This was followed by participation in Operation Frequent Wind on 29 April 1975 which was the final evacuation of Saigon as North Vietnamese forces entered the city. The 31st MAU was then directed to the Gulf of Thailand for Operation Eagle Pull, the American Embassy evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which took place on 12 April 1975. From June 1971 until April 1975, the 31st MAU conducted numerous deployments to the waters off Vietnam. The 31st MAU performed presence missions and conducted a series of special operations through May 1971. This time, however, the 31st MAU would not be committed to overt land operations as the Vietnam War was winding down. Once more the unit returned to the Gulf of Tonkin. Special Landing Force Alpha was officially designated as the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) on 24 November 1970. The unit participated in continuing combat operations ashore over the next three years, including the Vietnam Tet counteroffensive in 1969, while returning to Okinawa periodically for re-outfitting and the rotation of forces. It was during this period of intense combat that Special Landing Force Alpha earned the Presidential Unit Citation. Days later, it was committed to Operation Union, a search and destroy mission in Vietnam. The first operation actually conducted was on, when the MEU conducted a rescue of the crew of the SS Silver Peak, a Panamanian vessel run aground by Typhoon Violet, in vicinity of Minami Ko Shima Island, Japan. It made the first of many amphibious deployments from Okinawa on 10 April 1967. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit was activated on 1 March 1967 as Special Landing Force Alpha, for operations in Vietnam.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |