In the momentous days in 1975 leading up to the fall of Saigon, Ralph White, then a 27-year-old banker for Chase Manhattan in its South Vietnam office, was tasked with keeping the bank’s staff safe. But within days after his arrival, it became clear his true responsibility would be to evacuate the staff and its families.
White, the author of “Getting Out of Saigon,” his account on how he managed to evacuate 113 Vietnamese, will describe the events for members at Friday’s (Jan. 9) meeting of the New Canaan Men’s Club in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111Oenoke Ridge, beginning at 10 a.m. White’s presentation is scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m., following the business portion of the meeting.
Published by Simon & Schuster in 2023, the book is a colorful report on the personalities and events of Saigon’s last days before the city fell to the North Vietnamese and his role in enabling the bank’s employees to escape despite a prohibition against citizens leaving the country.
Novelist Nelson DeMille called White’s book, “An amazing tour de force and a stunning human drama set against the cataclysm of a lost war.”
The Men’s Club has openings for new members, men 55-years-old and above. For information about joining, email ncmens@ncmens.info.