turn on the radio, Yes, find radio Vietnam.
Speaker 4: That was it? Did you hear that they're playing White Christmas.
Speaker 9: White's Christmas boy, it's the US Embassy's.
Speaker 4: It means an evacuation center. Way.
Speaker 6: Hey, we've got to get to the American embassy.
Speaker 4: How much further?
Speaker 9: God?
Speaker 6: What?
Speaker 9: Who are?
Speaker 4: Who is?
Speaker 9: People?
Speaker 13: I stopped you?
Speaker 9: No, no, don't. We'll give you ten thousand doll if
Speaker 9: you get us to the embassy.
Speaker 4: Look everything block I have, you'll walk legle home.
Speaker 6: No, wait, Naomi, it's hopeless.
Speaker 4: Leave our stuff in the car. Get to the embassy.
Speaker 9: Okay, Philip, Yes, got the footage, of course. Okay, come
Speaker 9: on and bring the camera.
Speaker 4: Come on, gotta hurry, come on.
Speaker 1: It took them another hour to get to the gates
Speaker 1: of the embassy on foot. It seems like all of
Speaker 1: Saigon was on the streets, desperate to get out before
Speaker 1: the city fell to the advancing Communist forces.
Speaker 14: Said stay, sergeant, sergeant, tell you the press. Joseph Sherman
Speaker 14: and Naomi Howe rinsed media. A cameraman the lad Yes, yes, from.
Speaker 11: The Okay, inside, you're presuering shuttle flights to an offshore
Speaker 11: carrier lines over there.
Speaker 4: Yeah, got it, thank you. I'm going to get these
Speaker 4: on the field.
Speaker 9: I'll joge camera, Josie, where you going?
Speaker 4: Go ahead? With your peace. I'll be back.
Speaker 6: I need to find someone who Mike Cia guy, he'll
Speaker 6: definitely be here.
Speaker 4: Everything's gotta go, like everything everything said to k Files
Speaker 4: you got it?
Speaker 6: Got it?
Speaker 4: Mike? Is this what sure?
Speaker 15: Joseph Sherman, Good lord?
Speaker 4: When did you get back a few days ago? What
Speaker 4: the hell for my granddaughter? She asked me to come
Speaker 4: get her and I don't know where she is.
Speaker 15: Well you won't find her. Now, get back out there
Speaker 15: and get on one of the choppers.
Speaker 4: She may be with Kim wherever he is. Do you
Speaker 4: know where Kim is? Kim tran fan Ki, Yes.
Speaker 11: Yes, the man in the White Room.
Speaker 4: You asked me to talk to him, remember, yeah, I remember?
Speaker 4: Where is he?
Speaker 15: I don't know. We handed him over to the administration
Speaker 15: when the army pulled out two years ago. They let
Speaker 15: him go, is what I heard?
Speaker 4: Let him go? Yeah?
Speaker 15: His guards were either bought off or they've been double
Speaker 15: agents all along, who knows. Anyway, they just unlocked the
Speaker 15: door and he walked.
Speaker 11: Out and went where.
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 15: Bullshit, I don't. Actually, there's been a bit going on.
Speaker 15: In case you haven't realized.
Speaker 4: Your CIA, Mike. You get reports from all over the place.
Speaker 15: I can't read them all.
Speaker 4: Well, do you file them?
Speaker 15: The files are being shredded.
Speaker 7: That's what we're doing.
Speaker 4: Now, what's trans ven Kim filed under t for tren.
Speaker 15: Okay, hang on, given ten years of my life to
Speaker 15: this shithole.
Speaker 4: It's all up in smoke.
Speaker 10: I'm a mess.
Speaker 11: I know, Mike, all.
Speaker 15: Right, if you really want to risk your life. It's unsubstantiated.
Speaker 15: But there's talk of a safe house just across the
Speaker 15: Newport Bridge. He might be using that as a base. Thanks, Mike, Yeah,
Speaker 15: good luck, buddy.
Speaker 6: Joseph Naomi, he's at Newport Bridge, I have to that's
Speaker 6: where they'll be taking Trend.
Speaker 4: You stay here, Joseph.
Speaker 9: This is insane. You don't know that.
Speaker 4: Hey, I'll see you.
Speaker 6: I'll see you back at the Foreign Correspondence Bar in London.
Speaker 4: Have that Martini waiting?
Speaker 6: Then?
