On 12 to 14 May 1975, "Coral Sea" participated with other Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps forces in the Mayaguez incident, the recovery of the U.S. merchant ship SS "Mayaguez" and her 39 crew, illegally seized on 12 May in international waters by Khmer Rouge gunboats. Protective air strikes flown from the carrier against the Cambodian mainland naval and air installations as Air Force helicopters with 288 Marines from Battalion Landing Teams 2 and 9 were launched from U Tapao, Thailand, and landed at Koh Tang Island to rescue the "Mayaguez's" crew and secure the ship. Eighteen Marines, Airmen, and Navy corpsmen were lost in the action. For her action, "Coral Sea" was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation on 6 July 1976. Meanwhile, she had been reclassified as a "Multi-Purpose Aircraft Carrier", returning to hull classification symbol CV-43, on 30 June 1975.