Tag: Vietnam

On May 21, 1979, Special Forces had one its true legends take from it prematurely. Arthur “Bull” Simons died at the age of 60 and was buried in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida. He was one of the best SF commanders to have ever served but never made it to General Officer rank because he lacked […]

Before the days of Salomon, Merrell, Oakley (all of which I own and love) and the endless list of boot options available to soldiers (at least in the SOF community), and the “after market” desert boots available to all, there was one venerable, unchallenged boot for the grunt. Few items conjure a nostalgia like seeing […]

Marine Corps 1st Lt William C. Ryan was given full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, May 10, 2017. After five decades and seven search attempts, we honor 1st Lt. William C. Ryan. pic.twitter.com/0h5dxGSc6E — U.S. Marines (@USMC) May 18, 2017 Lt Ryan had been missing since May, 1969 when his F-4 Phantom was shot […]

Note: This is part of a series. You can read part one, part two, and part three here. During the Vietnam War it became very clear that the U.S. military needed to revise their hand-to-hand training. This was particularly apparent amongst SOF units, especially Army Special Forces, LRRPs, and Navy SEALs; each often sent their people in small teams […]

The Lockheed AC-130 Gunship is a weapons system that literally puts fear into the hearts of the enemy. Ride along and get an inside look at what it is like being on board the aircraft with the nickname ‘Spooky’. In 2009, Norwegian journalist Peter Refsdal embedded with the Taliban in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, the […]

The employment of Visual Tracking skills is nothing new and has been a critical skill in human survival and evolution. Primitive man developed the skill of tracking by associating a print laid by an animal to that of prey.  As humans evolved, visual tracking played a significant role in everyday survival, whether hunting for food, […]

He was wounded 37 times by bullets, shrapnel, a bayonet, and a rifle butt but his only thoughts were on those others who were hit on that day in May 1968. His actions saved eight other men’s lives in Vietnam on that day. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery but it […]

The Vietnam War was highly controversial but for the military members who served in the conflict they deserve to be honored and remembered by a grateful nation for their sacrifices. Helicopters played a major role in Vietnam and now Congress has approved a monument to be displayed at Arlington National Cemetery to honor all who […]

The Vietnam War was highly controversial but for the military members who served in the conflict they deserve to be honored and remembered by a grateful nation for their sacrifices. Helicopters played a major role in Vietnam and now Congress has approved a monument to be displayed at Arlington National Cemetery to honor all who […]

Read Part 7 Here As a Confucian society, one of the problems that many in the South Korean military faced was, and continues to persist, that they are not free thinkers. Their Special Forces are task organized like 12-man American Special Forces teams but their mission is more direct action than unconventional warfare. This makes […]

The United States Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF) is developing weapons and equipment that will help soldiers in conducting future subterranean operations. The REF received a request from the 2nd Infantry Division stationed in South Korea in 2012 for equipment that could handle and support combat operations within the complex tunnel environment U.S. soldier would encounter […]

Editor’s note: this is a guest post by a good friend of mine and pilot, call-sign Rebel.  He neglected to give me permission to share any job specifics in his bio when sharing Major Fisher’s story, and even suggested that I take the credit for writing this piece if I didn’t want to just say that he was […]