Lionel Rosenblatt, a former U.S. foreign service officer who orchestrated a daring, unauthorized rescue mission to evacuate refugees from Vietnam at the end of the war, has died at age 82.
In 1975, as Saigon fell, Rosenblatt and State Department colleague Craig Johnstone launched a covert operation that defied official orders. Disguising themselves, forging documents, and bribing local officials, they commandeered small planes to transport refugees out of Vietnam. Their efforts saved hundreds of lives.
Rosenblatt later co-founded Refugees International, an advocacy organization dedicated to protecting displaced people worldwide. His relentless commitment to refugee causes earned him widespread respect.
His death marks the loss of a true humanitarian who put principle above protocol.