Operation Eagle Pull
Encyclopedia
Operation Eagle Pull was the American
evacuation by air of Phnom Penh
, Cambodia
, on 12 April, 1975. At the beginning of April 1975, Phnom Penh, the last remaining stronghold of the Khmer Republic
, was surrounded by the Khmer Rouge
and totally dependent on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport. With a Khmer Rouge victory imminent, the United States made contingency plans for the evacuation of US nationals and at-risk Cambodians by helicopter to ships in the Gulf of Thailand
. Operation Eagle Pull took place on the morning of 12 April 1975 and was a tactical success carried out without any loss of life. On 17 April 1975 the Khmer Republic collapsed and the Khmer Rouge occupied Phnom Penh.
, a United States supported military-led government, controlled only the Phnom Penh area and a string of towns along the Mekong River that provided the crucial supply route for food and munitions coming upriver from South Vietnam
. As part of their 1975 dry season offensive, rather than renewing their frontal attacks on Phnom Penh, the Khmer Rouge
set out to cut off the crucial Mekong supply route. On 12 January 1975 the Khmer Rouge attacked Neak Luong, a key Khmer National Armed Forces
(FANK) defensive outpost on the Mekong. On 27 January, seven ships limped into Phnom Penh, the survivors of a 16 ship convoy that had come under attack over the 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) journey from the South Vietnamese border. On 3 February a convoy heading downriver hit naval mine
s laid by the Khmer Rouge at Phu My approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi) from Phnom Penh. The FANK Navy had mine-sweeping capability, but due to the Khmer Rouge control of the riverbanks mine-sweeping was impossible or at best extremely costly. The FANK Navy had lost a quarter of its ships, and 70 percent of its sailors had been killed or wounded.
By 17 February, the Khmer Republic abandoned attempts to reopen the Mekong supply line. In future, all supplies for Phnom Penh would have to come in by air to Pochentong Airport. The United States quickly mobilised an airlift of food, fuel and ammunition into Phnom Penh, but as US support for the Khmer Republic was limited by the Case–Church Amendment, BirdAir
, a company under contract to the US Government, controlled the airlift with a mixed fleet of C-130 and DC-8 planes, flying 20 times a day into Pochentong.
On 5 March, Khmer Rouge artillery at Toul Leap, north-west of Phnom Penh, shelled Pochentong Airport, but FANK troops recaptured Toul Leap on 15 March and ended the shelling. Khmer Rouge forces continued to close in on the north and west of the city and were soon able to fire on Pochentong again. On 22 March rockets hit two supply aircraft, forcing the US Embassy to announce on 23 March a suspension of the airlift until the security situation improved. The Embassy, realising that the Khmer Republic would soon collapse without supplies, reversed the suspension on 24 March and increased the number of aircraft available for the airlift. On 1 April the Khmer Rouge overran Neak Luong and Ban-am, the last remaining FANK positions on the Mekong. The Khmer Rouge could now concentrate all their forces on Phnom Penh. Premier Lon Nol
resigned that day and went into exile; the final collapse of the Khmer Republic was imminent.
forces closed in on Phnom Penh, starting as early as 1973. On 27 June 1973 the Seventh Air Force
published Contingency Plan 5060C Eagle Pull covering the evacuation of Phnom Penh. Conplan 5060C had three options:
Option 3 was later revised to provide for the use of USMC
helicopters together with USAF helicopters based in Thailand, and for the ground security force to be made up of marines rather than air force security police. The LZs were to be adjacent to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.
On 6 January 1975, CINCPAC placed the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit
on 96-hour alert to move the evacuation fleet into position off Kampong Som (previously Sihanoukville
) in the Gulf of Thailand for the implementation of Operation Eagle Pull. On 6 February the reaction time was reduced to 48 hours, meaning that the evacuation fleet had to maintain a 48 hour cruising radius from Kampong Som. This was further reduced on 28 February to 24 hours, effectively meaning that the fleet had to remain within the Gulf of Thailand
.
