Wise and Baron, both veterans of the Vietnam war, present this narrative history of the last battle of the Vietnam conflict, the fierce engagements between U.S. Marines and battle-hardened Khmer Rouge soldiers on the island of Koh Tang island, and the retaking of the ship the SS MAYAGUEZ which had been captured by the Khmer Rouge off the coast of Cambodia in 1975. The volume recounts the planning by the Ford administration which was plagued by inaccurate intelligence, miscommunication and micromanaged command structure that extended to the Oval Office. During the 14 hour battle on Koh Tang fourteen Marines, two Air Force and two Navy men lost their lives. Of the Marines, three were left behind when U.S. forces were extracted. The volume includes the recollections of 24 veterans who fought the enemy on the island, numerous maps, and illustrations as well as appendices documenting orders of battle and the names of military personnel killed and wounded in the battle. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)