Speaker 4: Can you open the gate? Corporal? Are you sure he
Speaker 4: opened the gate? The last chopper flight goes in three hours. Yes,
Speaker 4: there'll be no one here after that, I know.
Speaker 10: Okay, everyone excuse me?
Speaker 6: Oh stop, no, no, no weapons. I'm a journalist, you american, American? Yes,
Speaker 6: I'm a friend, not uh not army. Yes, yes, yes,
Speaker 6: there's someone I need to see a comrade.
Speaker 4: I want to get to Newport Bridge.
Speaker 2: What comrade?
Speaker 6: His name is tran Van Kim, Comrade Kim.
Speaker 4: I need to meet him. It's important that I see him.
Speaker 4: I just, I just, I just want to get to
Speaker 4: Newport Bridge.
Speaker 2: Why that bridge?
Speaker 4: Because that's where, because that's where he'll be. Can I
Speaker 4: just keep walking? Why don't follow me? If you want to,
Speaker 4: I don't care. Just let me go right listen American.
Speaker 1: Joseph didn't know how long he was unconscious for, but
Speaker 1: when he awoke, he was blindfolded and his hands were
Speaker 1: tied behind his back.
Speaker 7: Way name you American? Come now?
Speaker 4: Now, come.
Speaker 9: Night?
Speaker 2: So American?
Speaker 11: Where am I.
Speaker 5: Now?
Speaker 2: We shoot you?
Speaker 11: No?
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no, don't.
Speaker 11: No.
Speaker 2: How does it feel thinking you could die in the
Speaker 2: next few seconds? Him and tie him? Good Joseph, Hello Joseph,
Speaker 2: it's been a while.
Speaker 3: I'm so glad to see you, and the feeling is
Speaker 3: mutual one of me. In fact, your timing is excellent.
Speaker 3: I think you should come with me, please.
Speaker 7: Hob in.
Speaker 2: Where are we going through the Presidential Palace?
Speaker 3: Most of our brigades are matching there and now they're
Speaker 3: facing almost no resistance. I'd be watching there, but I'm
Speaker 3: not as fit as I used to be. Eight years
Speaker 3: of captivity will do that to you.
Speaker 4: Where is she king? You must know I am here.
Speaker 4: Can you at least tell me she's safe?
Speaker 3: Do you know what I miss most about those youthful
Speaker 3: days of being fit, Joseph.
Speaker 2: Not my balls, no, or the girls. I missed tennis.
Speaker 3: I loved that game, but I never played again after
Speaker 3: be that Frenchman in the Sagon Championship.
Speaker 2: It was a great match, Yes, it was something.
Speaker 6: The one time I met Trim years ago now, I
Speaker 6: told her about that game and how wonderfully you play well.
Speaker 2: Some days stay with us forever. That was one such day,
Speaker 2: and this will be another. You're a reporter, Joseph and
Speaker 2: a famous prize winning author. I'm told you should witness this.
Speaker 2: It will be in his zoric moment. Trust me.
Speaker 1: Inside, Comrade Kim was greeted by a large gathering of
Speaker 1: North Vietnamese Army.
Speaker 9: Commanders dun da but no.
Speaker 1: Together they all headed to the main hall where President
Speaker 1: big Men was holding his first cabinet meeting, which he
Speaker 1: now knew would also be his last.
Speaker 7: Ah Sagan, the revolution has arrived. Welcome, gentlemen, We have
Speaker 7: been waiting for you to transfer power into your hands.
Speaker 2: I'm afraid there's no question of you transferring power. General mean, you.
Speaker 3: Cannot give up what you do not have. Your power
Speaker 3: is completely dissolved. You can only hand over your unconditional surrender.
Speaker 3: The Communist Party of North Vietnam is now the government
Speaker 3: of all Vietnam. General Ming, we have prepared a speech
Speaker 3: for you to read on national radio.
Speaker 2: Yes, of course, arrest them all. What don't lie, heck
Speaker 2: Ming to the radio station. Some things really are worth
Speaker 2: a lifetime of struggle. I do not, Joseph.
Speaker 3: And as for you, this is for forty years, this
Speaker 3: is for our friendship, This is for my sister Lane.
Speaker 4: What do you mean lorgji.
Speaker 7: Han Lo Chifang dong da America?
Speaker 4: What wait?
Speaker 5: What?
Speaker 11: What's what's going on?
Speaker 7: Joe?
Speaker 2: With the comrades.