On 21 March the Embassy predicted there would be 3,600 evacuees, far exceeding the original estimate of approximately 400. This necessitated the development of a new evacuation plan whereby Marines would secure Pochentong Airport, while helicopters would ferry evacuees from central Phnom Penh to Pochentong from where they would be flown on C-130 planes to Thailand. However, this plan was quickly overtaken by events as the supply C-130s coming into Pochentong were used for evacuees on the return journey, quickly reducing the number of evacuees that would need to be moved in a final evacuation.
On 3 April, given the deterioration in the defences around Phnom Penh, Ambassador John Gunther Dean
requested the deployment of the 10 man Operation Eagle Pull command element which landed at Pochentong on a BirdAir C-130 plane. The command element supervised the ongoing fixed-wing evacuation of more than 750 Cambodians over the next seven days in the face of 80–90 rounds of 105 mm artillery and 107 mm rocket fire each day. By 10 April Khmer Rouge fire had become so heavy that the fixed-wing evacuation was ended.
The command group then turned its attention to the selection of helicopter landing zones for the evacuation. As the Khmer Rouge controlled the east bank of the Mekong opposite Phnom Penh, the command group selected LZ Hotel, a soccer field about 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) north east of the embassy. Masked from the river by a row of apartment buildings, this LZ could not be interdicted by direct fire weapons, making it the safest location. The embassy staff prepared to leave on 11 April, but the evacuation was delayed until the following day in order to allow the USS Hancock
to join the evacuation fleet off Kampong Som.
Task Group 76.4 (Movement Transport Group Alpha)
Escort ships for naval gunfire, escort, and area defense:
On 17 March the Joint Chiefs of Staff
, concerned that one Marine helicopter squadron was insufficient for the evacuation, ordered that the USS Hancock
offload its air wing and proceed to Pearl Harbor
. On 26 March Marine Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron HMH-463
comprising 25 CH-53, CH-46, AH-1J and UH-1E helicopters embarked on the Hancock and it proceeded to Subic Bay
. After taking on more helicopters at Subic Bay, Hancock was temporarily assigned to Amphibious Ready Group Bravo, standing by off Vung Tau
, South Vietnam, but on 11 April she joined Amphibious Ready Group Alpha in the Gulf of Thailand. The marine evacuation contingent comprised one battalion landing team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
(2/4).
As the Khmer Rouge had no air force and only limited anti-aircraft
capability, no fleet air cover was necessary, but the evacuation was supported by USAF aircraft based in Thailand. It was suspected that the Khmer Rouge might possess SA-7 shoulder-launched surface to air missiles and so the evacuation helicopters were painted with infra-red low-reflective paint and equipped with ALE-29 flare dispensers.
At 07:30 Ambassador Dean notified the acting Cambodian Chief of State, Prime Minister Long Boret
and other Cambodian leaders including Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak
, that the Americans would officially leave the country within the next few hours and asked if any desired evacuation in which case they should be at the embassy by 09:30 for evacuation. All declined except for Saukham Khoy, successor to Lon Nol as President of the Khmer Republic, who left without telling his fellow leaders. Prince Sirik Matak, a former Prime Minister and a driving force behind the formation of the Khmer Republic rejected the offer of evacuation and said to Ambassador Dean that "I have committed this mistake of believing in you, the Americans."
The 10 man command group proceeded to drive vehicles to LZ Hotel, purposely disabling them to block vehicle access from any part of the city, other than the road from the embassy to the LZ. The command group then proceeded to make contact with King Bird, an orbiting HC-130
plane of the 56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
, that would control the flow of the helicopters.
At 07:43 the first group of helicopters crossed the Cambodian coastline and about one hour later, after traversing 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) of hostile territory, the initial wave set down on LZ Hotel and the marines quickly established a defensive perimeter. Large crowds of Cambodians soon gathered, more out of curiosity rather than to interfere. Having established the perimeter defense, the marines began the process of moving the crowds back in order to keep the LZ clear and then began moving the evacuee groups to the waiting CH-53 helicopters. As LZ Hotel could only hold three CH-53s at any time, flights arriving after the initial build-up had to be held at Point Oscar, some 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) south of Phnom Penh until called in by King Bird. The evacuation proceeded smoothly although the number of evacuees was substantially less than anticipated. The last estimate indicated there would be 590 evacuees, 146 Americans and 444 Cambodians and third country nationals. HMH-462 evacuated 84 Americans and 205 Cambodians and third country nationals.
