At 3:10 AM on Monday, May 12, 1975, the Cambodian Khmer Rouge government fired upon the American merchant ship Mayaguez, then sailing in the Gulf of Siam; Cambodian sailors boarded the ship and took its crew prisoner. When captured, the Mayaguez was headed from Hong Kong to U.S. bases in Sattahip, Thailand, and was carrying a load of commercial Department of Defense cargo, including spare parts and supplies but not arms. Nevertheless, Cambodia defended the action, claiming that the Mayaguez had strayed outside international waters and had, in fact, trespassed on Cambodian territory. At the time of her capture, the Mayaguez was about seven miles from Poulo Wai, an island claimed both by South Vietnam and Cambodia; however, as a matter of policy, the United States recognized an international limit of only three miles.
With the lives of American sailors hanging in the balance, President Gerald Ford knew that he must be tough with the Cambodian government, which had demonstrated its ruthlessness by murdering millions of its own citizens. They would not hesitate to kill a handful of foreigners. Ford ordered the Marines to land on a Cambodian island, a few miles off the coast, and ordered the Air Force to immediately start bombing operations over Cambodia. Within a few hours, the Cambodians surrendered the American boat and its crew. President Ford both rescued the lives of the sailors and prevented any further such attacks by demonstrating forcefully his commitment to a simple, old, and powerful principle: the first task of a government is to protect the lives of its citizens. With decisive and forceful action, President Ford showed that the United States would not tolerate the abuse and disrespect of the genocidal thugs who had illegitimately taken control of Cambodia's government.
