Operation Eagle Pull took place with the US closure of its Cambodian embassy and the insertion of 180 Marines into Phnom Penh to start the evacuation of US civilians. Approximately 300 people were evacuated, of which 82 were Americans.
Deputy Prime Minister Sisowath Sirik Matak refused to leave, stating in a letter to the American Ambassador, "I cannot, alas, leave in such a cowardly fashion....I have only committed this mistake of believing in you, the Americans."
The ARVN deployed aircraft against NVA units at Xuan Loc, with the South Vietnamese air force flying up to 120 sorties per day.
Six Catholic civilians are killed in a Ulster Volunteer Force gun and grenade attack on Strand Bar in Belfast, North Ireland
Josephine Baker died at age 68.
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North Vietnam took control of the Spratly Islands, which had been controlled by the Republic of Vietnam. The landing forces consisted of NVA special forces, but the islands were lightly defended. Interestingly, Communist Vietnam today still recognizes a South Vietnamese defense of the islands against China, which are also claimed by China, as heroic.
While portrayed in Vietnamese propaganda as a great victory, the operation was only a success due to the extreme distress that South Vietnam was then in, and the fact that the U.S. Navy didn't intervene. Additionally, and importantly, the islands had no strategic value to the ongoing offensive, but with South Vietnam collapsing, the North Vietnamese no doubt correctly guessed that if they did not take the islands, China would.
I should note that this is somewhat confusing, as there are numerous small islands in the chain, and not all of them are occupied by the Vietnamese.
Some tourism of the islands takes place today.
A White House conversation took place regarding Operation Eagle Pull.
President: I would like to be brought up to date on where we are and what we are going to do. We will restrict ourselves to Cambodia. I am optimistic and I think we will make it.
Schlesinger: “Eagle Pull” will commence at 0900 local. They will be on the ground one hour and 20 minutes total. It will be completed by 11:30 p.m. our time if all goes well.
There’ll be 33 helicopters, including three for search and rescue. The first twelve will hold 346 Marines.
President: Will Long Boret go?
Kissinger: “Eagle Pull” will collapse the Government. Even if Long Boret doesn’t, enough of his people will go that it will collapse.
President: Do we know if there will be much fighting? There will be a crowd gathering, but there is a better than 50% chance of getting out without fighting.
Brown: There will be air cover but it will only return fire if fire is directed on the evacuation and only to protect the evacuation. The helicopters will come in a stream from the Carrier Ubon and peel off from hold points. We can do it all in one lift unless there are too many Khmer.
Schlesinger: We must do it all in one lift.
Brown: The Khmer have quite a lift capability of their own.
Kissinger: Do the Khmer think it is over or is this an American decision?
Brown: It is a U.S. decision. Our intelligence thinks tomorrow will be the last day, but probably it would come on the 13th, an auspicious time.
President: There will be air cover?
Buchen: Yes. They will be under positive control all the time and under FAC.
President: By what authority is this being done?
Schlesinger: The rescue operation is to protect American lives, any fire is to protect American lives and Khmer evacuation is incidental to the American evacuation.
Buchen: Yes. The Khmer evacuation is incidental.
Marsh: We would use the same force anyway, wouldn’t we?
Schlesinger: If we had gotten it down to 50 Americans, we would have used a much smaller force and got them out in 10 minutes.
Kissinger: I think we should say we are stretching the law so we don’t run counter to the President’s request of last night.2
Rumsfeld: Don’t use “incidental”—because there are five times as many Khmers and it will be seen as a subterfuge.
Schlesinger: The original list contained 50 Khmer. That has swollen to 1,100. It is there we might be vulnerable.
President: I would think there would be a crowd gathered.
Schlesinger: We can use Red Cross agents. And they have C130’s.
Buchen: Why do we take them out then?
Schlesinger: Ask State.
Kissinger: It was assumed that the airfield would be unusable. We didn’t want to pull the plug by talking to them about evacuation.
[The statements to be read and given to Congress were reviewed.]
President: There is no connection between this and the Vietnam evacuation. There is no connection at all. This is a unique situation.
Brown: Unless we give orders, the Marine Commander may load up with Khmer and leave the Marines, thus necessitating a second flight.
President: I agree. The Commander should be told that all Americans must be aboard the last chopper.
The ARVN put up still resistance at Xuan Loc.
A unique flight:
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US troops, ultimately to include members of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Army, landed on Okinawa in Operation Iceberg. The initial landing of 50,000 men saw little resistance.
The Red Army took Sopron, Hungaria.
The Battle of Kassel began between the U.S. Army's 80th Division and German defenders.
British commandos began Operation Roast in an effort to push the Germans across the Po and out of Italy.
Hitler moved his headquarters to the Führerbunker..
The hospital ship Awa Maru was sunk in a case of mistaken identity by the USS Queenfish leading to the loss of 2003 of its 2004 passengers and crew.
And this wild communications item was introduced.
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The vehicle did see use in the Vietnam War.
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World Airlines made its fourth and last refugee evacuation flight from Da Nang. The flight was designed to take out refugees, but 400 ARVN soldiers forced their way onto the plane. At the same time, the NVA entered the city center.
Of the ARVN in I Corps, 16,000 of the 160,000 in the area managed to escape. And of course, while they could not know it, for the most part all of the people escaping would soon simply be further south in the country when the Communist prevailed.
Da Nang had been the site of the first U.S. Marine Corps landings in Vietnam on March 8, 1965.
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The 9th Army took Neuss, Roermond and Venlo.
The 3d Army took Trier.
The U.S. Navy bombarded the Rhyku Islands, vis naval artillery and airstrikes, for 48 hours.
The U-3519 was sunk by a mine.
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Saudi Arabia declared war on the Axis powers.
The Red Army too Neustettin.
The Third Army too Bitburg.
The US conducts landings at Puerto Princesa on Palawan.
John Harlan Willis performed the actions that resulted in his being conferred a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Platoon Corpsman serving with the 3d Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 28 February 1945. Constantly imperiled by artillery and mortar fire from strong and mutually supporting pillboxes and caves studding Hill 362 in the enemy's cross-island defenses, Willis resolutely administered first aid to the many marines wounded during the furious close-in fighting until he himself was struck by shrapnel and was ordered back to the battle-aid station. Without waiting for official medical release, he quickly returned to his company and, during a savage hand-to-hand enemy counterattack, daringly advanced to the extreme frontlines under mortar and sniper fire to aid a marine lying wounded in a shellhole. Completely unmindful of his own danger as the Japanese intensified their attack, Willis calmly continued to administer blood plasma to his patient, promptly returning the first hostile grenade which landed in the shell-hole while he was working and hurling back 7 more in quick succession before the ninth exploded in his hand and instantly killed him. By his great personal valor in saving others at the sacrifice of his own life, he inspired his companions, although terrifically outnumbered, to launch a fiercely determined attack and repulse the enemy force. His exceptional fortitude and courage in the performance of duty reflect the highest credit upon Willis and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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Civil administration of the Philippines was handed over to President Sergio Osmeña.
Lebanon declared war on the Axis.
The U-327 and U-1018 were sunk by the Royal Navy.
Sgt. Ross F. Gray won a posthumous Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima. His citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Acting Platoon Sergeant serving with Company A, First Battalion, Twenty-Fifth Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, February 21, 1945. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation when his platoon was held up by a sudden barrage of hostile grenades while advancing toward the high ground northeast of Airfield Number One, Sergeant Gray promptly organized the withdrawal of his men from enemy grenade range, quickly moved forward alone to reconnoiter and discovered a heavily mined area extending along the front of a strong network of emplacements joined by covered communication trenches. Although assailed by furious gunfire, he cleared a path leading through the mine field to one of the fortifications then returned to the platoon position and, informing his leader of the serious situation, volunteered to initiate an attack while being covered by three fellow Marines. Alone and unarmed but carrying a twenty-four pound satchel charge, he crept up the Japanese emplacement, boldly hurled the short-fused explosive and sealed the entrance. Instantly taken under machine-gun fire from a second entrance to the same position, he unhesitatingly braved the increasingly vicious fusillades to crawl back for another charge, returned to his objective and blasted the second opening, thereby demolishing the position. Repeatedly covering the ground between the savagely defended enemy fortifications and his platoon area, he systematically approached, attacked and withdrew under blanketing fire to destroy a total of six Japanese positions, more than twenty-five of the enemy and a quantity of vital ordnance gear and ammunition. Stouthearted and indomitable, Sergeant Gray had single-handedly overcome a strong enemy garrison and had completely disarmed a large mine field before finally rejoining his unit and, by his great personal valor, daring tactics and tenacious perseverance in the face of extreme peril, had contributed materially to the fulfillment of his company's mission. His gallant conduct throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Gunnery Sergeant William G. Walsh likewise won a Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Leader of an Assault Platoon, serving with Company G, Third Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 27 February 1945. With the advance of his company toward Hill 362 disrupted by vicious machine-gun fire from a forward position which guarded the approaches to this key enemy stronghold, Gunnery Sergeant Walsh fearlessly charged at the head of his platoon against the Japanese entrenched on the ridge above him, utterly oblivious to the unrelenting fury of hostile automatic weapons and hand grenades employed with fanatic desperation to smash his daring assault. Thrown back by the enemy's savage resistance, he once again led his men in a seemingly impossible attack up the steep, rocky slope, boldly defiant of the annihilating streams of bullets which saturated the area, and despite his own casualty losses and the overwhelming advantage held by the Japanese in superior numbers and dominate position, gained the ridge's top only to be subjected to an intense barrage of hand grenades thrown by the remaining Japanese staging a suicidal last stand on the reverse slope. When one of the grenades fell in the midst of his surviving men, huddled together in a small trench, Gunnery Sergeant Walsh in a final valiant act of complete self-sacrifice, instantly threw himself upon the deadly bomb, absorbing with his own body the full and terrific force of the explosion. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved his comrades from injury and possible loss of life and enabled his company to seize and hold this vital enemy position. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
The British 21st Army Group took Udem and Calcar.
The Red Army entered Pomerania.
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Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan.
This may be scoffed at a bit, but Turkey is traditionally an enemy of Russia, and at this point was watching the Soviet Union enter into areas bordering it. It likely feared a Soviet intervention, and by throwing in with the Allies, albeit late, hoped to avoid that.
Uruguay also declared war on Germany and Japan.
Fighting continued on Iwo Jima. Most, but not all, of the northern portion of the island was now in the hands of the Marines.
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Marines landed on Iwo Jima.
I once knew a fellow who had been one of those Marines. He became a banker after the war.
Amongst those Marines was Darrell S. Cole, who was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions on that day.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Leader of a Machine-gun Section of Company B, First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with one squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sergeant Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield Number One despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades two hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from three Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his one remaining machine gun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sergeant Cole, armed solely with a pistol and one grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his one grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sergeant Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sergeant Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Another one of them was Medal of Honor John Basilone, who was killed in D-Day of the battle.
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