The 14-Hour War: Valor on Koh Tang and the Recapture of the SS Mayaguez

A hastily conceived joint operation to recover the American container ship, Mayaguez, and her crew that had been seized by the Khmer Rouge off the Cambodian coast in 1975 was plagued by inaccurate intelligence and a micro-managed command structure that extended to the Oval Office. This book focuses on the 200 Marines, fresh out of boot camp, sent in to rescue a crew that wasn't there. Briefed to expect minimal resistance on Koh Tang Island, instead they found some 500 heavily armed Khmer Rouge combat veterans. An intense battle ensued as the Marines held out for half a day against a vastly superior force before being evacuated. As a result of that 14 hour battle, four Air Crosses and a Navy Cross were awarded, 41 U.S, servicemen lost their lives and three Marines were left behind. In the valor demonstrated by these young Marines on Koh Tang, however, the United States regained a small bit of luster to a reputation tarnished by its withdrawal from Cambodia and Vietnam