At 09:45, the US Embassy closed. There would be no diplomatic relations between the US and Cambodia again until 11 November 1991. By 10:41 all the evacuees including Ambassador Dean and President Saukham Khoy had been lifted out by helicopters of HMH-462. Helicopters of HMH-463 operating from the Hancock then began to land to extract the ground security force.
At approximately 10:50, 107 mm rocket fire began impacting in the vicinity of LZ Hotel. Less than 10 minutes later, the LZ also received 82 mm mortar fire. As soon as the Khmer Rouge fire commenced, the controllers in the zone notified the Air Force forward air controllers (FACs) flying overhead in 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10s. The FACs immediately made low passes over the east bank of the Mekong, but could not spot any fire coming from known enemy positions in that location. At 10:59, the last element of 2nd Battalion 4th Marines left the zone and the last marine helicopter landed on the Okinawa at 12:15.
At 11:15, two USAF HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giants, from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, as scheduled, extracted the Eagle Pull command element. Small arms fire during the final extraction caused minimal damage to the first aircraft, but a 12.7 millimetre (0.5 in) machine gun round hit the second helicopter's tail rotor as it climbed out of the zone. Despite severe vibrations the helicopter made it safely back to Ubon Air Base in Thailand. At 14:50 an HMH-462 CH-53 launched from the Okinawa to carry Ambassador Dean to U-Tapao Air Base
in Thailand.
On 13 April, the evacuees were flown to U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand on HMH-462 helicopters and Amphibious Ready Group Alpha proceeded to the South China Sea to rendezvous with Task Force 76 as it stood by to implement Operation Frequent Wind
, the evacuation of Saigon.
observed in his Vietnam War memoir that the Ford Administration
was astonished and shamed by the fact that top Cambodian officials refused to leave the country. These included Premier Long Boret
and Lon Non
, the Prime Minister's brother, both of whom were on the Khmer Rouge's advertised death list.
On 17 April 1975 the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh bringing the Cambodian Civil War
to an end. Long Boret, Lon Non and other top officials of the Khmer Republic Government were executed at the Cercle Sportif, while FANK
troops in the city were disarmed, taken to the Olympic Stadium and executed.
For 2nd Battalion 4th Marines and Amphibious Ready Group Alpha, Operation Eagle Pull served as a small-scale dress rehearsal for the more complex Operation Frequent Wind 17 days later.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
evacuation by air of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, on 12 April, 1975. At the beginning of April 1975, Phnom Penh, the last remaining stronghold of the Khmer Republic
Khmer Republic
The Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October...
, was surrounded by the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
and totally dependent on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport. With a Khmer Rouge victory imminent, the United States made contingency plans for the evacuation of US nationals and at-risk Cambodians by helicopter to ships in the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
. Operation Eagle Pull took place on the morning of 12 April 1975 and was a tactical success carried out without any loss of life. On 17 April 1975 the Khmer Republic collapsed and the Khmer Rouge occupied Phnom Penh.
Strangulation of Phnom Penh
At the beginning of 1975 the Khmer RepublicKhmer Republic
The Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October...
, a United States supported military-led government, controlled only the Phnom Penh area and a string of towns along the Mekong River that provided the crucial supply route for food and munitions coming upriver from South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. As part of their 1975 dry season offensive, rather than renewing their frontal attacks on Phnom Penh, the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
set out to cut off the crucial Mekong supply route. On 12 January 1975 the Khmer Rouge attacked Neak Luong, a key Khmer National Armed Forces
Khmer National Armed Forces
The Khmer National Armed Forces , often abbreviated to FANK, were the official armed defense forces of the Khmer Republic, a short-lived state that existed from 1970 to 1975, known today as Cambodia...
