B53 Long Thanh
Forward Operational Base #1 (FOB#1) opened in June / July 1966 and was located in Phu Bai, RVN adjacent to an ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam
FOB1 Phú Bài Front Gate
FOB1 Phú Bài Communication Bunker
FOB1 Phú Bài / Rappelling Tower
CCC / TF2AE Rocket Attack 12-1971
FOB#2 CCC Rocket attacked 12/1971
FOB2 CCC Motorpool
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The South Vietnamese Flag Pole that was located on the East Side of the Forward Operational Base #2 Compound was a relic left over from when the post was a ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) truck park. Reconnaissance personnel would loiter around it while awaiting information from the Orderly Room known as Snowden Hall that sat directly behind it.
Forward Operational Base #2 US Latrine / Shower Facilities.
The bathrooms were completed in 1967 with flush toilets and hot water.
FOB#3 Village of Khe Sanh Theexpansion of additional target areas in Laos, Cambodia, and the DemilitarizedZone (DMZ) led to the creation of..
FOB # 3 Khe Sanh
FOB#3 was relocated in August 1967 from the Bru Montagnard Village to the South East corner of the US Marine Base at Khe Sanh. Subsequent to the relocation additional personnel were assigned to the camp and the new Recon Teams formed were named after animals. In June 1968, the camp was moved to Mai Loc, RVN.
After the NVA Siege of Khe Sanh, FOB#3 was officially closed on June 30, 1968. The camp was relocated and opened on July 1968 at Mai Loc, RVN. The compound was fully operational until it was closed in November 1968. The majority of the Recon Teams and Hatchet Forces were disbanded and the volunteers returned to their respective assignments.
November 1967
Forward Operational Base #4 (FOB#4) opened on the beach of Da Nang adjacent to Marble Mountain. The camp was responsible for reconnaissance operations into Laos, the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and North Vietnam. The original Recon Teams assigned to the compound were named after deadly snakes with a number designation and the Hatchet Force Companies were given a letter designation A-D.
December 31, 1967
The Viet Cong led a two prong assault against the Forward Operational Base #4 compound. The enemy had used small boats and came in from the ocean with the second element coming from Marble Mountain. The attack resulted in three indigenous soldiers Killed In Action.
January 1968
The compound was soon named Camp Villarosa after Paul Villarosa (RT Python) who was Killed In Action on January 4, 1968. Paul was the first Forward Operational Base #4 casualty.
April 10, 1968
Three CH-34 helicopters were loaded with five Recon Teams and supplies to reopen the Kham Duc, RVN Launch site. The flight took antiaircraft fire while on approach that shot down the lead ship. The helicopter crashed into the jungle and rolled onto the copilot’s side which covered the only exit door for the personnel that had rode in the fuselage. FOB#4 personnel killed were: Aubrey Bryan (ST Unknown), Crecencio Cardosa (ST Unknown), Charlie Wilcox (ST Anaconda) and Samuel Padgett (RT Python). The Vietnamese Pilot and Copilot were rescued.
August 23, 1968
The Forward Observation Base #4 Compound was attacked for a second time. The NVA assault had killed 18 US Special Forces personnel and untold numbers of indigenous soldiers. It is also uncertain of the number of personnel that were Wounded In Action and medevaced out of country. The individuals Killed In Action were: Donald W. Welch, Gilbert A. Secore, Tadeusz M. Kepczuk, Paul D. Potter, Donald R. Kerns, Anthony J. Santana, Albert M. Walter, Rolf E. Rickmers, William H. Bric III, Richard E. Pegram, Charles R. Norris, James T. Kickliter, Robert J. Uyesaka, Talmadge H. Alphin, Howard S. Varni, Harold R. Voorheis,
October 1968
With the reorganization of the MAC V SOG, OPS-35 program Forward Operational Base #4 was redesignated as Command and Control North (CCN).
