John Bingham wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 1:56 pm

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 1:27 pm The centre of this sandstone island has been totally shattered by what looks like a bomb of similar size to the 5000 pound monster they dropped on Koh Tang.

That was a 15,000 pound bomb:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLU-82

Ouch!
There is some dispute as to the result of this bomb. Some say that there was no/insufficient warning to those on the ground and it tended to disorientate the withdrawal operations.
Here is some nighttime footage of the bombing, including maybe when the big one went off.


There is evidence of the bombing all along the part of Koh Tang that has cliffs at the waters edge. Pounded and collapsed at places. (see photograph below)
The small landing cove looks beautiful and very peaceful these days, but still has a strong vibe if you know the history.

The Mayaguez: Honoring the Fallen and Remembering the Survivors
U.S. soldiers who fought the last battle in Indochina deserve their place in military history.
By Luke Hunt
May 15, 2020
Forty-five years ago the United States military fought its last battle of the Indochinese wars, soon after the Khmer Rouge began sacking Phnom Penh and illegally seized the SS Mayaguez, sailing through the Gulf of Siam.

Washington launched a rescue operation, sending in the Marines. They recaptured the U.S. merchant vessel and attacked the island of Koh Tang, prompting Pol Pot to release the hostages.

But resistance on the island was strong. Between May 12 and 15, 1975, helicopters were downed and marines fought a pitched battle before evacuating. In all, 41 U.S. servicemen were killed in an operation which rescued 40 people.

Three Marines were left behind – an anathema in the U.S. military – and it is widely believed they survived for some time before being captured and bludgeoned to death by the Khmer Rouge and this was potentially a political embarrassment.

Their names are the last listed on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington.

That, however, is where the recognition stopped. Military bureaucracies are not known for their flexibility and as far as the boffins in the Pentagon were concerned the Vietnam War had ended on January 27, 1973, when President Nixon signed the Paris Peace Accords.

Those who took part in the rescue were subsequently sworn to secrecy over an incident described by President Gerald Ford, who feared another Pueblo Incident, as a “humiliating withdrawal” and a United States being seen as a helpless giant.

Thus the battle for the Mayaguez was relegated to memory as an “incident” and commemorations lost amid the spate of anniversaries around this time of year marking communist takeovers of South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in 1975.

In a bid to address history’s anomalies and win credit where due, the Fainting Robin Foundation is spearheading efforts to have Marine SSgt. Fofo Tuitele awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his “heroic efforts during the last battle of the Vietnam War.”

“Most of us were 18 to 21 year-old young men, scared shitless, experiencing the throes of heavy combat,” wrote Al Bailey of the 2/9 3rd Marine Corp Division in a supporting testimonial.

“By just his presence and calm demeanor SSgt. Fofo Tuitele buoyed us up past paralyzing fear… He saved many lives that day and warrants the Medal of Honor for his actions on Koh Tang.”
https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/the-may ... survivors/

Khmer Rouge Soldier Recounts SS Mayaguez Battle on 45th Anniversary
21 May 2020

Sun Narin
VOA Khmer
KAMPONG SPEU PROVINCE, CAMBODIA — Around 45 years ago, Mao Ran found himself in a boat headed to Koh Tang island. This was the first time the Khmer Rouge soldier had seen the Cambodian coastline or the Gulf of Thailand.

He still remembers being seasick in the choppy waters. The group of Khmer Rouge cadre had been told they were being transported to Koh Tral, an island off the coast of Kampot province, which is now part of Vietnam and known as Phu Quoc.

“It was the first time that I went to the sea and islands,” Mao Ran said.

Instead, the boat was headed to Koh Tang, 60 kilometers off the coast of Cambodia. Unknown to Mao Ran, he would soon be at the center of an intense battle between the Khmer Rouge cadre and the United States military personnel on May 15, 1975. The deadly fighting on the island later was dubbed by American historians as the 'Last Battle of the Vietnam War.'

A U.S. military attempt to rescue the crew of U.S. merchant ship SS Mayaguez, which had been captured by ultra-communist forces on May 12, 1975, was thwarted by heavily-armed Khmer Rouge soldiers on Koh Tang, resulting in heavy losses on both sides.
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/khmer-rou ... 29797.html