Honoring Heroism and Humanity

Flight to Freedom: Honoring Heroism and Humanity, 50 Years Later

Posted: May 7, 2025
By Hannah Pennell

Speaker addresses audience at the National Naval Aviation Museum event, with military personnel and veterans in attendance, American flags and military branch flags on stage, and historic aircraft photo displayed above.

RADM Lawrence Chambers, USN (ret.) | Photo by Zachary Blessing

On Thursday, May 1, the National Naval Aviation Museum welcomed hundreds of guests for a moving commemoration of one of military aviation’s most daring and compassionate moments: the 50th anniversary of Major Bung Lee’s legendary landing of an O-1 Bird Dog on the USS Midway.

Held in the Blue Angels Atrium, Flight to Freedom: Echoes of Valor honored the courage, leadership, and humanity that defined this extraordinary chapter in history. In April 1975, as Saigon fell, Major Bung Lee made the life-risking decision to flee South Vietnam with his wife and five children in a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. With nowhere to land and fuel running out, he signaled the aircraft carrier USS Midway—and history was made.

RADM Lawrence Chambers and Bung Lee pose smiling in front of a model aircraft carrier and a vintage Navy jet in Hangar Bay One at the National Naval Aviation Museum.

RADM Lawrence Chambers and Major Bung Lee | Photo by Zachary Blessing

The ceremony opened with a patriotic musical performance by the Blue Anchor Belles at 9:30 a.m., followed by a powerful program at 10:00 a.m. Keynote speaker RADM Lawrence Chambers, USN (ret.), who famously ordered the flight deck cleared to allow the Bird Dog’s emergency landing, captivated the audience with his reflections on the decision that saved a family and symbolized the best of naval leadership.

Joining him was Major Bung Lee, who brought warmth, humor, and heartfelt gratitude to the stage. Retired naval aviators CAPT Tony McFarlane and CAPT Ed Ellis also shared personal insights into that fateful day. Mr. Hill Goodspeed, Deputy Director of NNAM, helped frame the story within the broader legacy of naval aviation and refugee rescue missions.

Captain Tony McFarlane, RADM Lawrence Chambers, Major Bung Lee and family members standing together posing under the O-1 Bird Dog plane in Hangar Bay One of the National Naval Aviation Museum

Captain Tony McFarlane, RADM Lawrence Chambers, Major Bung Lee and family members | Photo by Zachary Blessing

A highlight of the morning came after the ceremony, as attendees gathered around the very O-1 Bird Dog that made the historic flight. In a deeply symbolic and emotional moment, Major Bung Lee, RADM Chambers, and CAPT McFarlane posed together beneath the aircraft alongside their families—a powerful image of resilience, compassion, and generational legacy. The sight of children and grandchildren standing beneath the plane that once carried a family to safety brought the story full circle.

Flight to Freedom was not only a remembrance of a single event, but a celebration of shared values—courage in the face of crisis, leadership rooted in humanity, and the enduring spirit of those who serve. The Museum is honored to have hosted this unforgettable tribute and extends heartfelt thanks to all who participated, attended, and helped preserve this extraordinary story for future generations.