 Operation California began in 1979 as " a relief organization created to provide aid to Vietnamese Boat People and Cambodian refugees " , founded by Richard Walden ( still active as President & CEO ) and Llewellyn Werner ( who left in early 1980 ) . The organization flew " the first international relief airlift to Cambodia since 1975 " , delivering medicine to Phnom @-@ Penh . Operation California had airlifted more than $ 3 million worth of aid by October 1979 . 