(FANK) defensive outpost on the Mekong. On 27 January, seven ships limped into Phnom Penh, the survivors of a 16 ship convoy that had come under attack over the 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) journey from the South Vietnamese border. On 3 February a convoy heading downriver hit naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s laid by the Khmer Rouge at Phu My approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi) from Phnom Penh. The FANK Navy had mine-sweeping capability, but due to the Khmer Rouge control of the riverbanks mine-sweeping was impossible or at best extremely costly. The FANK Navy had lost a quarter of its ships, and 70 percent of its sailors had been killed or wounded.
By 17 February, the Khmer Republic abandoned attempts to reopen the Mekong supply line. In future, all supplies for Phnom Penh would have to come in by air to Pochentong Airport. The United States quickly mobilised an airlift of food, fuel and ammunition into Phnom Penh, but as US support for the Khmer Republic was limited by the Case–Church Amendment, BirdAir
BirdAir
BirdAir was an airline owned by the construction company Bird & Sons, Inc which served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.Bird & Sons, Inc was a San Francisco heavy construction company operating in Vietnam and Laos....
, a company under contract to the US Government, controlled the airlift with a mixed fleet of C-130 and DC-8 planes, flying 20 times a day into Pochentong.
On 5 March, Khmer Rouge artillery at Toul Leap, north-west of Phnom Penh, shelled Pochentong Airport, but FANK troops recaptured Toul Leap on 15 March and ended the shelling. Khmer Rouge forces continued to close in on the north and west of the city and were soon able to fire on Pochentong again. On 22 March rockets hit two supply aircraft, forcing the US Embassy to announce on 23 March a suspension of the airlift until the security situation improved. The Embassy, realising that the Khmer Republic would soon collapse without supplies, reversed the suspension on 24 March and increased the number of aircraft available for the airlift. On 1 April the Khmer Rouge overran Neak Luong and Ban-am, the last remaining FANK positions on the Mekong. The Khmer Rouge could now concentrate all their forces on Phnom Penh. Premier Lon Nol
Lon Nol
Lon Nol was a Cambodian politician and general who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia twice, as well as serving repeatedly as Defense Minister...
resigned that day and went into exile; the final collapse of the Khmer Republic was imminent.
Planning
The evacuation plan was developed and refined and refined by the US Military as Khmer RougeKhmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
forces closed in on Phnom Penh, starting as early as 1973. On 27 June 1973 the Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
published Contingency Plan 5060C Eagle Pull covering the evacuation of Phnom Penh. Conplan 5060C had three options:
- Option 1: the evacuation of Embassy personnel, US citizens and designated Cambodians by regular or chartered civilian airlift from Pochentong Airport.
- Option 2: if Khmer Rouge action forced the cancellation of civilian flights from Pochentong Airport, security police from the 56th Security Police Squadron at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force BaseNakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force BaseNakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base , formerly Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, is a Royal Thai Navy facility used for riverine patrols along the Mekong River. It is located approximately 365 miles northeast of Bangkok, 9 miles west of Nakhon Phanom city in Nakhon Phanom Province in the...
would be flown in to provide security for the evacuation of approximately 600 Embassy personnel, US citizens and designated Cambodians by USAFUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
fixed wing aircraft (and CH-53 and HH-53 helicopters if needed). - Option 3: if Pochentong was closed to traffic the 56th Security Police Squadron would be landed to secure landing zoneLanding ZoneA Landing Zone or "LZ" is a military term for any area where an aircraft can land.In the United States military, a landing zone is the actual point where aircraft land...
s (LZs) in central Phnom Penh (and other towns if required) for use by CH-53 helicopters of 21st Special Operations Squadron21st Special Operations SquadronThe 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group , United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.-Mission:...
and HH-53 helicopters of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
.
Option 3 was later revised to provide for the use of USMC
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
helicopters together with USAF helicopters based in Thailand, and for the ground security force to be made up of marines rather than air force security police. The LZs were to be adjacent to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.
On 6 January 1975, CINCPAC placed the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...
on 96-hour alert to move the evacuation fleet into position off Kampong Som (previously Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville , also known as Kampong Saom, is a province in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. This port city is a growing Cambodian urban center, located southwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The province is named after King Father Norodom Sihanouk and grew up around the...
) in the Gulf of Thailand for the implementation of Operation Eagle Pull. On 6 February the reaction time was reduced to 48 hours, meaning that the evacuation fleet had to maintain a 48 hour cruising radius from Kampong Som. This was further reduced on 28 February to 24 hours, effectively meaning that the fleet had to remain within the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
.
On 21 March the Embassy predicted there would be 3,600 evacuees, far exceeding the original estimate of approximately 400. This necessitated the development of a new evacuation plan whereby Marines would secure Pochentong Airport, while helicopters would ferry evacuees from central Phnom Penh to Pochentong from where they would be flown on C-130 planes to Thailand. However, this plan was quickly overtaken by events as the supply C-130s coming into Pochentong were used for evacuees on the return journey, quickly reducing the number of evacuees that would need to be moved in a final evacuation.
On 3 April, given the deterioration in the defences around Phnom Penh, Ambassador John Gunther Dean
John Gunther Dean
John Gunther Dean is a distinguished career United States diplomat. From 1974-1988, Dean served as the United States Ambassador to five different nations under four different U.S. Presidents.-Early years:...
requested the deployment of the 10 man Operation Eagle Pull command element which landed at Pochentong on a BirdAir C-130 plane. The command element supervised the ongoing fixed-wing evacuation of more than 750 Cambodians over the next seven days in the face of 80–90 rounds of 105 mm artillery and 107 mm rocket fire each day. By 10 April Khmer Rouge fire had become so heavy that the fixed-wing evacuation was ended.
The command group then turned its attention to the selection of helicopter landing zones for the evacuation. As the Khmer Rouge controlled the east bank of the Mekong opposite Phnom Penh, the command group selected LZ Hotel, a soccer field about 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) north east of the embassy. Masked from the river by a row of apartment buildings, this LZ could not be interdicted by direct fire weapons, making it the safest location. The embassy staff prepared to leave on 11 April, but the evacuation was delayed until the following day in order to allow the USS Hancock
USS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
to join the evacuation fleet off Kampong Som.
Evacuation fleet
On 3 March 1975 Amphibious Ready Group Alpha (Task Group 76.4), and the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit (Task Group 79.4) embarked and arrived at the designated station off Kampong Som in the Gulf of Thailand, the force comprised:Task Group 76.4 (Movement Transport Group Alpha)
- USS OkinawaUSS Okinawa (LPH-3)USS Okinawa was the second Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship assigned the name "Okinawa", in honor of the World War II Battle of Okinawa....
carrying HMH-462HMH-462Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion heavy transport helicopters...
comprising 14 CH-53, 3 CH-46, 4 AH-1J, and 2 UH-1E helicopters - USS VancouverUSS Vancouver (LPD-2)USS Vancouver was a Raleigh-class amphibious transport dock, named after the city of Vancouver, Washington which was in turn named after the explorer George Vancouver.-History:...
- USS ThomastonUSS Thomaston (LSD-28)USS Thomaston was the lead ship of her class of dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Thomaston, Maine, the home of General Henry Knox, the first Secretary of War to serve under the United States Constitution....
Escort ships for naval gunfire, escort, and area defense:
- USS EdsonUSS Edson (DD-946)USS Edson was a of the United States Navy, named for Major General Merritt “Red Mike” Edson USMC , who was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving as Commanding Officer of the First Marine Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal, and the Navy Cross and Silver Star for other actions in world War...
- USS Henry B. WilsonUSS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7)USS Henry B. Wilson , named for Admiral Henry Braid Wilson, was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile armed destroyer laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan on 28 February 1958, launched on 22 April 1959 sponsored by Mrs. Patrick J. Hurley, daughter of Admiral Wilson, and...
