Mayaguez Incident Tested President Ford's Mettle

By John J. Kruzel

Jan. 3, 2007 – Nine months into his presidency, on May 12, 1975, Gerald R. Ford was forced to take military action and deal with an international hostage crisis. President Bush recalled "The Mayuaguez Incident" during his eulogy yesterday at Ford's state funeral services held at the Washington National Cathedral here.

"When a U.S. ship called the Mayaguez was seized by Cambodia, President Ford made the tough decision to send in the Marines," President Bush said yesterday in his eulogy at Ford's funeral, "and all the crew members were rescued."

The incident occurred less than two weeks after the fall of Saigon. Naval forces of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia's communist dictatorship, intercepted the U.S. merchant ship SS Mayaguez off Cambodia's southern coast and captured the roughly 40-man crew.

The seizure occurred in a disputed section of the Gulf of Siam, with the international community recognizing the stretch as a free channel, and Khmer Rouge claiming it as Cambodian territory.

When the Mayaguez was seized, Ford called the act "piracy," and attempted to recover the victims through talks with Cambodia.

"We made diplomatic protests to the Cambodian government through the United Nations," Ford said during a 1976 presidential debate. "Every possible diplomatic means was utilized."

But lacking diplomatic ties between the U.S. and the newly installed Khmer Rouge, Ford's negotiations with the Cambodian combatants failed. He then opted for military intervention.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones, former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, said in an interview with the American Forces Press Service. "You can't allow people to attack U.S. flagged ships and get away with it with impunity."

Jones served as a captain in the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment - one of three Marine regiments dispatched to Koh Tang on the rescue mission - but he had left for Washington on military leave prior to Mayaguez's seizure and was not present during the mission.

"It's a strong naval tradition in the United States that when a ship comes under attack, that you're really attacking the United States," Jones said. "It's tantamount to landing in North Carolina, and there's a visceral response that comes with that."

Ford learned from intelligence reports that the Mayaguez was docked near Koh Tang, an island off the coast of Cambodia. It was believed the crew was being held on the island, and Ford committed to rescuing them.

"I had a responsibility, and so did the National Security Council, to meet the problem at hand," Ford said, referring to his decision to land forces on Koh Tang.

Ford responded by sending 16 Air Force HH-53 helicopters based in Thailand to the beaches of Koh Tang at sunrise on May 15. The frigate USS Henry Holt, serendipitously in the area, would provide support.

The mission was expected to be a rescue operation of low complexity and little combat. But Marine units and helicopter crews dispatched to Koh Tang were unaware the island was heavily defended by Khmer Rouge forces preparing for attacks from their Vietnamese neighbors.

U.S. servicemembers went in expecting 18 to 40 lightly-armed militia fighters, but instead they found a reinforced battalion of elite Khmer Rouge naval infantry.

"The helicopter landing went badly. There was only one landing zone, and that was defended," Jones said. "When they landed they were severely hit; it was a real tenacious firefight. The Air Force helicopters that were assigned were not particularly trained for tactical landings."

The Cambodians shot down three of the first four helicopters that approached the island; one of them carrying the Marine forward air controller team. The fourth helicopter was badly damaged and was forced to abort.

For hours, Air Force A-7 attack aircrafts providing fire support failed to find the Marine units, let alone support them.

After the first wave of HH-53s, a boarding party transferred to the USS Holt by helicopter seized the Mayaguez, only to find the ship deserted. The Cambodians, it turns out, had taken the crew to mainland Cambodia two days earlier.

Perhaps prompted by potential strikes from attack aircraft on the USS Coral Sea, the Khmer Rouge released the Mayaguez's crew, sending them out in a Thai fishing boat. Destroyer USS Henry G. Wilson arrived on scene and took the crew aboard.

News of the crew's recovery prompted politicians in Washington to halt offensive action, much to the chagrin of troops engaged in the operation.

"One of the mistakes that was made in the senior echelons was that once the crew was released, the politicians wanted to stop the landing," Jones said. "So you had half the troops on the ground, another half waiting to go in; it was chaos.

"Somebody should have realized that once you start an amphibious landing you just don't stop it," Jones said. "Once you've committed, you're committed until you actually achieve your objective and then you can have your ceasefire. But you can't say 'Hey, they're out. Everybody leave.'"

In response to frantic lower-echelon pleas, Ford rescinded the order to call off the operation. If the second wave had not landed as planned, the enemy might well have overrun all the remaining Marines on the island. Nevertheless, the Mayaguez Incident did not damage Ford's reputation with troops, Jones said.

