The Mystery of the SS Columbia Eagle Hijacking occurred during the Vietnam War when sailors aboard an American merchant ship mutinied and hijacked the ship to Cambodia. Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 1,250,000+ US dead: 58,226 US wounded... Mutiny is the crime of conspiring to disobey orders that the mutineer is legally obliged to obey, for example by crew members of a ship. ...

On 14 March 1970 two American merchant marine sailors, Clyde McKay and Alvin Glatkowski, using guns they had smuggled aboard, seized control of their ship, SS Columbia Eagle, in the first armed mutiny aboard an American ship in 150 years. The ship was carrying napalm to the US Air Force bases in Thailand for use in the Vietnam War. March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in Leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Mutiny is the crime of conspiring to disobey orders that the mutineer is legally obliged to obey, for example by crew members of a ship. ... A napalm airstrike during the Vietnam War Napalm, or jellied gasoline, is a flammable liquid fuel weapon first used in World War I by the Germans, with the Allies quickly following suit. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 1,250,000+ US dead: 58,226 US wounded...

The mutineers claimed that there was a live bomb on board the ship, and forced the captain to order 24 of the crewmen to abandon ship in the lifeboats. The ship's cargo, 3500 500-pound bombs and 1225 750-pound bombs, gave this threat credibility.

The merchant ship Rappahanock picked up the lifeboats and crew members and broadcast the news of the mutiny. The amphibious transport dock USS Denver was diverted to intercept Columbia Eagle. The dock of HMS Albion An amphibious transport dock (also called a landing platform dock or LPD) is a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. ... USS Denver (LPD-9), a Cleveland-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of the fleet to bear this name. ...

With only 13 crewmen remaining onboard besides themselves, the mutineers sailed into Cambodian waters, where they assumed they would be welcomed as heroes. They anchored within the 12-mile (22.2 km) territorial limit claimed by Cambodia on the afternoon of 15 March. March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ...

At 0951 on 16 March, Denver anchored 15.6 miles (28.9 km) from the coast in the Gulf of Siam, remaining outside Cambodian waters. The US Coast Guard cutter Mellon joined shortly thereafter with Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven, as senior officer present. Two CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters landed on Denver from bases in Vietnam to assist in visual surveillance. Meanwhile, the mutineers had turned the ship over to Prince Norodom Sihanouk's government, declared themselves anti-war revolutionaries, and were granted asylum. March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... The Gulf of Thailand is a gulf located in the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean), surrounded by the countries Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard is the coast guard of the United States. ... HMH-465 CH-53E doing an external lift in Iraq The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy transport helicopter. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Time in office: Apr. ...

On 17 March, the helicopters were detached and Denver, with Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven, departed for Singapore, passing on-scene command to Mellon. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ...

On 18 March at 0636 Denver reversed her course; Prince Sihanouk had been deposed by a coup led by the pro-Western Sirik Matak and Lon Nol. If the Cambodians could be persuaded to release Columbia Eagle, Denver's flight deck could help the rescued crew members rejoin their ship. The coup was unfortunate for McKay and Glatkowski; they had hoped to find asylum in a Communist country; instead, they became prisoners of the Phnom Penh regime. At 2359 on 18 March, Denver anchored in the Gulf of Siam 17.0 miles (31.5 km) from the coast of Cambodia. March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak (January 22, 1914 — April 21, 1975) was a prince of Cambodia. ... General Lon Nol General Lon Nol (November 13, 1913 - November 17, 1985) was a Cambodian politician who served two times as Prime Minister of Cambodia in addition to serving other times as Defence Minister. ... City motto: No motto City proper Province Phnom Penh Mayor Kep Chuktema ( ) Area 290 km² Population 862,000 Density 3446. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ...

Sihanouk, now in exile, charged that the CIA had masterminded the mutiny to deliver weapons to Lon Nol. Both the mutineers and U.S. officials denied his charges, but the damage was done; no Communist forces would shelter them now that the suspicion that they were CIA stooges had been created.

When it became clear that Columbia Eagle's release was not imminent, Denver was detached to proceed to Da Nang. Đà Nẵng is a region and city in central Vietnam near the ancient capital of Huế. ...

Almost three weeks elapsed before Columbia Eagle was allowed to leave. She was taken to Subic Bay where her crew was reunited and her cargo was delivered to Thailand by another vessel. A Navy Seal, a Coast Guard officer and 2 Coast Guard enlisted men were put on board for her return to Subic. She was accompanied to Subic by the Coast Guard Cutter Chase, a sistership of the Mellon. Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about 100km northwest of Manila Bay. ...

After months of imprisonment, Glatkowski was extradited to the United States to face trial. He was charged with mutiny, kidnapping, assault and neglect of duty, convicted, and served his sentence.

McKay escaped from his captors along with a U.S. Army deserter, Larry Humphrey, and sought out the Khmer Rouge. He was officially declared missing on 4 November 1970 and has never been located. Some of the Khmer Rouge leadership during their period in power. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

References

• "Mystery of the SS Columbia Eagle Hijacking" [[1]] An article appearing in the February, 2001 issue of "Vietnam" magazine, by: John Hanna who is the founder of the original ELF [[2]] eco-guerrilla group.

The Wikipedia article above contains information from the book The Eagle Mutiny and from USS Denver's Web site, http://www.denver.navy.mil/, as well as numerous minor sources. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...