- USS KnoxUSS Knox (FF-1052)USS Knox was the prototype and lead ship in a new class of destroyer escorts in the United States Navy. She was the second ship to be named for Commodore Dudley Wright Knox....
- USS KirkUSS Kirk (FF-1087)USS Kirk was a Knox-class destroyer escort, originally designated as DE-1087 and reclassified as a frigate in the United States Navy. Her primary mission of ASW remained unchanged...
On 17 March the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
, concerned that one Marine helicopter squadron was insufficient for the evacuation, ordered that the USS Hancock
USS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
offload its air wing and proceed to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. On 26 March Marine Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron HMH-463
HMH-463
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53D Sea Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, also known as "Pegasus", is based at Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group...
comprising 25 CH-53, CH-46, AH-1J and UH-1E helicopters embarked on the Hancock and it proceeded to Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
. After taking on more helicopters at Subic Bay, Hancock was temporarily assigned to Amphibious Ready Group Bravo, standing by off Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
, South Vietnam, but on 11 April she joined Amphibious Ready Group Alpha in the Gulf of Thailand. The marine evacuation contingent comprised one battalion landing team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
2nd Battalion 4th Marines
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. The battalion, nicknamed the Magnificent Bastards, is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and are a part of the 5th Marine Regiment and 1st Marine Division.-Early years:2nd Battalion, 4th...
(2/4).
As the Khmer Rouge had no air force and only limited anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
capability, no fleet air cover was necessary, but the evacuation was supported by USAF aircraft based in Thailand. It was suspected that the Khmer Rouge might possess SA-7 shoulder-launched surface to air missiles and so the evacuation helicopters were painted with infra-red low-reflective paint and equipped with ALE-29 flare dispensers.
Evacuation
On the afternoon of 11 April 1975, the 31st MAU received orders to execute Operation Eagle Pull. At 06:00 on 12 April, 12 CH-53s of HMH-462 launched from the deck of USS Okinawa and then at 10 minute intervals descended again to pick up their marines. Elements of Companies F and H, and the command group embarked from the Okinawa while elements of Company G boarded their helicopters on the USS Vancouver, giving a total ground security force of 360 marines. As the helicopters completed loading they formed into groups of three orbiting the task force.At 07:30 Ambassador Dean notified the acting Cambodian Chief of State, Prime Minister Long Boret
Long Boret
Long Boret or Long Boreth was a Cambodian politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia from December 26, 1973 to April 17, 1975. Highly regarded for his honesty, he tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace settlement with the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War...
and other Cambodian leaders including Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak
Sisowath Sirik Matak
Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak was a member of the Cambodian royal family, the Varman dynasty.Sirik Matak was mainly notable for his involvement in Cambodian politics, particularly for his involvement in the 1970 right-wing coup against his cousin, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, and for his subsequent...
, that the Americans would officially leave the country within the next few hours and asked if any desired evacuation in which case they should be at the embassy by 09:30 for evacuation. All declined except for Saukham Khoy, successor to Lon Nol as President of the Khmer Republic, who left without telling his fellow leaders. Prince Sirik Matak, a former Prime Minister and a driving force behind the formation of the Khmer Republic rejected the offer of evacuation and said to Ambassador Dean that "I have committed this mistake of believing in you, the Americans."
The 10 man command group proceeded to drive vehicles to LZ Hotel, purposely disabling them to block vehicle access from any part of the city, other than the road from the embassy to the LZ. The command group then proceeded to make contact with King Bird, an orbiting HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
plane of the 56th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
56th Rescue Squadron
The 56th Rescue Squadron is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. It operates HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-History:...
, that would control the flow of the helicopters.
At 07:43 the first group of helicopters crossed the Cambodian coastline and about one hour later, after traversing 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) of hostile territory, the initial wave set down on LZ Hotel and the marines quickly established a defensive perimeter. Large crowds of Cambodians soon gathered, more out of curiosity rather than to interfere. Having established the perimeter defense, the marines began the process of moving the crowds back in order to keep the LZ clear and then began moving the evacuee groups to the waiting CH-53 helicopters. As LZ Hotel could only hold three CH-53s at any time, flights arriving after the initial build-up had to be held at Point Oscar, some 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) south of Phnom Penh until called in by King Bird. The evacuation proceeded smoothly although the number of evacuees was substantially less than anticipated. The last estimate indicated there would be 590 evacuees, 146 Americans and 444 Cambodians and third country nationals. HMH-462 evacuated 84 Americans and 205 Cambodians and third country nationals.
