Download or read book The Son Tay Raid written by John Gargus and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2010-09-28 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In May 1970, aerial photographs revealed what U.S. military intelligence believed was a POW camp near the town of Son Tay, twenty-three miles west of North Vietnam’s capital city. When American officials decided the prisoners were attempting to send signals, they set in motion a daring plan to rescue the more than sixty airmen thought to be held captive. On November 20, a joint group of volunteers from U.S. Army Green Berets and U.S. Air Force Special Operations Forces perfectly executed the raid, only to find the prisoners' quarters empty; the POWs had been moved to a different location. Initially, the Son Tay raid was a devastating disappointment to the men who risked their lives to carry it out. Many vocal critics labeled it as a spectacular failure of our nation’s intelligence network. However, subsequent events proved that the audacity of the rescue attempt stunned the North Vietnamese, who implemented immediate changes in the treatment of their captives. The operation also restored the prisoners’ faith that their nation had not forgotten them. John Gargus not only participated in the planning phase of the Son Tay rescue, but also flew as a lead navigator for the strike force. This revised edition incorporates the most recent information from raid participants and also includes recent translations of North Vietnamese perspectives. No previous account of this top-secret action has given such a full account or such insight into both the execution and the aftermath of Son Tay.

Download or read book Son Tay 1970 written by Justin W. Williamson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-11-21 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A superbly illustrated account of one of the key milestones in the development of modern US Special Operations Forces, the hugely complex POW rescue at Son Tay. On November 21, 1970, a meticulously prepared force of US Special Forces in HH-53 helicopters, supported by more than a hundred combat aircraft, raided the POW camp at Son Tay, North Vietnam, just 23 miles west of Hanoi, seeking 61 American prisoners. Having trained for months in secret, and utilizing the best troops and air crews possible, the raiders executed the mission flawlessly. No Americans were killed and only two aircraft were downed, with the raiders killing several dozen North Vietnamese. It was the epitome of joint commando operations and regarded as an unheralded success. Except, the prisoners were missing. The raiders had come up empty handed. Illustrated with original artwork and maps, and drawing on both declassified documents and new interviews with participants, in this book diplomat and historian Justin Williamson explains the significance of this highly complex commando mission, deep inside enemy territory. A joint Army-Air Force assault, with the Navy flying diversionary missions, the Son Tay raid was the first operation to be conducted under the direct command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and ranks among the most important moments in the development of modern US Special Operations Forces.

Download or read book Who Will Go written by Terry Buckler and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-04 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE SON TAY RAID RANKS AS ONE OF THE MOST DARING MISSIONS IN SPECIAL OPS HISTORY. Hear from the men of the Raid in their own words, moving and personal. The gripping (and often humorous) narrative follows the youngest Raider, Terry Buckler, through Special Forces training and the suspense-filled preparation for the Raid alongside some of the greatest legends in Special Operations history. The Son Tay Raid was a SUCCESS. This heart-lifting book will challenge historians to reconsider the mission taught in military schools around the world. And it will draw any reader in with personal stories of what was seen, heard, and felt by 40 of the Raiders, POWs, and participants supporting the Raid.

Download or read book Secret and Dangerous written by William A. Guenon and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Special Operations Association written by and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2006-01-31 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Raid written by Benjamin F. Schemmer and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In November, 1970, more than 100 U.S. warplanes entered the skies over Hanoi in a top-secret mission to rescue 61 American POWs. But the prisoners had been moved from Son Tay four months prior to the operation, and the raising force landed at the wrong compound--a Vietnamese training school. The truth about this "failed" mission is revealed, penetrating years of CIA, Pentagon, and White House secrecy. (July)

Download or read book The Raid written by Benjamin F. Schemmer and published by Avon Books. This book was released on 1986 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "On November 21, 1970, the U.S. military launched one of the most controversial operations of the Vietnam conflict ... a daring surprise assault on the dreaded confines of Son Tay Prison Camp, 23 miles outside Hanoi ..."--Page 4 of cover.

