On This Day in 1975, a Bing Crosby Holiday Classic Heralded the End of the Vietnam War

The origin story of “White Christmas” is about as far from either of those things as one could possibly get. Varying accounts suggest that Irving Berlin wrote it a hotel in either Los Angeles or Phoenix—either way, not much chance of a “White Christmas” there. Regardless of location, the Russian-born composer told his secretary, “Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote.” A bold claim, but worldwide superstar Bing Crosby would indeed turn “White Christmas” into the world’s best-selling single of all time after recording it in May 1942.

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The song’s evocative images of a kinder, gentler Christmas (Where the treetops glisten and children listen / To hear the sleigh bеlls in the snow) struck a chord with audiences living during World War II—particularly those on the frontlines. More than three decades later, on this day (April 29) in 1975, Bing Crosby’s soothing baritone brought a different kind of comfort to a nation once again embroiled in international conflict.

How Bing Crosby’s Voice Signaled Peactime

More than 500,000 U.S. troops were fighting in Vietnam during the war’s apex in 1968. Additionally, those at home were split between protestors who saw U.S. involvement as pointless bloodshed, and supporters who believed war was necessary to stem what they perceived as the global tide of communism.

On April 29, as U.S. military personnel covertly prepared to evacuate the South Vietnamese city of Saigon, the Armed Forces Radio broadcast this message: “The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising.”

Next, military members heard Bing Crosby’s lilting tones gliding across the airwaves: I’m dreaming of a White Christmas / Just like the ones I used to know. The song played throughout the day. Unbeknownst to Vietnamese military, this meant it was time to begin evacuation protocol.

By April 30, the city of Saigon had fallen into the hands of North Vietnamese troops. But not a single American remained, thanks to the largest helicopter evacuation in history.

[RELATED: The Vietnam Era Soundtrack: 5 Protest Songs Across Genres]

The Vietnam War Spawned a Whole Generation of Music

Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” may have ushered in the end of the Vietnam War. But it was far from over for the thousands of Americans who had spent nearly 20 years fighting it.

In the 1980s, those Americans’ stories began emerging in songs like Billy Joel’s “Goodnight Saigon” (1983) and the Bruce Springsteen classic “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984). Due to the latter’s upbeat tempo, listeners often confused “Born in the U.S.A.” for a pro-U.S. track. To clear this up, Springsteen began prefacing live performances with the stories of men he knew who fought in Vietnam—not all of whom returned.

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