Oct. 26, 1962 - A young man tossed a grenade today into a helicopter being exhibited in downtown Saigon. A South Vietnamese soldier inside the helicopter picked up the grenade and tossed it outside an instant before it exploded. The soldier and five other persons were killed and 38 were wounded. The explosion turned the crowd into a screaming mob. Policemen and civilians seized the young man who had tossed the grenade, kicking and beating him (pictured). He was taken away by the police, who said later that he was an active agent of the Viet Cong. A second youth was taken into custody a few minutes after the explosion. He was carrying two grenades. Later, it was announced that South Vietnam’s National Assembly had officially extended emergency powers to President Ngo Dinh Diem for another year. The action permits the President to continue to rule by decree.