Download or read book Spec Ops written by William H. McRaven and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 2009-02-04 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vice Adm. William H. McRaven helped to devise the strategy for how to bring down Osama bin Laden, and commanded the courageous U.S. military unit that carried it out on May 1, 2011, ending one of the greatest manhunts in history. In Spec Ops, a well-organized and deeply researched study, McRaven analyzes eight classic special operations. Six are from WWII: the German commando raid on the Belgian fort Eben Emael (1940); the Italian torpedo attack on the Alexandria harbor (1941); the British commando raid on Nazaire, France (1942); the German glider rescue of Benito Mussolini (1943); the British midget-submarine attack on the Tirpitz (1943); and the U.S. Ranger rescue mission at the Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines (1945). The two post-WWII examples are the U.S. Army raid on the Son Tay POW camp in North Vietnam (1970) and the Israeli rescue of the skyjacked hostages in Entebbe, Uganda (1976). McRaven—who commands a U.S. Navy SEAL team—pinpoints six essential principles of “spec ops” success: simplicity, security, repetition, surprise, speed and purpose. For each of the case studies, he provides political and military context, a meticulous reconstruction of the mission itself and an analysis of the operation in relation to his six principles. McRaven deems the Son Tay raid “the best modern example of a successful spec op [which] should be considered textbook material for future missions.” His own book is an instructive textbook that will be closely studied by students of the military arts. Maps, photos.

Download or read book The Praetorian STARShip the untold story of the Combat Talon written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerry Thigpen's study on the history of the Combat Talon is the first effort to tell the story of this wonderfully capable machine. This weapons system has performed virtually every imaginable tactical event in the spectrum of conflict and by any measure is the most versatile C-130 derivative ever produced. First modified and sent to Southeast Asia (SEA) in 1966 to replace theater unconventional warfare (UW) assets that were limited in both lift capability and speed the Talon I quickly adapted to theater UW tasking including infiltration and resupply and psychological warfare operations into North Vietnam. After spending four years in SEA and maturing into a highly respected UW weapons system the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) chose the Combat Talon to lead the night low-level raid on the North Vietnamese prison camp at Son Tay. Despite the outcome of the operation the Talon I cemented its reputation as the weapons system of choice for long-range clandestine operations. In the period following the Vietnam War United States Air Force (USAF) special operations gradually lost its political and financial support which was graphically demonstrated in the failed Desert One mission into Iran. Thanks to congressional supporters like Earl Hutto of Florida and Dan Daniel of Virginia funds for aircraft upgrades and military construction projects materialized to meet the ever-increasing threat to our nation. Under the leadership of such committed hard-driven officers as Brenci Uttaro Ferkes Meller and Thigpen the crew force became the most disciplined in our Air Force. It was capable of penetrating hostile airspace at night in a low-level mountainous environment covertly to execute any number of unconventional warfare missions.

Download or read book Apollo s Warriors written by Michael E. Haas and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1998-05 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presenting a fascinating insider's view of U.S.A.F. special operations, this volume brings to life the critical contributions these forces have made to the exercise of air & space power. Focusing in particular on the period between the Korean War & the Indochina wars of 1950-1979, the accounts of numerous missions are profusely illustrated with photos & maps. Includes a discussion of AF operations in Europe during WWII, as well as profiles of Air Commandos who performed above & beyond the call of duty. Reflects on the need for financial & political support for restoration of the forces. Bibliography. Extensive photos & maps. Charts & tables.

Download or read book Groupthink Politics and the Decision to Attempt the Son Tay Rescue written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shortly after 0200 local time on 21 Nov 1970, a raiding force of 56 men began one of the most daring American operations of the Vietnam War, a nighttime raid 23 miles west of Hanoi on the Son Tay prisoner of war (POW) camp. The Son Tay raid was conceived in May 1970 based on imagery suggesting that 70 American POWs were being held at this isolated compound in the heart of North Vietnam. The raid's 6-month planning and training process, under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Leroy Manor (USAF) as overall commander, and Col. Arthur D. "Bull" Simons (USA) as his deputy, stands as arguably the preeminent model of all special operations missions conducted by the U.S. military. The strike force launched from Thailand and rejoined 15 aircraft in total darkness under radio silence. Two MC-130 Combat Talons led a low-altitude night ingress, penetrating the North Vietnamese air defense system. The strike force approached Son Tay undetected at 0218 on 21 Nov. The first phase of the rescue plan called for an HH-53 helicopter to overfly the prison courtyard and destroy two guard towers with gunfire. Next, an HH-3 was intentionally crashed inside the compound. The 14 men in the crashed HH-3 were tasked to neutralize the compound guards and immediately begin freeing prisoners, but they soon discovered there were no American POWs in the camp. At this moment, the only miscue of the raid came into play: a navigation error landed the largest part of the strike force -- 22 men, including Col. Simons -- at the "Secondary School" 400 meters south of the main Son Tay compound. The raiders encountered minimal resistance at the Son Tay compound itself, but Simons and the men at the Secondary School found themselves engaged in a firefight with soldiers who were not NVA. Simons and his men had stumbled on a major force of Chinese or Russian advisors there. The Americans decimated more than 100 occupants of the Secondary School before rejoining the main strike force and initiating a withdrawal.

Download or read book I Flew With Heroes written by Thomas Waldron and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2012-07-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During 1969-70, the author flew USAF Jolly Green rescue helicopters in Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. Author was also a pilot on the Son Tay POW raid On 21Nov70 Col.Waldron flew on Apple3, the mission gunship.

Download or read book Unforgotten in the Gulf of Tonkin written by Eileen A. Bjorkman and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2020-09 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On November 18, 1965, U.S. Navy pilot Willie Sharp ejected from his F-8 fighter after being hit while positioned over a target in North Vietnam. With a cloud layer beneath him, he did not know if he was over land--where he would most certainly be captured or killed by the North Vietnamese--or over the Gulf of Tonkin. As he ejected, both navy and air force aircraft were already heading toward him to help. What followed was a dramatic rescue made by pilots and other airmen with little or no training or experience in combat search-and-rescue. Told by former military flight test engineer Eileen A. Bjorkman, this story includes nail-biting descriptions of air combat, flight, and rescue. Bjorkman places Sharp's story in the larger context of the U.S. military's bedrock credo--No Man Left Behind--and calls attention to the more than eighty thousand Americans still missing from conflicts since World War I. She also explores the devastating aftershocks of the Vietnam War as Sharp struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. Woven into this gripping tale is the fascinating history of combat search-and-rescue missions that officially began in World War II. Combining the cockiness and camaraderie of Top Gun with the heroics of Sully, Unforgotten in the Gulf of Tonkin is a riveting tale of combat rescue and an unforgettable story about the U.S. military's commitment to leave no man behind.

Download or read book Shadow Warriors written by Tom Clancy and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2003-02-04 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unconventional war requires unconventional men—the Special Forces. Green Berets • Navy SEALS • Rangers • Air Force Special Operations • PsyOps • Civil Affairs • and other special-mission units The first two Commanders books, Every Man a Tiger and Into the Storm, provided masterly blends of history, biography, you-are-there narrative, insight into the practice of leadership, and plain old-fashioned storytelling. Shadow Warriors is all of that and more, a book of uncommon timeliness, for, in the words of Lieutenant General Bill Yarborough, “there are itches that only Special Forces can scratch.” Now, Carl Stiner—the second commander of SOCOM, the U.S. Special Operations Command—and Tom Clancy trace the transformation of the Special Forces from the small core of outsiders of the 1950s, through the cauldron of Vietnam, to the rebirth of the SF in the late 1980s and 1990s, and on into the new century as the bearer of the largest, most mixed, and most complex set of missions in the U.S. military. These are the first-hand accounts of soldiers fighting outside the lines: counterterrorism, raids, hostage rescues, reconnaissance, counterinsurgency, and psychological operations—from Vietnam and Laos to Lebanon to Panama, to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, to the new wars of today…

Download or read book The Quiet Professional written by Alan Hoe and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2011-09-11 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Major Richard J. "Dick" Meadows is renowned in military circles as a key figure in the development of the U.S. Army Special Operations. A highly decorated war veteran of the engagements in Korea and Vietnam, Meadows was instrumental in the founding of the U.S. Delta Force and hostage rescue force. Although he officially retired in 1977, Meadows could never leave the army behind, and he went undercover in the clandestine operations to free American hostages from Iran in 1980. The Quiet Professional: Major Richard J. Meadows of the U.S. Army Special Forces is the only biography of this exemplary soldier's life. Military historian Alan Hoe offers unique insight into Meadows, having served alongside him in 1960. The Quiet Professional is an insider's account that gives a human face to U.S. military strategy during the cold war. Major Meadows often claimed that he never achieved anything significant; The Quiet Professional proves otherwise, showcasing one of the great military minds of twentieth-century America.

Download or read book The Son Tay POW Rescue written by Justin Williamson and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2024-11-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Rescue Mission Report written by United States. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Special Operations Review Group and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: