As U.S. Exits Afghanistan, Marine Sgt. Who Witnessed Fall Of Saigon Reflects On America's Longest War

Forty-six years ago, what was then called the city of Saigon fell at the very end of the Vietnam War, as the last of the American diplomats, troops and Vietnamese people supporting the U.S. were airlifted out.

It was a chaotic and dangerous operation, much like the scenes the nation witnessed in Afghanistan over the last few weeks ahead of the final U.S. evacuation there.

Former U.S. Marine Sgt. Bill Newell, of Hopkinton, was among the last U.S. military service members to leave Vietnam four decades ago. WBUR's Bob Oakes spoke with Newell for Morning Edition to get his reaction to what's going on in Afghanistan.