"Just two weeks after the close of the Vietnam War, communist Cambodian Khmer Rouge elements seized the SS Mayaguez in international waters and took the crew hostage. Believing they had to act quickly, United States Marines boarded the ship, only to find the crew had already been removed. An assault was then launched on the nearby island of Koh Tang, where the crew was believed to have been taken. Instead of a quick strike against a limited foe, the marines encountered major opposition and were soon pinned down by large numbers of well-armed Cambodians. The firefight continued as US forces attempted to extract the Marines. This book recounts the bloody struggle on Koh Tang, as a hostage rescue mission turned into a desperate evacuation"--Back cover.