"I think the decision to do it was absolutely correct and I think everybody else believed that as well," Jones said. "Marines are employed overseas and the thing they like best is to feel that they're going to be used and they're going to do something meaningful.

"Having gone through the fall of Saigon and watched (it) come down like a house of cards that same year, the opportunity to do something that was positive - to try to free the crew - was something that was motivating for all of us on the ground," Jones said.

"I'm not sure whether the landings motivated the (Khmer Rouge) to free the crew," Jones said. "But the desired outcome took place."

Members of the Mayaguez crew were especially thankful for Ford's commitment to their recovery.

"I got a call from the skipper of the Mayaguez," Ford said, "and he told me that it was the action of me, President Ford, that saved the lives of the crew of the Mayaguez."

"And I can assure you that if we had not taken the strong and forceful action that we did, we would have been criticized very, very severely for sitting back and not moving."

(Background information for this article was obtained from a Spring 2005 Air & Space Power Journal article by retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John F. Guilmartin Jr.)

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.

Pennsylvania Vet Receives Brotherly Love

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 3, 2007 – After Army Sgt. Pisey Tan was wounded in Iraq, he depended on others to do wash his clothes and perform his other household tasks. Now, thanks to a member organization of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, chores that once were menial duty are now a measure of personal freedom. America Supports You spotlights and facilitates support among private citizens and the nation's corporate sector for the men and women serving in the nation's armed forces.

"Homes for Our Troops," teaming with Philadelphia-based homebuilder The McKee Group, designed and donated a handicapped-accessible home to Tan on Dec. 14.

"I feel like I've got my independence back," Tan said. "I never thought that I would miss doing my laundry, but it feels great to do my own laundry again."

Tan, attached to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, was patrolling Samarra, Iraq on Aug. 6, 2004, when an improvised explosive device detonated under the Bradley fighting vehicle he was driving.

"When I made a U-turn, I thought an IED exploded in front of me," Tan said, "but I didn't realize it had (actually exploded) underneath me.

"I tried stepping on the accelerator, and I could feel me moving my legs, but I didn't know that my legs were blown off," Tan said. "I looked down at the floorplate of the Bradley and I saw a puddle of my own blood down there.

"The only thing that was holding my legs together was the seams of my pants; that was it," Tan said. "When I woke up at the hospital, I just broke down in tears, thinking, 'My whole entire life is ruined.'"

Tan eventually was fitted with computerized prosthetic legs, and underwent rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

John Gonsalves, founder of the Taunton Mass.-based Homes for Our Troops, and members of The McKee Group, told Tan while he was recuperating at Walter Reed that he would receive a handicapped-accessible home.

"He was kind of in disbelief," Gonsalves said. "He never imagined anything like this could happen."

Gonsalves was inspired to start Homes for Our Troops when he saw a story like Tan's on the evening news.

"I was watching (an) interview with some soldiers who had come back from Iraq, and they were talking about their convoy that was attacked," Gonsalves said. "One of their buddies was driving a Humvee that got hit with (a rocket-propelled grenade), and when they stopped the convoy to get out and check on him, it was an ambush.

"All they cared about was if their buddy was OK," Gonsalves continued. "When they got him out, they realized that he had lost both his legs in the attack, and that's really what got me to start thinking, 'How can I help in some way?'"

When The McKee Group asked Homes for Our Troops to locate a soldier in the Philadelphia area in need of a handicapped-accessible home, they found Tan, a native of Olney, Pennsylvania.

For Tan, who was unaware that programs designed to support wounded U.S. servicemembers existed, the gift was unbelievable.

"I thought it was a joke or something," Tan said. "I was very excited; it was an emotional rollercoaster."

In fact, it took time to convince Tan.

"I don't think he really believed us," Jennifer McKee, The McKee Group's communications director, said. "We had a regular lunch appointment with him every week just to make sure he knew this was really happening."

The McKee Group took Tan's needs into account when designing the Ridley Township, Pa., home. In addition to the fully stocked refrigerator and furnished living quarters, the homebuilders made the house's interior completely wheelchair accessible, to increase Tan's mobility when not using his prostheses.

"I'm loving it," said Tan, who is now living in his new home. "The main thing is that I'm able to move around with my wheelchair. Plus everything that I need is right here downstairs; I don't even need to go upstairs."

The McKee Group raised enough money to reimburse Homes for Our Troops for the $60,000 cost of the lot, plus an extra $10,000 for the organization's future projects.

"(The McKee Group) got everything done, and we got $10,000 more than we put into it," Gonsalves said. "I never thought that we would go into any project and raise more money by the builder helping us than what we put into it."

The McKee Group is developing a how-to book to help guide other homebuilders who are interested in providing homes to disabled veterans like Tan.

