The Mayaguez Incident

Many historical authorities will say the Vietnam War ended April 30, 1975 when the last Americans hastily evacuated from the embassy in Saigon. However, there is a little know American conflict, interdiction and rescued that occurred roughly two weeks later in the coastal waters approximately 30 miles southwest coast of Cambodia affectionately named, the Mayaguez Incident. The SS Mayaguez a battered old hulk, black-sided and rusty from thirty-one years plying the sea-lanes had sailed the same route for about a year prior without confrontation. The route began in Hong Kong, travel to Sattahip, Thailand and then to Singapore. On May 12 1975, the Khmer Rouge using confiscated boats from the overthrown Cambodian government attacked the SS Mayaguez,

Many units were simply overwhelmed with the voracity if the Viet Cong and many units simply gave up and surrendered. Ultimately, the Viet Cong regained all the land they had lost when America had fought with the ARVN. On 29 April 1975 the US embassy in Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam at the time, force evacuated. In the early morning of 30 April, the last U.S. Marines evacuated the embassy, signaling all U.S. diplomats, civilians and military personal were all out of Vietnam.

With the ARVN defeated and on their own, the embassy abandoned and the capital conquered by opposing forces, the Vietnam War was over as far as America was concerned. Only 12 days later, the U.S. would be forced to defend itself a few miles off the coast of Vietnam and Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge, Cambodia’s communist dictatorship and foe of the U.S had captured and civilian cargo ship and captured the

Part 1, using eight Air Force CH/HH-53 helicopters, execute a combat assault on Koh Tang Island (reconnaissance forces reported the Mayaguez had been lead and anchored there), with 175 Marines in the initial wave and a subsequent buildup to 625 Marines, and rescue the crew that maybe found on the island. Part 2, using three additional Air Force helicopters, insert forty-eight Marines, twelve Navy personnel, an explosive ordnance team, and a Cambodian linguist on the USS Holt, after which the carries would pull alongside the Mayaguez and conduct a ship to ship boarding and secure it. Part 3, Provide close air support and area coverage against all Cambodian small watercrafts with Air Force and Navy tactical aircraft. Make naval gunfire support available and direct B-52 strikes against possible reinforcing mainland Cambodian targets.

On 15 May 1975, with hopes of coming in just before sunrise and giving the Marines assaulting Mayaguez the element of surprise, the mission began at 0725. Hours earlier the Marines assigned to assault beaches of Koh Tang were finding it much more difficult to obtain their objective. The helicopters were being engaged with heavy weapon fire. Of the first four helicopters sent in, three were shoot down or seriously damaged. Contrary to the intelligence briefed of a few lightly armed Cambodian militias, the beach assaulting Marines faced