ユナイテッド航空の旅客機から無理やり引きずり降ろされて負傷した医師のデービッド・ダオさん（69）は、ベトナム戦争の経験者で「サイゴン陥落よりも怖かった」と振り返っていることが明らかになった。
北ベトナムの戦車が、サイゴンにある南ベトナム政府の首相官邸の正門に突入した（1975年4月30日撮影）
BBCによると、トマス・デメトリオ弁護士が記者会見でダオさんの発言を以下のように伝えたという。
1975年のサイゴン陥落でベトナムを離れた。ボートで脱出して、恐ろしい思いをしたが、通路を引きずられたのは、ベトナムを出る時の経験よりも怖くて苦しかった。
ダオさんは9日、アメリカ・シカゴの空港でユナイテッド便に搭乗した際に、オーバーブッキング（過剰予約）を理由に、シカゴ市航空局の保安員によって座席から引きはがされ、通路を引きずられて同機から降ろされた。ユナイテッド航空は、乗員4人を同機に乗せるため、座席を譲ってもらう必要があったと説明している。
デメトリオ弁護士によると、ダオさんは今回の事件で重度の脳震とうを起こしたほか、前歯2本が折れ、鼻を骨折するなどして再建手術を受ける予定。ダオさんは、ユナイテッド航空とシカゴ市を提訴する意向を示しているという。
■南ベトナム軍に従事した過去も
ダオさんは、2004年にケンタッキー州のサリバン大学に通っており、大学新聞で紹介されている。それによると、ダオさんはベトナムのサイゴン（現・ホーチミン）出身。1974年に南ベトナム軍に参加するまで、サイゴン大学の医学部に通っていた。軍では薬学の教師だったため実戦に加わっていなかったという。
翌75年3月に北ベトナム軍によってサイゴンが陥落した際に、ダオさんは脱出するためにあらゆる手を尽くした。アメリカに渡って医療のトレーニングを積んだ後、1986年にルイビル大学医学部で4年間のインターン教育を終えて、エリザベスタウンの診療所で働いていた。
サリバン大学では医療衛生のために、料理技術を学んでいたという。
■関連スライドショー（ベトナム戦争）
ベトナム戦争の画像集
Fear(01 of38)
A Vietnamese civilian with a gun pointed at the side of her head. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
U.S. Troops On Patrol In Vietnam(02 of38)
After receiving a fresh supply of ammunition and water flown in by helicopter, men of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade continue on a jungle \'Search and Destroy\' patrol in Phuc Tuy Province, Vietnam, June 1966. An armored personnel carrier provides security on the landing zone in the background. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
American soldiers of the 173th airborne are evacua(03 of38)
VO DOT, VIET NAM: American soldiers of the 173th airborne are evacuated by helicopter from a Vietcong position 11 December 1965. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
VIETNAM WAR-B52(04 of38)
US B52 drop bombs over a Viet Cong controlled area in South Vietnam 02 August 1965 during the Vietnam War. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STF via Getty Images)
C-123 Provider(05 of38)
A US Airforce Fairchild C-123 Provider aeroplane spraying defoliants on dense jungle growth during the Vietnamese War. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
VIETNAM-BOMBARDEMENTS-298218(06 of38)
Photo prise le 08 février 1965 durant la guerre du Vietnam d\'un F-100 de l\'armée américaine larguant des bombes sur des objectifs militaires situés à une soixantaine de kilomètres au sud-ouest de Saïgon.\n\nPicture dated 08 February 1965 of a F100 of the US Army bombing a military target near Saigon during the Vietnam War. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STF via Getty Images)
Deadly Fireworks(07 of38)
American napalm bombs exploding in fields south of Saigon during the Vietnam war. Napalm kills by asphyxiation and burning and was first used by the US against Japan in WW II. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
Women Soldiers(08 of38)
3rd March 1966: Three young women from South Vietnam with rifles on their shoulders. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
Joining Up(09 of38)
circa 1965: A young worker from Haiphong in northern Vietnam shoulders her rifle after joining a self-defence unit. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images) (credit:Three Lions via Getty Images)
Hideaway(10 of38)
5th August 1965: Vietnamese children at play inside a giant concrete pipe in Saigon during the War in Vietnam. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
American helicopters carry reinforcement troops to(11 of38)
AN KHE, VIET NAM: American helicopters carry reinforcement troops to the battlefield of An Khe, south Vietnam, 25 September 1965. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
Vietnamese civilians to be evacuated watch helicop(12 of38)
PLEI ME, VIET NAM: Vietnamese civilians to be evacuated watch helicopters arriving at an American camp in Plei Me, south Vietnam, 01 November 1965. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
US Combat Unit In Vietnam(13 of38)
