USAF 56th SPS / Rescue Operation ¨S.S.MAYAGUEZ 12-15 May 75' / Spectre Patch

USAF 56th SPS / Rescue Operation "S.S.MAYAGUEZ 12-15 May 1975 / Spectre Patch

(Original Vietnam war in-country machine-embroidered patch)

On 13 May 1975, the SS Mayaguez, a US merchant vessel, was fired on by Cambodian gunboats of the Khymer Rouge government of Pol Pot. The Mayaguez, a containerized cargo vessel, was seized and its crew of forty taken into custody and kept on Koh Tang Island in the Gulf of Thailand.

The next day, a US military aircraft were in continued orbit over and around Koh Tang. Cambodian forces fired on these aircraft ineffectively but hindered reconnaissance efforts. Three gunboats were sunk by American fighter aircraft to facilitate efforts to locate the Mayaguez crew.

The 40th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron and the 21st Special Operations Squadron deployed to Utapao, Thailand with 16 H-53 (Super Jolly Green Giant) helicopters to prepare for possible rescue attempts. The deployment was marred by the crash of one of the 21st SOS with 23 persons on board. No survivors. Two 40th ARRS aircraft were launched to rescue the crews of the Cambodian gunboats. The search for enemy survivors in the water was unsuccessful and hindered by ground fire from Koh Tang Island.

On 15 May, Helicopter crews were briefed at 2:30AM for take offs at 4:00 AM. The 21st SOS contingent with four 40th ARRS were to land on Koh Tang and drop off Marines to secure the island and rescue any Mayaguez crewmen on shore. The 40th sent four aircraft to the USS Holt with Marines to offload onto the destroyer for boarding onto the Mayaguez - pirate style. 

The Mission

The first two aircraft from the 21st SOS arrived at Koh Tang and land at 0600. After landing they were immediately subjected to a tremendous amount of fire from the surrounding jungle. Both aircraft were destroyed. The second contingent of helicopters came in and were also heavily damaged. One, Knife 22 was totally destroyed when it exploded 40 feet above the beach while attempting landing. During these first few minutes of the mission, four aircraft were lost and eighteen men killed. Throughout the day not another aircraft or life would be lost.

All but one of the 21st SOS aircraft were out of action. The rest of the mission belonged almost entirely to the 40th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron. Approximately 200 men were in danger on the island. More troops were necessary to secure it and wounded on the island had to be evacuated. Six Jolly Green's of the 40th made a total of eight landings on the island inserting more troops and carrying wounded away. Four of these six aircraft were badly damaged while shooting their way in and out of extremely dangerous landing zones. Three of these aircraft limped back to Thailand - out of action. One other, Jolly Green 43, had fuel lines shot out and lost an engine. It had landed on the USS Coral Sea under emergency conditions. The fuel line was repaired using a rubber hose and tape to return the aircraft to action.

Meanwhile, crew of the Mayaguez and the ship were returned to United States hands. The Marines on Koh Tang were still under fire and the order was given to withdraw. Four Jolly Greens from the 40th and one from the 21st SOS were all that remained to accomplish the task. Led by Jolly Green 11 the aircraft made several landings and egresses from two beaches on Koh Tang.

Jolly 43 picked up 54 men on one trip, still with rubber hose and tape to keep one engine turning. These landings were made in the dark under increasingly confidant hostile fire. Help for the helicopters came from AC-130 (Spectre) gunships and a 15,000 pound bomb dropped on the center of the island by a C-130 transport. The withdrawal was accomplished without further loss of American life. Jolly Green 11 made the last pick-up from the east beach and later Jolly 44 and Knife 51 finished the job by recovering the last Americans from the island.

The SS. Mayaguez recovery remains one of the most heralded operations in Air Rescue and Recovery Service History. The men of the 40th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron received numerous decorations for bravery and mission accomplishment in combat conditions. Awarded were 2 Air Force Crosses, 12 Silver Stars, 28 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 9 Air Medals. The resolve exhibited by these men had direct effect on the speedy release of the SS Mayaguez and crew.

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."

CMSgt Wayne Fisk (Pararescue) was directly involved in the famed Son Tay POW camp raid and also the rescue of the crew of the SS Mayagüez. When the Mayagüez was hijacked by Cambodian Communist forces in May 1975, Fisk was a member of the assault force that successfully recovered the ship and the entrapped United States Marines. For his actions, he was presented with his second Silver Star. Concluding the Mayagüez mission, he was recognized as the last American serviceman to engage Communist forces in ground combat in Southeast Asia. In 1979, he was the first Air Force enlisted recipient of the US Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Men of America. In 1986, he became the first director of the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall on Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex.

Special Thanks to: Don Poss, Jeff Petty and Dale E. Higgs

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