photo credit: michigan Productions
(FLINT, MI – March 21, 2025) – Retired Air Force Aeromedical Evacuation Technician and Flint Resident Phil Wise leaves March 26 for Vietnam and a 50th-year commemoration of an Operation Babylift crash that happened April 4, 1975. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency report, 78 of the 250 orphans, 25 USAF flight and medical crew, and 44 Defense Attache’ Office volunteers were killed in the crash. The gathering connects survivors for support and honors all who were lost.
Wise served as a medical technician in Vietnam and was aboard the ill-fated first flight of what was dubbed Operation Babylift. The month-long program, ordered by President Ford to evacuate the Ameri-Asian orphans at the fall of Saigon, rescued over 3,000 children. They were adopted by loving families from around the world.
Since the 1980s, Wise has attended the events regularly. In the meantime, he maintains his connection to the survivors and collects their stories.
Wise was the only surviving crewmember in the cargo hold. He was found there among the many who died on that floor of the multi-level cargo plane. Severely injured, he experienced a long recovery and eventually retired. He received the USAF Airmen’s Medal, for heroism related to the crash.
After his retirement from the Air Force, Phil graduated from Mott Community College and joined the US postal service. He appeared on the ABC News “Magazine 20/20”, shared his story in his book, “Fragile Delivery: Operation Babylift C-5A Galaxy Crash”, and became a sought-after speaker at events including The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, and the University of Michigan-Flint.
Wise is a local hero. After graduating from Flint Southwestern High School, Wise enlisted in the United States Air Force November 2, 1971. He is the producer of iMichigan Productions’ Veteran Narratives archival project, capturing the stories of Michigan veterans. Wise has a deep devotion to his family and still resides in Flint, Michigan with his wife.
Mayday: Air Disaster: Story of Operation Babylift, historic footage of crash can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy-e7kQJyK8
Operation Babylift: American Experience PBS, facts: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/daughter-operation-babylift-1975/
Defense Intelligence Agency, report/details: https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/566960/remembering-the-first-operation-babylift-flight/
