John Riordan (banker)
John Riordan | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Financial professional |
| Known for | Saving 105 South Vietnamese during the Fall of Saigon |
| Notable work | They Are All My Family: A Daring Rescue in the Chaos of Saigon's Fall (2015) |
John Riordan is an American financial professional renowned for saving the lives of 105 South Vietnamese individuals during the Fall of Saigon, earning him the epithet "the Oskar Schindler of the Vietnam War."
Efforts during the Fall of Saigon
In April 1975, Riordan held the position of Assistant Manager at Citibank in Saigon (currently Ho Chi Minh City). As the North Vietnamese Army advanced in the final phase of the Vietnam War, he was instructed to evacuate alongside other American personnel and was transported to Hong Kong.
Once in Hong Kong, Riordan actively pursued avenues to assist his South Vietnamese colleagues, who were excluded from evacuation and faced potential execution due to their association with Americans. Although he submitted several proposals to both Citibank and the US government, these were consistently rejected, and he received warnings to desist or risk losing his job.
On April 19, 1975, Riordan made a solo return to Saigon. He assembled 105 South Vietnamese employees and their relatives, providing refuge in his own villa as well as a nearby residence. To facilitate their evacuation via US military cargo aircraft, he registered them as his dependents, making ten separate applications at the evacuation center. Riordan left with the last group shortly before the Fall of Saigon occurred.
Acknowledgment
Citibank formally recognized Riordan’s humanitarian actions by supporting the resettlement of South Vietnamese staff and helping them find new employment opportunities. His narrative reached a broader audience in October 2013 when featured on 60 Minutes.
Personal details
Riordan is openly gay.
Publications
- They Are All My Family: A Daring Rescue in the Chaos of Saigon's Fall (PublicAffairs, 2015)