Special Forces historian Bud Gibson joins the MMH Podcast to prove how MACV-SOG directly led to the creation of Delta Force. In Part 1, we discuss Col. Charlie Beckwith and Major Richard J. Meadows who were both founding figures of Delta who had served with SOG in Vietnam.
22:08 Note: "Project DELTA was specifically trained to perform special operations. It's missions encompassed location of enemy units, intelligence acquisition, bomb damage assessment, artillery/air strike coordination, hunter-killer missions, special purpose raids and conducting harassing and deception missions. In June 1966, these reconnaissance teams were employed in VC controlled areas where there were no major friendly actions in process which might compromise DELTA's presence. These US-Vietnamese teams varied between six and ten men and worked an area for long periods-generally thirty days. The pattern of operation consisted of infiltrating teams, normally by helicopter, at dusk or after dark into Viet Cong controlled areas without benefit of ground support. At first these teams were limited to reconnaissance and were withdrawn if discovered. This policy soon changed and the mission of the recon team was expanded to attack "targets of opportunity".
May 15, 1964, Project Leaping Lena was initiated with the mission of conducting reconnaissance operations in Vietnam and Laos. Under Project Leaping Lena, Special Forces "A° detachments trained Vietnamese Special Forces and CIDG troops in techniques of long-range reconnaissance patrolling. In June, 1964, Project Leaping Lena was terminated and Project DELTA, Detachment B-52 of the 5th Special Forces Group-took over their mission. Under the original concept, there were no US Special Forces on Recon teams. But this concept proved unacceptable due to old non-aggressive customs and bad operational procedures adopted by the Vietnamese recon teams. Project DELTA (B-52) was organized in December 1964." - Bud Gibson
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12 сен 2024
