The United States, North and South Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed the Vietnam peace settlement in a silent ceremony in Paris Saturday and the cease-fire ending the longest war in U.S. history formally took effect on the battle fields of Vietnam at 7 p.m. EST.

Tank-led North Vietnamese troops smashed into the coastal headquarters city of Nha Trans Tuesday.

SAIGON, April 28, 1975 (UPI) - Gen. Duong Van (Big) Minh took over Monday as South Vietnam's third president in a week but failed in his initial plea to the Communists for an immediate cease-fire. Minutes later warplanes bombed Saigon's airport for the fiThe leader of the coup that overthrew President Ngo Dinh Diem 12 years ago took the oath of office to succeed Tran Van Huong. Minh addressed himself to the Communists: "Let us sit together and negotiate and work out a solution."

SAIGON, April 29, 1975 (UPI) - The United States pulled out of South Vietnam today and Saigon Government sources said the South Vietnam administration and the Viet Cong had reached agreement in principle on a ceasefire.

Charles McMahon Jr., 22, named "Boy of the Year" in Woburn, Mass., in 1971, was at home earlier this month, relaxing with his friends. Darwin Judge, 19, of Marshalltown, Iowa, was graduated from high school last June, joined the Marines, and was put in an honor detachment.

WASHINGTON, April 29, 1975 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger chewed and swallowed a piece of candy, picked up a black telephone and asked to be connected to President Ford.

SAIGON, April 29, 1975 (UPI) -- The death sentence was passed on the young couple's hopes over breakfast coffee in the quiet garden of Saigon's Continental Hotel.

WASHINGTON, April 29, 1975 (UPI) - President Ford told congressional leaders Tuesday that on his orders nearly every American has been evacuated from Vietnam without incident-an abrupt ending to nearly 14 years of U.S. involvement in that war-torn nation."It has gone well and there have been no casualties," Sen. Clifford Case, R-N.J., told reporters following a meeting with Ford. "I hope before too many minutes it will be over."

Political sources said the Viet Cong and South Vietnamese administrations reached agreement in principle to call a cease-fire Wednesday but the Communists raised two more demands before there can be a final truce.

SAIGON, April 30, 1975 (UPI) - South Vietnam surrendered today to the Viet Cong.The collapse came 2 1/2 hours after the United States pulled down the Stars and Stripes and left the country it had spent 14 years trying to keep out of Communist hands.

SAIGON, April 30, 1975 (UPI) -A triumphant Communist army riding tanks, trucks and captured American Jeeps took over Saigon Wednesday and raised the Viet Cong flag over the presidential palace. The Communist world hailed it as a great victory of historic The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops-jubilant over the unconditional surrender that ended 35 years of war against American, French, Japanese and South Vietnamese forces-seized Saigon Radio and announced that they have renamed the South Vietnamese capital "Ho Chi Minh City."

Ford's remarks were offered to reporters by Press Secretary Ron Nessen, who estimated that "somewhat more than 7,000 persons-roughly 6,000 Vietnamese and 1,000 Americans"-were evacuated from Saigon Tuesday just before the government surrendered.

SAIGON, May 9, 1975 (UPI) - I knew the war was over, but it didn't really sink in until I leaned out the window.

BANGKOK, Thailand (UPI) - Vietnam's national assembly today officially changed the country's name, made Hanoi the capital and inserted a lone southern Communist into the top leadership, Radio Hanoi said.