At 09:45, the US Embassy closed. There would be no diplomatic relations between the US and Cambodia again until 11 November 1991. By 10:41 all the evacuees including Ambassador Dean and President Saukham Khoy had been lifted out by helicopters of HMH-462. Helicopters of HMH-463 operating from the Hancock then began to land to extract the ground security force.
At approximately 10:50, 107 mm rocket fire began impacting in the vicinity of LZ Hotel. Less than 10 minutes later, the LZ also received 82 mm mortar fire. As soon as the Khmer Rouge fire commenced, the controllers in the zone notified the Air Force forward air controllers (FACs) flying overhead in 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10s. The FACs immediately made low passes over the east bank of the Mekong, but could not spot any fire coming from known enemy positions in that location. At 10:59, the last element of 2nd Battalion 4th Marines left the zone and the last marine helicopter landed on the Okinawa at 12:15.
At 11:15, two USAF HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giants, from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, as scheduled, extracted the Eagle Pull command element. Small arms fire during the final extraction caused minimal damage to the first aircraft, but a 12.7 millimetre (0.5 in) machine gun round hit the second helicopter's tail rotor as it climbed out of the zone. Despite severe vibrations the helicopter made it safely back to Ubon Air Base in Thailand. At 14:50 an HMH-462 CH-53 launched from the Okinawa to carry Ambassador Dean to U-Tapao Air Base
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is a military airfield of the Royal Thai Navy located approximately southeast of Bangkok, near Sattahip on the Gulf of Siam...
in Thailand.
On 13 April, the evacuees were flown to U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand on HMH-462 helicopters and Amphibious Ready Group Alpha proceeded to the South China Sea to rendezvous with Task Force 76 as it stood by to implement Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind was the evacuation by helicopter of American civilians and 'at-risk' Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, on 29–30 April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War...
, the evacuation of Saigon.
Aftermath
Henry KissingerHenry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
observed in his Vietnam War memoir that the Ford Administration
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
was astonished and shamed by the fact that top Cambodian officials refused to leave the country. These included Premier Long Boret
Long Boret
Long Boret or Long Boreth was a Cambodian politician who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia from December 26, 1973 to April 17, 1975. Highly regarded for his honesty, he tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace settlement with the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War...
and Lon Non
Lon Non
Lon Non was a Cambodian politician and soldier who rose to his greatest prominence during the Khmer Republic .Non was the younger brother of Prime Minister Lon Nol...
, the Prime Minister's brother, both of whom were on the Khmer Rouge's advertised death list.
On 17 April 1975 the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh bringing the Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their allies the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong against the government forces of Cambodia , which were supported by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam The Cambodian...
to an end. Long Boret, Lon Non and other top officials of the Khmer Republic Government were executed at the Cercle Sportif, while FANK
Fánk
Fánk is a sweet traditional Hungarian cake. The most commonly used ingredients are: flour, yeast, butter, egg yolk, a little bit of rum, a sniff of salt, milk and oil to deep fry with. After the pastry has risen for approximately 30 minutes the result is an extreme light doughnut-like pastry...
troops in the city were disarmed, taken to the Olympic Stadium and executed.
For 2nd Battalion 4th Marines and Amphibious Ready Group Alpha, Operation Eagle Pull served as a small-scale dress rehearsal for the more complex Operation Frequent Wind 17 days later.
In popular culture
Operation Eagle Pull is depicted in the film The Killing FieldsThe Killing Fields (film)
The Killing Fields is a 1984 British drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists: Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. The film, which won three Academy Awards, was directed by Roland Joffé and stars Sam Waterston as...
.