March 1971
5th Special Forces Group (ABN) is withdrawn from Vietnam and Command and Control North is redesignated Task Force 1 Advisory Element (TF1AE).
April 1972
MAC V SOG, OPS-35 Program is deactivated and the TF1AE (Task Force 1 Advisory Element) personnel returned to CONUS or are reassigned to FANK. The compound was turned over to the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam).
FOB # 4 Non Nước Đà Nẵng
FOB # 4 Đà Nẵng
Forward Observation Base #5 opened in November 1967 and was located at Ban Me Thout, RVN. The OMEGA Recon Element assigned to FOB#2 were transferred to the new compound. The Recon Teams retained the names of tools and inanimate objects. However, the newly formed Hatchet Forces were designated as Company Exploitation Forces and given a number designation 1 through 3. The compounds main area of operation was Cambodia.
In 1966, Special Forces Camp (A-303) was located at Ho Ngoc Tao, RVN was manned by personnel from 5th Special Forces Group (ABN), Project SIGMA. The Reconnaissance Teams were identified by a number designator / team number and were trained for cross border operations into Cambodia. The camp and personnel were later absorbed by MAC V SOG and the compound was redesignated FOB#6.
The MAC V SOG Headquarters building was located at 137 Rue (street) Pasteur in Saigon. The three story structure was designed like that of a French Villa and was secured by Chinese Nùng.
CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) copies of North Vietnamese Army Boots. The Okinawan manufactured heavy canvas boots are ink stamped 42 on the interior, rubber soled, with fourteen aluminum eyelets. The boots were distributed through House 50 (MAC V SOG Supply House in Saigon) to the different Command and Control Compounds for Recon Teams that ran dressed as NVA.
These boots were worn and later souvenired by Paul Schuerenberg who served with Recon Team Ohio 1971-1972. Pictured below, left to right: Larry Purvis (RT Iowa), John Good (RT Texas) and Paul Schuerenberg (RT Ohio). Paul was a Strap-Hanger on this mission. Note he is trying to hide the CISO copy of the NVA helmet.
These boots were worn and later souvenired by Paul Schuerenberg who served with Recon Team Ohio 1971-1972. Pictured below, left to right: Larry Purvis (RT Iowa), John Good (RT Texas) and Paul Schuerenberg (RT Ohio). Paul was a Strap-Hanger on this mission. Note he is trying to hide the CISO copy of the NVA helmet.
CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) copy of a North Vietnamese Army rucksack. These medium weight canvas units were manufactured on Okinawa and distributed through House 50 to the different Command and Control Compounds S-4 (Supply Office). The rucksacks were used by MAC V SOG Reconnaissance Team that operated dressed as NVA.
Picture of the veteran Charles Franks (Recon Team North Carolina / CCN) holding the Rucksack in November 2011. He stated his team never operated dressed as NVA and that he souvenired the item before he returned to CONUS.
Picture of the veteran Charles Franks (Recon Team North Carolina / CCN) holding the Rucksack in November 2011. He stated his team never operated dressed as NVA and that he souvenired the item before he returned to CONUS.
Night Vision Scope
Early night vision scope that was procured through the Central Intelligence Agency for MAC V SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group) Reconnaissance Team personnel. The scopes are totally sterile / void of any manufacturer marks and were acquired in very limited numbers.
This scope was issued and carried by Robert Castillo of Recon Team Idaho
Round tip Bolo It has been recorded that 16,000 round tip bolos were procured through CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) in Okinawa and delivered to 5thSpecial Forces Group (ABN) and MAC V SOG, House 50 throughout the progression of the war.
The design was ideal for the thick jungle terrain and the smaller statue of the indigenous personnel for cutting in an LZ (Landing Zone) or breaking a trail for large scale operations.
The late collector and fellow author Tom Clinton is credited with having discovered a cache of a hundred plus of these bolos in the 1980s that had been stored in Thailand after the war. The machetes were all in unissued condition and sealed in the original plastic covered cardboard boxes. The packs do have wartime markings.
