40 U.S. servicemen killed in Mayaguez incident 40 years ago this hour (May 15 1975)


Video: 'Gerald Ford: Mayaguez Incident'

(Thursday, May 15, 1975, 6:12 a.m. ICT; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and Cold War) — U.S. forces invaded the Cambodian island of Koh Tang today and recaptured the American merchant ship Mayaguez in the last official battle of the Vietnam War.

All 40 crew members had already been released safely by Cambodia; some 40 U.S. servicemen were killed in the operation, including 23 when their helicopter crashed due to a mechanical failure.