A daring escape: How an American banker rescued 113 Vietnamese civilians

In early April 1975, after the final U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam, Chase Manhattan Bank senior executives asked Ralph White, a Bangkok-based junior officer, to accept a daunting mission: serving as the exit strategy for the Saigon branch’s 53 Vietnamese employees. As the subtitle of Mr. White’s recently published book promises, he succeeded. What it doesn’t give away are the overwhelming barriers he faced and the smart, often heart-stopping ways he overcame them. Recently Mr. White chatted with Monitor contributor Erin Douglass. The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

The success of your mission seemed to hinge on several key behaviors, including taking responsibility. Does that ring true to you – and what were some others?

I guess so.