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SS Mayaguez
Call Sign KNIFE!
56th SPS, NKP / 21st SOS
23 USAF personnel were killed en route to the rescue.
Compiled by Don Poss., VSPA © 2001
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| As Air Force forces re-gathered, after the crash, Marines had time to advance to a staging area,
where controversy and anger swirled as to which service would smite the enemy responsible for setting in motion events that killed 23 Air
Force personnel, including 18 members of the 56th SPS. Tempers raged to near blows between Air Force and Marines... and was settled only when Marines
agreed to the demands of the 56th SPS that when boarding the Mayaguez--all enemy would be killed and no prisoners taken! Blood-vengence, slaughter, revenge... were terms of peace between Airmen and Marines.
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And then came the Cover Up... Lies... and Betrayal — by our own government!
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On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge Naval Forces seized the S.S. Mayaguez and
her crew of 41, ironically, the last American merchant ship to leave
Saigon. The Mayaguez Rescue Operation is well known today, however,
little is known of rescue efforts played by the U. S. Air Force 56th SPS, NKP, and their tragic loss of 23 dead.
Little known perhaps because of U.S. government bureaucrats' efforts
to disassociate 56th SPS early casualties of the rescue from
the rescue in order to reduce the true cost, as recognized today
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U.S. Air Force Photo, by Boyd Belcher
The Mayaguez Incident: "An hour after this photo was taken, everyone aboard this CH-53
helicopter was killed when it crashed in a remote area of northwest
Thailand. The passengers were all security policemen assigned to the 56th
Special Operations Wing, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base,
Thailand, and were to be a part of the assault force to recapture the USS
Mayaguez and rescue its crew from Cambodian forces on Koh Tang."
(Click photo for Photo with names)
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Click
Here for Large Photo with caption Names
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The 56th SPS was selected to to assist in the recovery
operation for the USS Mayaquez and effect rescue of the Mayaguez's crew
prior to Marines involvement. Their giant helicopter launched from
Nahkom Phanom RTAFB, en route to U-Tapao, at 2030 on 13 May 1975 with a
crew of five and 18 USAF Security Police. All onboard were killed."
On the 13th of May 1975, fifty-one SPS members were to join in the
recovery operation for the USS Mayaguez--fate had other plans. At 9,000
feet, the chopper carrying 23 USAF personnel overflew an area near the
Thai-Laotion border where two months prior another aircraft was shot
down. At that location, the chopper disappeared from the airfield's
departure radar and either fell or was blown from the sky, crashing
approximately 330 miles N/E of Bangkok and 40 miles west of the
airfield. Cause of the crash is still controversial: enemy action, or
faulty maintence--the truth may never be known.
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As Air Force
forces regathered, Marines had time to advance to a staging area,
where controversy and anger swirled as to which service would smite the
enemy responsible for setting in motion events that would kill 23 Air
Force personnel, and members of the 56th SPS. Tempers raged to near
blows between Air Force and Marines... and was settled only when Marines
agreed to the demands of the 56th SPS that when boarding the Mayaguez,
all enemy would be killed and no prisoners taken. Blood-vengence... slaughter... revenge... were
terms of peace between Airmen and Marines.
And then the
cover-up and betrayal. During the war years, body-count (theirs, not
ours) was the name of the game. Vietnam casualties were known to have
been medevacd to Japan where deaths were sometimes attributed to
unrelated causes, and not counted as battle casualties. So, when 23 USAF
personnel were killed en route to the rescue, the cover-up began. Why?
Reasons mentioned in the Bangkok
Post
were that Uncle Sam did not want Thailand officials
to know that a rescue of the Mayaguez was launched from their bases
without consulting them. Other reasons included curtailing protests from
U.S. Citizens by portraying a victory without significant casualties. No
concern seemed given toward the memories of the 23 Airmen and their
parts in the rescue. Betrayal of the spirits of the 56th SPS dead... was
easy.
The Pacific Stars
& Stripes (May 15, 1975) printed Official Claims: "A
spokesman said the chopper was flying from one location to another
within Thailand and was not involved with the U.S. military reaction to
the seizure of the container ship Mayaguez."
The controversial truth began to surface as printed in the English
language newspaper, Bangkok
Post
, which wrote: "Initially US Air Force security
units from Nakhon Phanom Air Base were to coordinate their plans with
U-Tapao units and seize the Mayaguez before the marines would have been
prepared... but then the crash of a helicopter killing all 23 on board
delayed matters."
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Last
person named on Vietnam Memorial laid to rest
10/30/00 - ARLINGTON, Va. (AFPN) -- The Air Force
honored 2nd Lt. Richard Van de Geer with a full-honors funeral Oct. 27, at
Arlington National Cemetery. Van de Geer died when the CH-53 helicopter he
was copiloting was shot down approaching Ko Tang Island, Cambodia, during
the USS Mayaquez rescue May 15, 1975. He was the only Air Force member
aboard the helicopter that carried 26 people. Thirteen were rescued and 13
perished including 10 Marines and two Sailors. Van de Geer's name is the
last name inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington.
(Photo by Staff Sgt Jennifer Gangemi)
Courtesy Air Force News Archive
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Read
examples of the official (cover-up) version and the unfolding stories,
in Headlines:
Article submitted:
• 23 GIs Die In
Thailand Helo Crash (Pacific Stars and Stripes, Thursday, May 15,
1975, Page-2)
• 23 Americans Die
in Mystery Crash (Bangkok Post, May 1975)
• The Truth behind the
Mayaguez Incident (Bangkok Post, Wednesday, May 21, 1975)
• Special Operations
CH-53 SEA Losses
• Final Combat: The Mayaguez Incident at Koh Tang
Read
e-mails from Airmen who were there
Check
out VSPA
• NKP
56th SPS stories and photos!
• Mayaguez stories and photos: Mayaguez
Remembered, by Charles Coles, CMSgt, USAF,
56th SPS
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U.S. AIR
FORCE CASUALTIES
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ON
ROUTE TO KOH-TANG:
USAF 56th SPS
KILLED IN CRASH
SgtJimmy Black
SgtBobby Collums
SSgtGerald Coyle
SgtThomas Dwyer
SgtBob Ford
SgtGerald Fritz
TSgt Jackie Glenn
SgtDarrell Hamlin SgtGregory Hankamer SgtDavid Higgs
SSgtFaleagafulu Ilaoa
SgtMichael Lane
SgtDennis London
SgtRobert Mathias SgtWilliam McKelvey
Amn.Edgar Moran
SgtTommy Nealis
SgtRobert Ross
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ON THE ISLAND OF KOH-TANG:
AIR FORCE KILLED IN ACTION
Rumbaugh, Elwood E.
Van de Geer, Richard
AIR FORCE WOUNDED IN ACTION
Bateson, Thomas J.
Corson, Howard A., Jr.
Dejesus, Jesus P.
Gross, Ronald, A.
Harston, Jon D.
Morales, Nick
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KIA
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WIA
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MIA
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Non-battle
deaths
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Army
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0
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0
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0
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0
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Navy/Marine
Corps
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13
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44
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3
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0
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Air
Force
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2
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6
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0
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23*
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U.S.
Total
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15
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50
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3
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23
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* Crash of helicopter carrying Combat Security Police
Squadron in Thailand -- [possibly] due to mechanical failure.
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