Marine’s Final Exit

Juan Valdez, the last Marine to leave Vietnam, has died at 88. As North Vietnamese troops closed in, Valdez was the last one to board the last helicopter out of Saigon – it’s a exit that’s hard to top.

A Leader to the End

Valdez was no ordinary Marine – he’s been described as a ‘model leader’ by those who served with him. It’s not hard to see why: the guy had the guts to be the last man standing in a war that was all but lost.

Valdez’s death marks the end of an era, and it won’t be easy to find someone to replace him. He didn’t just serve his country – he defined what it means to be a Marine.