I was recently surprised when a pop-up appeared on my computer from Amazon suggesting I might be interested in this book.
As the President of The Koh Tang/Mayaguez Veterans Organization I was unaware of the book being published and surprised as no one from our national organization of veterans from that battle was interviewed or referenced for Mr. Chun’s book. Therefore I was disappointed but not surprised when I received the copy I ordered.
I expected to read about the Boarding Party that went aboard the Mayaguez. Less than three pages of this only 80 page book are dedicated to the boarding party and their actions. Typical of the many errors in Mr. Chun’s presentation, he has the boarding party being led by his one and only acknowledged source when in fact; it was actually led by Major Raymond Porter, who is barely mentioned.
The author is fast and loose with his information, which is not supported by fact or footnotes. Glaring discrepancies such as the wrong ships or helicopters in the wrong place or wrong time, and errors such as incorrect or misidentified weapons supposedly being utilized when they were not, are all throughout the book.
An example being the U.S.S. Holt which has a single 5 inch gun mount. The author repeatedly refers to it as a “twin 5 inch mount” and at one time it is identified as “0.5 inch guns”. Mr. Chun describes how it was utilized through the battle, when in fact the Holt never fired her gun that day. One could overlook a few errors but there are so many I wonder about the editors of this series.
Maps and charts are also presented in a haphazard manner that is out of chronological order and defies logic.
An example being the unnecessary and confusing presentation of the original proposed plans that could not be executed due to the complexities of the operation, and presenting them in the middle of the book as if they actually happened.
41 American Servicemen lost their lives as a result of the Mayaguez Operation. I was appalled that they were not even listed in this obviously hastily thrown together little book. The legacy of those last 41 names on the Viet Nam Memorial Wall, and of the veterans who fought on Koh Tang Island deserves better.
A much better book on the subject is The 14 hour War, Valor on Koh Tang and the recapture of the SS MAYAGUEZ by James E. Wise and Scott Barron.
