Category: Military History

On New Year’s Eve, 1968, at the top-secret SOG base camp at FOB 1 in Phu Bai, Camp Commander Maj. William Shelton ordered extra base security based on reports of a planned VC or NVA attack that night.

Since Linnington took command of the DPAA, he has brought new energy and a renewed commitment to the federal government’s efforts to research, locate, and return to the United States the 25,000–32,000 recoverable remains of U.S. service members.

The men of MACV-SOG experienced double engine failure over the mountains of Laos and narrowly survived a crash-landing.

McCarley was on the radio with Covey. “He said, ‘You have to get out of there now! There’s hundreds and hundreds of NVA coming after you! Now!’”

Operation Tailwind had rocked the NVA brass into rallying hordes of North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao troops.

Hernán Cortés led arguably the most fascinating, most consequential, and most harrowing special-operations campaign in history.

On their ride back to Rhodesia, they were informed that a radio intercept confirmed the sabotage had worked and killed several Terrs.

The NVA’s general’s response ensured ST Alabama’s place in SOG history: “It was a division. We had about 10,000 NVA soldiers there that day.”

“Today, and even 45 years ago, my mind is blurry on the actual combat that occurred during Operation Tailwind. I can tell you there was a lot of it.”

“Blackjack, Covey. What you’re up against is the NVA regiment you were sent to find, over.”

Navy SEALs have clearly dominated the SOF space race.

MACV-SOG’s RT Lion faces heavy NVA fire as they attempt to make their extraction.