forces in Vietnam. The object of this attack, which lasted fromApril 30 to June 30, was to ensure the continuing safe withdrawal of Americanforces from South Vietnam and to assist the program of Vietnamization.[RL30172]1972 NorthVietnam: Christmas bombing Operation Linebacker II (not mentioned in RL30172,but an operation leading to peace negotiations). The operation was conductedfrom 1829 December 1972. It was a bombing of the cities Hanoi and Haiphong byB-52 bombers.1973 OperationNickel Grass, a strategic airlift operation conducted by the United States todeliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the Yom Kippur War.1974 Evacuationfrom Cyprus: United States naval forces evacuated U.S. civilians during theTurkish invasion of Cyprus.[RL30172]1975 Evacuationfrom Vietnam: Operation Frequent Wind, On April 3, 1975, President Fordreported U.S. naval vessels, helicopters, and Marines had been sent to assistin evacuation of refugees and US nationals from Vietnam.[RL30172]1975 Evacuationfrom Cambodia: Operation Eagle Pull, On April 12, 1975, President Ford reportedthat he had ordered U.S. military forces to proceed with the planned evacuationof U.S. citizens from Cambodia.[RL30172]1975 SouthVietnam: On April 30, 1975, President Ford reported that a force of 70evacuation helicopters and 865 Marines had evacuated about 1,400 U.S. citizensand 5,500 third country nationals and South Vietnamese from landing zones inand around the U.S. Embassy, Saigon and Tan Son Nhut Airport.[RL30172]1975 Cambodia:Mayaguez incident, On May 15, 1975, President Ford reported he had orderedmilitary forces to retake the SS Mayaguez, a merchant vessel which was seizedfrom Cambodian naval patrol boats in international waters and forced to proceedto a nearby island.[RL30172]1976 Lebanon: OnJuly 22 and 23, 1976, helicopters from five U.S. naval vessels evacuatedapproximately 250 Americans and Europeans from Lebanon during fighting betweenLebanese factions after an overland convoy evacuation had been blocked byhostilities.[RL30172]1976 Korea:Additional forces were sent to Korea after two American soldiers were killed byNorth Korean soldiers in the demilitarized zone between North and South Koreawhile cutting down a tree.[RL30172]1978 Zaire(Congo): From May 19 through June, the United States utilized militarytransport aircraft to provide logistical support to Belgian and French rescueoperations in Zaire.[RL30172]198019891980 Iran:Operation Eagle Claw, on April 26, 1980, President Carter reported the use ofsix U.S. transport planes and eight helicopters in an unsuccessful attempt torescue the American hostages in Iran.1980 U.S. Army andAir Force units arrive in the Sinai in September as part of "Operation BrightStar". They are there to train with Egyptian armed forces as part of theCamp David peace accords signed in 1979. Elements of the 101st AirborneDivision, (1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry) and Air Force MAC (Military AirliftCommand) units are in theater for four months & are the first U.S. militaryforces in the region since World War II.1981 El Salvador:After a guerrilla offensive against the government of El Salvador, additionalU.S. military advisers were sent to El Salvador, bringing the total toapproximately 55, to assist in training government forces incounterinsurgency.[RL30172]1981 Libya: FirstGulf of Sidra incident, on August 19, 1981, U.S. planes based on the carrierUSS Nimitz shot down two Libyan jets over the Gulf of Sidra after one of theLibyan jets had fired a heat-seeking missile. The United States periodicallyheld freedom of navigation exercises in the Gulf of Sidra, claimed by Libya asterritorial waters