Chapter Headings:
INTRODUCTION
THE CAPTURE
THE COMBAT
THE RESULT

THE COMBAT

Eleven CH-53s arrived at Koh Tang during dawn on May 15. The rescue force was met by unexpectedly heavy, and accurate, ground fire. According to one of the pilots, the gunfire "…looked like a string of Christmas tree lights." Instead of meeting 30 to 40 Khmer Rouge soldiers, the Marines were opposed by about 200 heavily armed Khmer Rouge. In the event, only 110 Marines were landed at Koh Tang, while four of the helicopters were lost. The assault on Koh Tang took place simultaneously on the western and eastern beaches of the island. While on approach to the eastern beach, two CH-53Cs were hit by ground fire. One, s/n 68-10927 (callsign Knife 23), flown by John H. Schramm, was badly hit, and forced to make a hard landing on the beach, during which the entire tail section broke off. The crew of five and 20 Marines all survived and made it to the tree line. The other CH-53, s/n 68-10925 (callsign Knife 51), received a direct hit in the cockpit area. The helicopter crashed into the surf line, in waist deep water. The co-pilot, 2nd Lt Richard Van de Geer, was killed, along with 12 Marines. Lt Van de Geer's name is the last name on the Vietnam memorial. Another CH-53, s/n 68-10926 (callsign Knife 21), was hit while off-loading Marines. The pilot, John H. Denham, managed a single engine take off, but after skimming over the sea for about one mile, the CH-53 rolled to the left and crashed into the sea. The Flight Engineer, Elwood E. Rumbaugh, was seen to survive the crash, but he later drowned. While attempting to insert Marines on the western beach, s/n 70-1627 (callsign Knife 22) was hit by ground fire, and forced to abort the insertion attempt. The fuel lines had been hit, which meant that the pilot, Terry D. Ohlemeier, failed to reach U-Tapao (?) and had to make an emergency landing on the Kampuchean (?) mainland. Prior to the assault on Koh Tang, party of Marines boarded the SS Mayaguez, which was found to be empty. The battle between the Marines and the Khmer Rouge lasted for three hours before the order to withdraw was given.

While the battle on Koh Tang was raging, a small vessel was spotted by a US Navy reconnaissance aircraft. As it turned out, the entire crew of the SS Mayaguez were aboard that vessel. They had been released from their enforced stay on the mainland, where they had been brought shortly after their capture. But, after the crew of the SS Mayaguez had been returned to US custody, the problem remained of getting the Marines off Koh Tang. As it had been presumed that the crew was held on Koh Tang, no air strikes had been flown against the island. But now, an ever increasing air armada of USAF F-4 Phantom II's, A-7D Corsair II's, GD F-111's and AC-130 Spectre gunships attacked the Khmer Rouge positions on Koh Tang. OV-10 Broncos of the 23rd TASS, 56th SOW, acting as FAC aircraft, arrived during the day as well.

The Marines had to endure 15 hours on Koh Tang before being evacuated. Three rescue attempts were done before the Marines were finally evacuated by three CH-53s. When the evacuation was finally underway, a C-130E-I dropped a "Daisy Cutter" over Koh Tang. This was the last bomb dropped in anger during the Vietnam War. During the withdrawal, three Marines were ordered to cover the flank. Tragically, in the confusion which reigned during the withdrawal, they were left behind. It was only on the following day that it was realized that three Marines were still left on Koh Tang. Their ultimate fate is uncertain, but it is believed that one was shot after found stealing food, while the other two were bludgeoned to death with clubs.

The Mayaguez rescue operation was the final battle of the Vietnam War. More medals and citations were awarded than for any other single action. Four USAF CH-53/HH-53 crewmen received the Air Force Cross.

THE RESULT

The US forces sustained 41 killed, including the 23 that were killed in the helicopter crash on May 13, 50 wounded and three missing in action. The US Navy and Marines lost 13 killed in action, 44 wounded and three missing in action, while the USAF sustained two killed and six wounded. The USAF also lost 23 more killed in the CH-53 crash in Thailand. It was a huge prize to pay. No figures are known about the Khmer Rouge losses, but, presumably, they were greater than the American losses. Apart from the casualties suffered during the assault on Koh Tang, the Khmer Rouge losses also included several patrol boats. The airfield at Ream was badly damaged, as well as the oil refinery at Kompong Som. The loss of American lives were outweighed by the gains in credibility. The USA had shown determination, resolve and willingness to rescue American soldiers.

Shortly afterwards, the Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister, Ieng Sary, told a group of Americans, sympathetic to the Khmer Rouge, that the boarding and seizure of the SS Mayaguez was the independent decision of a local military commander. Poor lines of communications between the local Khmer Rouge military commander at Koh Tang, and the Khmer Rouge leadership in Phnom Penh may have been a contributing factor to the seizure of the US vessel.When the news of the seizure of the SS Mayaguez became known to the leaders in Phnom Penh, they immediately ordered the release of the American vessel. The seizure of the SS Mayaguez and the subsequent US rescue effort may have seriously impaired the Khmer Rouge military capabilities. Possibly, the Khmer Rouge attacks against Vietnam, which began in earnest during 1976, becoming more frequent in 1977, may in fact have been delayed by the Mayaguez incident.

Jan Forsgren

Sources:
Becker, Elizabeth. When the War Was Over. Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York 1986.
Ford, Gerald. A Time to Heal. Harper & Row, Publishers & The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1979.
Hobson, Chris. Vietnam Air Losses. Midland Publishing, Hersham 2001.
Kiernan, Ben. The Pol Pot Regime. 2nd Edn. Yale Nota Bene, Yale University Press, New Haven & London 2002.

Internet-
www.acig.org/artman/publish/printer_412.shtml
www.afa.org/magazine/valor/0991valor.html
www.dposs.com/nkp-56th-sps-mayaguez-1975.htm
www.geocities.com/lbarnett777/links.html
www.jollygreen.org/H53%20History/Tail%20number%20histories.doc
www.thai-aviation.net/accidents%202.htm

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