The Bolo pictured below was issued to Joe J. Walker in 1968 when he was assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (ABN), Project DELTA and was carried in his rucksack until he retired in 1984. 
V40 Grenade The Holland manufactured V-40 Grenades were procured through CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) on Okinawa and distributed through House 50 to the different Command and Control Compounds.
Recon personnel would carry them as a defensive measure in case the team was being probed at night and a rifle’s muzzle flash could give away their position. If a team heard movement, they would throw one of these small grenades that would explode and fragment into 400 pieces in a 5 meter radius.
The trick was to toss one grenade then three or four rocks to keep the enemy at bay until support could arrive. 
The Recon Watch
The black faced Seiko watches were purchased directly from the manufacturer in bulk by Ben Baker who was the department head of CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) and issued throughout the different SOG Supply Offices (S-4). Two variations of the watches were issued to cross border personnel to include a time date and non-time date. The bands were usually replaced by the veterans for the nylon strap found with the survival wrist compass. The Seiko Watch on the left was issued to Michael Sheppard of Recon Team Montana and the watch on the right was issued to Steve Perry who was assigned to MAC V SOG, OPs-80.
The design was ideal for the thick jungle terrain and the smaller statue of the indigenous personnel for cutting in an LZ (Landing Zone) or breaking a trail for large scale operations.
The late collector and fellow author Tom Clinton is credited with having discovered a cache of a hundred plus of these bolos in the 1980s that had been stored in Thailand after the war. The machetes were all in unissued condition and sealed in the original plastic covered cardboard boxes. The packs do have wartime markings.
The Bolo pictured below was issued to Joe J. Walker in 1968 when he was assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (ABN), Project DELTA and was carried in his rucksack until he retired in 1984.
Recon personnel would carry them as a defensive measure in case the team was being probed at night and a rifle’s muzzle flash could give away their position. If a team heard movement, they would throw one of these small grenades that would explode and fragment into 400 pieces in a 5 meter radius.
The trick was to toss one grenade then three or four rocks to keep the enemy at bay until support could arrive.
Miniature CS Smoke Grenade
A Recon Team member could carry five to six miniature CS Grenades to every full size model. The units could be used to break contact or to throw off tracking dogs.
A Recon Team member could carry five to six miniature CS Grenades to every full size model. The units could be used to break contact or to throw off tracking dogs.
SOG Knife Early Numbered Series
In March 1967, CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) started to procure an order placed by MAC V SOG for knives. These knives had been modified from its predecessor the Fat Guard with a slight change in the blade design, a longer cross guard and an etched number 1-3700 on the ricasso. The initial batch of knives were tested and a problem was found with the steels temperament. The shipment was returned to the manufacture on mainland Japan where the knives were dismantled, retempered and refinished before they were approved by Ben Baker. These early knives have been encountered with everything from a deep bluing to a parkerized finish on the blades. To avoid problems with the remainder of the requisition, the blades were highly tempered for hardness and the steel took on a Plum Color during the bluing process. The original cost of the knives was $8.40 a piece and final delivery was received in November 1967. These sterile (void of makers markings) knives were issued to both US and some indigenous personnel for cross boarder operations.
Years ago, I had made contact with the Ben Baker who was not only the designer of the SOG knife but also the Deputy Chief of CISO. In the conversation he had stated that the first lot of 200 SOG Knives were stolen from the supply processing center in Nha Trang and were never located. It is uncertain if the knives were replaced with duplicated serial numbers (1-200).
The early numbered SOG knife (serial numbered 903) pictured below was issued to Jack Jones.
The US manufactured M-14 Mine known as a Toe-Popper was favored by MAC V SOG, OPS-35 personnel. The small, lightweight units were ideal for laying on a back trail to warn of NVA trackers or implant in a NVA bivac area
No comments:
Post a Comment