Operation Eagle Pull

Overview

Operation Eagle Pull was the United States military evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 12 April 1975. At the beginning of April 1975, Phnom Penh, one of the last remaining strongholds of the Khmer Republic, was surrounded by the Khmer Rouge with the backing of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and totally dependent on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport. With a Khmer Rouge victory imminent, the US government made contingency plans for the evacuation of US nationals and allied Cambodians by helicopter to ships in the Gulf of Thailand. Operation Eagle Pull took place on the morning of 12 April 1975 and was a tactical success carried out without any loss of life. Five days later the Khmer Republic collapsed and the Khmer Rouge occupied Phnom Penh.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Eagle Pull marked the end of direct United States involvement in Cambodia as the Khmer Republic neared collapse. By early April 1975, Phnom Penh was surrounded by Khmer Rouge forces backed by the People's Republic of China and dependent entirely on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport. With a Khmer Rouge victory imminent, the US government executed a helicopter evacuation of American nationals and allied Cambodians to ships in the Gulf of Thailand on 12 April 1975. The operation was completed without loss of life. Five days later the Khmer Republic collapsed and the Khmer Rouge occupied Phnom Penh, ending the Cambodian Civil War. Eagle Pull thus represented the final US withdrawal from a government it had supported, immediately preceding the fall of the capital and the beginning of Khmer Rouge rule over Cambodia.

Commanders (4)