PHOTOGRAPHS FURNISHED BY WILEY SPARKS  IN HIS BROCHURE TO THE METRO MILWAUKEE MILITARY HISTORIANS

I called and spoke to him, giving him the opportunity to correct his claims.  I reviewed the claims he made with him and he confirmed his story, but insisted he had to get off the phone, he seemed quite uncomfortable talking to me and cut the conversation short saying he had to talk to his tax advisor…. Robert,

 1. WILEY "SKIP" PARKS III  FULL CLAIMS

He made  presentation to the Metro Milwaukee Military Historians this past Monday. (Topic: Highly Decorated Green Beret Vietnam Combat Veteran, Special Guest: Skip Sparks of Abbotsford , WI ). He made an articulate and informative 45 minute verbal presentation of his military service. The following are excerpts from his talk as best of my recollection. He was originally from Milwaukee/Greenfield, Wisconsin , his given name is Wiley Sparks III (but prefers to go by his nickname, Skip). Entered US Army 3 Feb 1966, infantry MOS, went to jump school at Ft Benning, then to SFTG at Ft Bragg. (prior to his talk, he and I met and had a few minutes to chat one-on-one. He was very cordial and easy to talk to. I didn't "interrogate", but exchanged in a getting to know you conversation). He did say he was in SFTG when the new buildings were nearing completion, but unable to retrieve a few dates, ascribing to memory difficulties at times as a result of 4 concussions in the past. He did display a generic SF coin. Following completion of SFTG, he went to Ft Sherman , Panama , completed Jungle Warfare School , then onto Vietnam with the 5th SFG.

Upon arriving in Danang (although later he said Nha Trang), he was not happy with his intial assignment, stating he came to Vietnam to "see alot of action". Subsequently, when in morning formation, he and a couple others were given an envelope, which he opened and read that he was assigned to SOG. He was unfamiliar with SOG until he arrived at FOB CCC in Kontum. He went on to describe his initial mission as a member of RT Arizona. The team along with him were loaded on a chopper when the helicopter crew chief told him to get off, as they were overloaded. He got off the chopper and went on to say that this mission resulted in all members of RT Arizona being lost. He was subsequently assigned to RT Pennsylvania. He described going on several missions into Laos being the one-two, carrying PRC-25. One mission he described in more detail that involving a face-to-face encounter with an NVA soldier. The team was going along a ridgeline when he slipped and fell down the mountainside, losing his AR-15 on the tumble down, came to a halt and directly in front of him was an NVA soldier. He said he noticed the "bolt" of NVA's AK-47 was "open" and deduced the weapon unloaded and proceeded to get out his K-Bar knife and grabbled hand-to-hand with the NVA soldier, suffering a bayonet wound to his thumb, then the NVA's head exploded from being shot by one of his RT Pennsylvania team members.

He was with SOG at CCC Kontum from 3/1968 to 12/1969. He said he attended one-zero school for a month and a half during this time and subsequently ran missions as the one-zero. He described working with the Yards and expanded briefly on Montagnard culture. He solemnly described a mission where one of the Yards was severely wounded, then as they were moving toward an extraction LZ, the Yard died. They tried to carry him but their urgency required them to leave him (burying him in a hollow tree stump to prevent NVA from finding and mutilating the body). He became somewhat emotional as he went on to tell about the importance in the Montagnard culture of burying their dead in the tribal land and telling the grieving Montagnard mother about the loss of her son.

He described a mission on which he came upon a motherless baby monkey and brought it back to base, where the monkey became a camp pet. The monkey was named "Trooper". Skip described all of the SOG team members as having nicknames, his nickname was "Squirrel" He mentioned names of other SOG members, Jim Lamont, Pete Wilson, Larry Trimble, Jerry Poole. He talked about knowing Bob Howard and Frank Miller (said he knew Frank Miller well enough to call him, Doug). He very somberly spoke of the song "Old Blue" and its meaning.

Upon departure from RVN he described encountering the CIA, being called in to an office to sign a 20 year non-disclosure document. He said he was reluctant to sign and initially refused to sign, but one of the CIA agents then placed a weapon on the table and "encouraged" him to sign, which he did.

After his talk concluded, the host asked Skip to describe what he did to be awarded the Silver Star Medal. Skip described a mission on which he was one-zero and a "new" 1st LT was on the team, his first mission. The 1st LT was severely injured in both legs, couldn't walk, so Skip carried him to the extraction LZ, but the 1st LT subsequently died. For this action he received the SS.

Skip admitted to suffering from PTSD for many many years with descriptions of numerous encounters with the VA. He remains very actively involved in PTSD support groups. His wife of 44 years is also active in these groups.

He is very active at the Highground Memorial Park in Niellsville Wisconsin and member of American Legion, but not VFW or VVA.

During our brief conversation, I told him I was President of the SFA Chapter 73 and inquired about whether he was a member of SFA. He replied that he was not a member, that several years ago he applied for membership but encountered "difficulties and disagreements" apparently resulting in denial, but didn't want to elaborate nor desires to become a member of SFA.

His presentation was well delivered in an interesting story telling mode. He seemed humbled and emotional at times. Omitting any prejudgement on my part, my impression was that he came across as believable. (either that or he is a very accomplished story teller). A yellow flag for me was the problem with being apparently denied Special Forces Association membership.