"We really believe that the men and women fighting in our armed forces are giving so much for our country and our freedom, and that it's everybody's job to make sure that they're taken care of," McKee said.

"As a company, we never could have given what Pisey (Tan) did, but we can at least try to make life a little bit easier for him," McKee said. "We can make sure he knows that this country supports him, and we'll try to be there for him."

Tan said the commitment of organizations like Homes for Our Troops and The McKee Group "is truly a blessing."

Tan recalled having conversations in Iraq with his gunner, former Sgt. Timothy J. Brophy, about the level of public support for deployed troops.

"We would wonder if there are even people out there thinking of us," Tan said.

"As time went on, I was introduced to a lot of the programs and to a lot of support," Tan said. "And it basically showed me that life can go on."

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.

Wyoming National Guard Assists Colorado Airlift Mission

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 3, 2007 – The Wyoming National Guard is deploying an air crew today to airlift hay to livestock stranded by last week's blizzard in Colorado. One C-130H3 was scheduled to take off for Colorado today at 1 p.m. Mountain time to assist in the recovery efforts, said Deidre Forster, public affairs officer for the Wyoming military department. The plane will give more capability to the Colorado National Guard, which has been using helicopters to airlift supplies, she said.

"We can drop a lot more hay with a C-130 than they can drop with a helicopter," Forster said.

The latest storm, which hit Dec. 28, dumped up to 28 inches of snow in some parts of Colorado. It was preceded by a storm Dec. 20 that blanketed the state with more than two feet of snow and closed Denver International Airport for two and a half days.

Eight National Guard helicopters were deployed to deliver food to livestock stranded by the deep snow. The helicopters also dropped military rations outside remote houses, where residents are stranded, and used Humvees and snowmobiles to deliver food, water and medicine to people in need.

The Oklahoma National Guard is also providing an air crew and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to transport supplies to people and livestock stranded in Colorado.

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.

Organization Revs Up Marine's Christmas

By 1st Lt. Lawton King, USMC
Special to American Forces Press Service


Jan. 3, 2007 – The magi here are stirring with envy over the gifts Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan Richards received in an Operation Gratitude care package. "This Dodge Caliber is yours," announced the first document he removed from the package after knifing it open in front of his fellow Marines.

"I was not expecting that whatsoever," the 19-year-old turret gunner from St. Louis said. "It was actually a car!"

"Don't lose it," one of the Marine said.

Richards continued to rifle through the contents of the box and methodically produced autographed hats, a DVD player, a flash drive, batteries, phone cards and scores of letters and notes from the home front.

Richards, a turret gunner with Regimental Combat Team 5's "Team Gator," received the belated Christmas package in the mail Dec. 29. The real present, though, is still awaiting his return to California.

"You have a lot of thank-you notes to write, my friend," another Marine bystander joked.

One of the notes informed him that several other gifts in addition to the automobile would be lavished upon him when he redeploys to the United States. He's expected to redeploy to the State in the spring.

"Wait 'til the fiancee hears about this one," he said.

Operation Gratitude, an organization devoted to promoting the well being of U.S. troops abroad by mailing them care packages, sent Richards their 200,000th package. They celebrated shipping the milestone package by loading it with gifts ranging from a car to tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.

Operation Gratitude is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program showcasing ways Americans are supporting the nation's military.

"We're excited for the Marine," Team Gator's 1st Sgt. Mark Massey said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Massey earlier remarked that the package apparently endured "some trial and tribulations coming over here," though it remained intact and unopened.

The observation seemed apt and layered in meaning. The Marines themselves had returned from a mounted patrol earlier without incurring any casualties.

"It was a cold one, too," Richards said.

After he had emptied the box of all its surprises, Richards expressed his appreciation, which was echoed by Team Gator's leadership, and the Marines.

"These packages make deployments livable," Richards said. "The support is worth more than anything else."

"A young enlisted Marine got something for keeps. That's awesome," Massey said.

Capt. Eric Dominijanni, Team Gator's company commander, acknowledged the impact of the gesture and its effect on the Marines present. "It really means a lot to know that people are thinking about us during the holidays."

Richards' package was one of 56,305 care packages Operation Gratitude sent during its 2006 Holiday Drive that officially began on Veteran's Day weekend and ended December 30th. The volunteers assembled an additional 1500 packages that they expect to send in January and February, as they receive additional requests, an organization representative said.

"This brings our overall tally of packages sent to 209,463 since we started in March of 2003," Charlie Othold, Operation Gratitude's director of operations, said. "We will have no problem hitting the quarter-millionth mark during our Patriotic Drive in the spring!"

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and military and police personnel who have become writers.