American army combat platoon leader Second Lieutenant John Libs (center) of 2nd platoon, C Company, 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, surveys the situation with his men from the relative safety of a watery rice paddy as they prepare to advance on a Viet Cong sniper position, Vietnam, mid 1960s. Libs and the rest of 2nd Platoon participated in the battle of Xa Cam My/Operation Abilene in April 1966 during which Charlie Company suffered 82% casualties. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
VIETNAM-BOMBARDEMENTS-(14 of38)
Photo prise le 08 février 1966 durant la guerre du Vietnam de F-105 Thunderchief de l\'armée américaine larguant des bombes sur des objectifs militaires et stratégigues situés au nord-Vietnam.\n\nPicture dated 08 February 1966 of F105 Thunderchief of the US Army bombing military and strategic targets in north Vietnam during the Vietnam War. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STF via Getty Images)
VIETNAM-WAR(15 of38)
North Vietnamese forces are ready for firing during a military exercice in Bach Dang, near Hanoi, during the Vietnam war, 19 July 1966. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STF via Getty Images)
Vung Tau Airlift(16 of38)
22nd August 1966: American troops from the 73rd Airborne Brigade carrying a wounded soldier onto a helicopter near Vung Tau in Vietnam. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
Viet Cong Advance(17 of38)
A Viet Cong detachment going into battle during the Vietnam War, January 1967. In the foreground is the body of a dead American soldier. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
VIETNAM WAR-KHE SANH(18 of38)
An U.S plane is burning on the Khe Sanh American base, as North Vietnamese divisions, operating out of the DMZ that separates North and South Vietnam, launch heavy bombardments of American bases, from January to May 1967, including Khe Sanh, the Rockpile, Cam Lo, Dong Ha, Con Thien and Gio Linh. (Photo credit should read CORR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
VIETNAM WAR-DAKTO(19 of38)
Picture taken 29 November 1967 of South Vietnamese soldiers defending their position on the Hill 875 as NVA (North Vietnamese Army) made a massive assault. (Photo credit should read ENNIO IACOBUCCI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ENNIO IACOBUCCI via Getty Images)
Senator John Mccain Is Pulled Out Of A Hanoi Lake By North Vietnamese Army(20 of38)
P368426 01: (File Photo) Senator John Mccain Is Pulled Out Of A Hanoi Lake By North Vietnamese Army Soldiers And Civilians October 26, 1967 In Hanoi, North Vietnam. Mccain\'s A-4E Skyhawk Was Shot Down By A Surface-To-Air Missile. Mccain Broke Both Arms And His Right Knee Upon Ejection And Lost Consciousness Until He Hit The Water. (Photo By Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images via Getty Images)
Viet Cong Gun Emplacement(21 of38)
Viet Cong soldiers dig a trench to be used as a heavy machine gun position during the Vietnam war, circa 1968. (Photo by Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Three Lions via Getty Images)
BIO NIXON-366746(22 of38)
\nVIETNAM WAR-25TH ANNIVERSARY: Picture dated 30 April 1970 of Republican president Richard Nixon announcing during a press conference the entry of American soldiers in Cambodia. Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 and re-elected in 1972 but had to resign in August 1974 after the Watergate scandal. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STF via Getty Images)
VIET NAM WAR-25TH ANNIVERSARY: A Viet Co(23 of38)
VIET NAM WAR-25TH ANNIVERSARY: A Viet Cong base being burned in My Tho, Vietnam on 05 April,1968. In the foreground is Private First Class Raymond Rumpa, St. Paul, Minnesota, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, with a 45 pound 90mm recoiless rifle. AFP PHOTO/NATIONAL ARCHIVES (Photo credit should read NATIONAL ARCHIVES/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
US Air Cavalry(24 of38)
8th April 1968: The Air Cavalry of the United States Army move from their command post to another landing zone during the Vietnam War, using American Bell Huey (UH 1) helicopters. An AP photographer is seen bottom right. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images) (credit:Terry Fincher via Getty Images)
Hill Timothy(25 of38)