Speaker 3: They will take you to your granddaughter and get you
Speaker 3: to the American embassy in time for the last helicopter.
Speaker 11: Thank you, Kim. I don't know how to think, Joe.
Speaker 8: Now go.
Speaker 2: Joseph and don't come back.
Speaker 5: Boy Kin Wing sa I you know. General Yuanan, President
Speaker 5: of the Slagon Administration, appeal to the armed forces of
Speaker 5: the Republic of Vietnam, lay down their arms, you know,
Speaker 5: surrender unconditionally, beautifulces.
Speaker 4: Of the Liberation.
Speaker 1: On the thirtieth of April nineteen seventy five, after decades
Speaker 1: of pain and misery, Vietnam was finally free and Joseph
Speaker 1: and me were on that last flight out. I finally
Speaker 1: reached American territory and my grandfather had returned home. He
Speaker 1: died fifteen years later holding my hand.
Speaker 8: Now, wake up, San Francisco.
Speaker 1: It took years for Vietnam to change, but it is
Speaker 1: now a peaceful and prosperous country. I returned for the
Speaker 1: first time at the age of sixty seven. My children
Speaker 1: took me back in their own kids, my grandchildren.
Speaker 13: And this is the Gucci comes like turnal system. Lady
Speaker 13: and gentlemen used by the underground become fighters. If they
Speaker 13: need to escape, they could jump down here and see sy.
Speaker 4: Look the whole right there.
Speaker 13: It's a way down there, that's over here. Let's move on,
Speaker 13: Lady and gentlemen.
Speaker 9: Right here.
Speaker 13: The American had a special cop of men. They got that.
Speaker 1: Okay, Mom, I'm okay. I still feel young, but I
Speaker 1: guess I'm not anymore.
Speaker 9: Mom, Okay, just remembering just Remember.
Speaker 12: Your Clothes Captain fiber One Alpa post.
Speaker 10: Copy by by One Alpha All Claire.
Speaker 11: Are you happy, Trin?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 4: Mecho.
Speaker 12: Saigon is a production of Thoroughbred Studios, gold Hog Productions
Speaker 12: and iHeart Podcasts starring Kelly Marie Trann and Rob Benedict.
Speaker 12: Based on the best selling novel Cigon by Anthony Gray.
Speaker 12: It is created for audio by Greg Hadrick and Jeremy Fox,
Speaker 12: written by Greg Hadrick and directed by John Scott Dryden.
Speaker 12: Original music is by Sasha Putnam, with additional performances by
Speaker 12: Normgnir and Lettipic Cheer. Editing and sound design is by
Speaker 12: Elouise Whitmore. The series producer is Emma Herdon. In Saigon,
Speaker 12: the narrator Trin is played by Cali Marie Trann, Joseph
Speaker 12: Sherman by Rob Benedict, Lan Lenne, La Pray, gim Lam Visay,
Speaker 12: Paul Devereux, Philip Arditti, Jacques Devaux, Anton Lesser, missr, Hugh Arranteo,
Speaker 12: Madame Hugh Tiundu, Touit, Karon Barreto, Child to Wit v Yuen, Naomi,
Speaker 12: Kirsty Bushel, Gary Sherman, Christopher Raglund, Michael tensch Ian Porter
Speaker 12: Ho Chi Minh Kuang, Lock Todd, Richard Southgate, Henderson, Kerrie Schale,
Speaker 12: Philippe Philip de Mill, and the French pilot by Wallace Hammond.
Speaker 12: All other parts performed by Hou Kuonmann, Ci Rawlingson, Sotti,
Speaker 12: Pong Dang, Wallace Hammond, Antoine Urbez, Tony Yen, Nuin Mi Guo,
Speaker 12: Dan Baudienfuk, Fat Mang Mien, Ein lan Ang Fan A Dung,
Speaker 12: and Anthony Huang. The script consultants are Lucy Gray and
Speaker 12: Clarissa Gray. The script editor is Mike Walker, with script
Speaker 12: supervision by Flynn Holman. The producer in Vietnam is Fat
Speaker 12: Mang Mien. The studio engineers are Paul Clark, Vi Chan
Speaker 12: Jua Vu Kaka, Juan Martin del Campo, and Greg Rubin.
Speaker 12: The trailer's producer is Jack Soper. The executive producers are
Speaker 12: Jeremy Fox, Greg Hadrick, John Scott Dryden, Howard Stringer and
Speaker 12: Jason English