, ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁air field ▁at ▁C ô n ▁S ơ n ▁became ▁a ▁st aging ▁post ▁where ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁government ▁officials ▁and ▁U . S . ▁advis ers ▁were ▁assemble d , ▁to ▁be ▁ev acu ated ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁war ships ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Fle et ▁which ▁anch ored ▁nearby . ▁During ▁the ▁last ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁AR V N ▁soldiers ▁were ▁def ending ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁hours ▁of ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁all ▁the ▁political ▁prisoners ▁at ▁Pr ison ▁VII ▁st aged ▁an ▁u pr ising ▁and ▁they ▁quickly ▁over power ed ▁what ▁was ▁left ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁prison ▁authorities . ▁They ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁Pro vis ional ▁Committee ▁to ▁govern ▁the ▁island , ▁and ▁organ ised ▁three ▁pl ato on - s ized ▁units ▁using ▁captured ▁weapons ▁to ▁march ▁on ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁AR V N . ▁The ▁political ▁prisoners ▁attacked ▁the ▁AR V N ▁bar ra cks ▁at ▁B ì n h ▁ Đ ị n h ▁V u ong , ▁Camp ▁IV ▁and ▁Camp ▁V . ▁The ▁AR V N ▁chose ▁to ▁run ▁away ▁instead ▁of ▁fighting ▁back , ▁whilst ▁leaving ▁large ▁quantities ▁of ▁weapons ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁behind . ▁Enc ou rag ed ▁by ▁the ▁news ▁of ▁South ▁Vietnam ' s ▁capit ulation , ▁the ▁prisoners ▁continued ▁their ▁march ▁towards