Invisible Threads: Stories Connected by Operation Babylift

Help Preserve and Share the Untold Stories of Operation Babylift

What is Operation Babylift?

In April 1975, over 3,000 Vietnamese children were airlifted out of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. The first plane—even a U.S. Air Force C‑5A Galaxy—crashed soon after takeoff. Half the passengers died. Only a few of the orphaned infants survived.

These children went on to grow up across America and around the world. Yet very few know the full stories of where they came from, how they were rescued, or how they became who they are today.

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Introducing "Invisible Threads: Stories Connected by Operation Babylift"

Led by Devaki Murch, a survivor of the plane crash and adoptee from Vietnam, this multimedia project aims to gather, preserve, and publicly share the personal narratives behind Operation Babylift:

1. StoryCorps-style interviews with adoptees, rescuers, crew members, veterans, and aid workers

2. The Moth-style live storytelling event in Boulder, Colorado (April 4, 2026)

3. Modern Love essay workshop & zine showcasing adoption, identity, and longing

4. Gallery exhibit at East Window Gallery (March 15–April 15, 2026) featuring recorded stories, archival visuals, and public events

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It all started with the Operation Babylift Collection Project

We are preserving the hidden archive of Friends For All Children—a grassroots organization that helped find homes for over 2,500 of these children.

This invaluable collection includes:

• Adoption files, birth certificates, intake forms

• Flight manifests and crew logs

• Personal correspondence and photographs

With your support, we will inventory, index, catalog, digitize, and transcribe these files into a public archive—one that honors family privacy while safeguarding history.

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Why We Need Your Help

Your gift will fund:

• Interview recordings & professional editing

• Story coaching, event production, and gallery installation

• Zine creation and distribution

• Archival digitization and safe storage

• Travel support for intergenerational participants

Our goal: $25,000

Your contribution will help ensure these stories are not lost to time—and that future generations can understand this moment from the eyes of those who lived it.

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Meet Devaki Murch

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How to Support

Let’s lift these stories together—so no one is ever forgotten.

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Thank you for your support,

Devaki Murch

Founder, StoryScope Studios

Curator, Lifted & Operation Babylift Collection Project

Operation Babylift Collection