 Calling the seizure " piracy " , President Ford ordered a military response to retake the ship and its 39 @-@ man crew , mistakenly thought to be on Koh Tang Island . On May 13 , two A @-@ 7D Corsairs saw the 39 man crew board a fishing boat and saw people disembarking fishing boats at Koh Tang Island . They assumed that the Mayaguez crew was on the island . Elements of the 1st Battalion , 4th Marines , the 2nd Battalion , 4th Marines , and the 2nd Battalion , 9th Marines , were flown to an advanced staging of a joint US Task Force . On May 14 , the Marines from Company D , 1st Battalion , 4th Marines boarded the Mayaguez only to find it deserted and raised the American flag . A Thai fishing boat with a Thai crew and the 39 crew members of the SS Mayaguez which had been set free , approached the USS Wilson . 
 Calling the seizure " piracy " , President Ford ordered a military response to retake the ship and its 39 @-@ man crew , mistakenly thought to be on Koh Tang Island . On May 13 , two A @-@ 7D Corsairs saw the 39 man crew board a fishing boat and saw people disembarking fishing boats at Koh Tang Island . They assumed that the Mayaguez crew was on the island . Elements of the 1st Battalion , 4th Marines , the 2nd Battalion , 4th Marines , and the 2nd Battalion , 9th Marines , <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> flown to an advanced staging of a joint US Task Force . On May 14 , the Marines from Company D , 1st Battalion , 4th Marines boarded the Mayaguez only to find it deserted and raised the American flag . A Thai fishing boat with a Thai crew and the 39 crew members of the SS Mayaguez which <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> been set free , approached the USS Wilson . 
Callin the seizure " piracy " , President Ford ordered a military response to retake the ship and its 39 @-@ man crew , mistakenly thought to b on Koh Tang Island . On May 13 , two A @-@ 7D Corsairs saw da 39 man crew board a fishin boat and saw ppl disembarking fishing boats at Koh Tang Island . They assumed that tdaMayaguez crew was on the island . Elements of the 1st Battalion , 4th Marines , thdand Battalion , 4th Marines , and the 2nd Battalion , 9th Marines , was flown to an advanced staging of a joint US Task Force . On May 14 , thedarines from Company D , 1st Battalion , 4th Marines boarded the daaguez only to find it deserted and raised the American flag . A Thai ffishinboat with a Thai crew and the 3darew members of the SS Mayaguez which done been set free , approached the USdailson .