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    "localId": "7367507",
    "label": "Memorandum Regarding Debrief of the Mayaguez Captain and Crew",
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    "id": "7367507",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367507",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum Regarding Debrief of the Mayaguez Captain and Crew",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367507",
    "identifierLocal": "033200007-001",
    "collections": [
        "Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft West Wing Office Files (Ford Administration)",
        "Henry Kissinger's and Brent Scowcroft's General Subject Files"
    ],
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    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7367507",
    "naId": 7367507,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 19,
            "logicalDate": "1975-05-19",
            "month": 5,
            "year": 1975
        }
    ],
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    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/7/3675/7367507/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/gallery/033200007-001_Page_3.jpg",
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    "ocrText": "SECRET\n- -3. -\nDevelopments at Singapore\n-- The Captain gave a press conference at which he thanked you\nand the American military forces for our actions, saying that\nif it were not for the efforts of the U. S. military the crew \"would\nbe in prison or dead now.11\n-- The press zeroed in on the question of whether the Marine landing\nhad taken place after the crew had been released.\n-- The Captain said that he had received substantial offers of money\nfor his exclusive story of the incident but replied that any money\nshould go to the wounded Marines.\nem\neres The Chief Engineer, in a private interview, said that he believed\nU. S. commanders must have known the crew was not on Koh Tang\nIsland but on the boat returning to the ship. He also said that the\nCaptain had assembled the crew before docking at Singapore and\nthey had all agreed to present one story to the press, praising U. S.\nGovernment actions in securing their safe release.\n-- The Captain also said that the crew had not been mistreated by\nthe Cambodians.\nComment:\n-- The account given by the MAYAGUEZ Captain generally substantiates\nthe chronology that we have been able to develop. It shows that the\nvessel actually remained near its point of capture for 21 hours\nbefore it was moved to Koh Tang Island. It also shows that the\ncrew was released before our Marines landed on the island,\nthough not before they left their stations or before you made the\ndecision to proceed with the landing.\n-\n- The account does not, however, offer any explanation of what\nmotivated the Cambodian authorities. They appear to have hoped-\nor perhaps expected- - - that they would find evidence of a spy mission\nor military cargo. This may explain why they originally wanted to\ntake the boat to Kompong Sam. But they did not search the vessel\nthoroughly when they boarded it and were rather easily dissuaded\nafterwards.\nB. FORD\nSECRET"
}