US troops take cover from the Vietcong in a trench on Hill Timothy, during the Vietnam War. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Getty Images) (credit:Terry Fincher via Getty Images)
Jungle Marines(26 of38)
4th November 1968: US marines in the jungle during the Vietnamese War. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images) (credit:Terry Fincher via Getty Images)
Patrol In Jungle(27 of38)
4th November 1968: US marines on patrol in a jungle during the Vietnam war. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images) (credit:Terry Fincher via Getty Images)
Vietnam Helicopters(28 of38)
American helicopters hover above armed U.S. soldiers, preparing to lift them from combat back to their base in Tay Ninh. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images) (credit:Express Newspapers via Getty Images)
VIETNAM-WAR(29 of38)
While Paris\' peace talks are marked time, members of FNL resistance (from communist-led Patriotic Front supported by North Vietnam) crosse a bridge 17 November1968 in Laos during the Vietnam war which was extended by USA into Cambodia and Laos. (Photo credit should read STF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STF via Getty Images)
Picture dated 01January 1960 in Hanoi shows North(30 of38)
VIET NAM:Picture dated 01January 1960 in Hanoi shows North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969), the founder of the Vietnam Workers\' Party, signing the decree promulgating the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was a leading force in the war between North, South Vietnam and US forces during the 1960s. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
Peace Message(31 of38)
circa 1971: A large Christmas peace message reading \'War Is Over !\' from John Lennon and Yoko Ono on a billboard in New York City. The message, protesting against US involvement in the Vietnam War, is simultaneously displayed at Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles and at six European cities. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images) (credit:Three Lions via Getty Images)
Underground Arms Factory(32 of38)
An underground arms factory in North Vietnam, circa 1971. Producing weapons for Viet Cong forces, the factory has been set up in a cave for security against U.S. bombing raids. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Keystone via Getty Images)
American helicopters land at Khe Sanh base on the(33 of38)
BON SON, VIET NAM: American helicopters land at Khe Sanh base on the Laos border 01 February 1971 after it was \'reactivated\' following a Vitcong offensive in Laos. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
A Vietnamese boy plays with a gun in a street of S(34 of38)
SAIGON, VIET NAM: A Vietnamese boy plays with a gun in a street of Saigon in March 1971. (Photo credit should read AFP/Getty Images) (credit:- via Getty Images)
CAMBODIA WAR-DESTRUCTION(35 of38)
A woman stands among the ruins of her village destroyed by the Vietcong artillery on February 14, 1974 in Can tho during the \'Battle of rice\' in Cambodia. (Photo credit should read PATRICK CHAUVEL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
Vietnam War(36 of38)
3rd June 1974: People flee with their belongings from their homes in war-torn Vietnam. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) (credit:Evening Standard via Getty Images)
Ceasefire(37 of38)
5th June 1974: Despite the ceasefire, the fighting continues in South Vietnam. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) (credit:Evening Standard via Getty Images)
A angry demonstrator is arrested by a policeman in(38 of38)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 6: A angry demonstrator is arrested by a policeman in Washington 6 May 1971 during a protest against the Vietnam war. // Une jeune manifestante semble furieuse lors de son arrestation par un policier, a Washington le 6 mai 1971, lors d\'une manifestation contre l\'intervention des Etats-Unis au Vietnam. (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
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