40 Years After Operation Babylift, Woman Shares Her Story
By Todd Quinones
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As Saigon was falling, chaos ensued.
Many desperately looked for any way to get out.
"People are fascinated by interesting stories," said Vikki Sloviter.
Vikki Sloviter of Wynnewood was one of the lucky ones.
The then two-year-old was among hundreds of orphans plucked out of Southeast Asia as part of Operation Babylift.
As the war in Vietnam was ending, it was a massive effort to rescue kids out of Vietnam and match them with parents in the United States.
"Many people I know say it was the right thing, you gave them an opportunity for a better life," said Sloviter.
Henry and Dolores Sloviter of Philadelphia adopted Vikki in April 1975.
Vikki considers herself fortunate to have been raised by two loving parents in Philadelphia.
She thinks about what her life as an orphan would have looked like had she not been able to escape Vietnam.
"I would probably have either become a prostitute or been married off to someone, or become pregnant at a young age and just had kids, worked in a patty field," she said.
Her story was featured in Life magazine in the late 90's.
It centered on Vikki's emotional reunion with humanitarian Betty Tisdale, the Seattle woman Vikki credits with rescuing her.
"The fall of Saigon is about to happen, she said these children can't stay here," she said.
"They orchestrated this airlift to get the babies out and they had to get cargo planes, they had to make up birth certificates, I mean it was this incredible operation and they did it."
This month marks the 40th anniversary of Operation Babylift.
"I wouldn't be here, many of us wouldn't be here if it weren't for people like her," she said.
Married with four children of her own, Sloviter is hoping Tisdale will get the recognition she is due.