I'd appreciate your thoughts as to the authenticity of this gentlemen as a former MACV-SOG veteran. Photos were provided by Skip for the event brochure.  

2. Input from SOG community

From: SOG1RLNOE

I researched all of CCC's KIA for 68 & 69 and there was no Lt that fits the mission description that the guy claims. Further, everyone that I know had to volunteer for SOG and based on this guys story, he didn't volunteer, he just got an envelope with something telling him he was with SOG (BULL SHIT ON THIS ONE) I can say without a doubt that he is nothing more than another wannabe. I'll get him posted in our SOG wannabe webpage.

Robert

From: gambler10

Robert

I don’t remember this guy, by chance did you happen to have got a picture of him?

Larry

Fom: SOG1RLNOE@
You will note he says "AR15" not CAR15....everyone I know from SOG referred to it as a "CAR15'

From: anthony.j.------ (RT Arzonia 68-69)
Subj: Re: Wannabee Wiley Sparks?

The only person I seem to recall from RT Pennsylvania was a Lt. Poole (or 'Pool' not sure the spelling). I believe he was gravely wounded around October 1969 when his Team (if it was in fact Pennsylvania - it's been a long time), was supporting a Co. B Hatchet Force operation. BTW: that particular operation resulted in the Co. Commander (a Capt. Whelen ?) being killed on the LZ on insertion, along with an E-5 Bozekis (sp.?) who was strap-hanging on the mission also being killed with something like 3 weeks or so until his DEROS. A 'Special Ordinance' requiring gas-masks, code name need 'Peanuts' was used to extract the survivors. As I recall Lt. (or Capt.) Wolfgang Glasshauser was the Covey Rider on that extraction.

From: alright4u
 

Robert: It is hard for me to imagine he did not have to volunteer for C&C Det in 68 before even going to the COC course. I recall in June 68 myself and one EM were the only volunteers. We stood out in the COC course as we were the only ones with M-16's in the course. Once I got diverted to Omega the USSF had CAR 15's, unless recon who carried AK's or whatever they wanted to include CAR 15's.

Jon

From: hmclaflin
Sounds like another bull shitter to me. By the way a AK-47 does not lock back after the last round is fired. This one should be easy to bust.

HC

From: anthony.j.------

I was RT Arizona briefly, March - May 1969, as the 1-2 behind Twiggy Dean who was the 1-1, all of us under 1-0 Lt. Darryl Redmen, before I was re-assigned to the Hatchet Force Company A in May of 1969. Never heard of this guy. Furthermore my recollection is that after Lt. Redmen was re-assigned to another unit out of the FOB (early summer 1969?) Arizona was disbanded. Hope this helps.

On Fri, Dec 16, 2016 at 8:10 PM ,  <twaskovic wrote:

I was at CCC jan thru dec 1969 on Recon and hatchet force and never heard of this guy ! Somebody needs to get in his face .

tom w

From: casualhero

RT Arizona disbanded?

I was assigned to RT AZ in Sept 69 when Mike Wilson was 1-0, just a few days before he took the team out. Team was hit hard; he was wounded and sent to hospital.  

I sat around for a week or so until Newman Cooper Ruff (the man with three last names) was assigned as new 1-0 and we spent the next two months building a new RT Arizona. But I don't recall hearing RT Arizona ever being disbanded.  

Never heard anything about this "Skip" fellow either.  

Jason Hardy has a pretty good history of Recon (although not totally accuracy) and if the name hasn't come up in any of his interviews, then likely Skip never was...no one knew everyone, but someone always new someone else.

Don
Soldier/American/Patriot
[email protected]

In a message dated 12/16/2016 6:21:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes:

I research and published the history of Recon Team Arizona in my first Book: MAC V SOG: Team History of a Clandestine Army, Volume I. The name Skip Sparks never came up. The team members during the period of 1968 – 1969 are: LT Darrell Redman, Kyle “Twig” Dean, Anthony Daquino, James Young, Michael Wilson or Newman Ruff. All except Redman are alive and well and can be contacted.

Skip is name dropping guys he only read about in John Plaster’s and John Meyer’s books for example Jim Lamont was out of FOB#4 DaNang, RT Copperhead and is alive and was on the team when Ricardo Davis was lost. His time line is also wrong as Jerry Pool was lost on RT Pennsylvania on March 24, 1970 another famous incident that had been well documented in books.

The Reconnaissance Team Leader’s Corse / 1-0 School was three weeks not a month and a half. Every one that went through the school had to run PART of a mission (usually one day) as a Team Leader (1-0).

The Monkey, I am no expert but I have allot of animals over the years (Not a Monkey mind you) and that appears to be an adult monkey. Jerry Shriver had one that was named Suzi.

I am also confused about the part where he came face to face with a NVA soldier and realized he had an open bolt on his AK-47, that does not even make since? The story got better with the hand to hand combat, until his enemy’s head exploded when he was shot by a fellow team member. This was part of the movie Hamburger Hill.

Jason Hardy  

3. MILITARY RECORDS FROM THE NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORD CENTER March 13, 2017

To view these documents, double click on the image to enlarge them.

National Personnel Record Center Letter for

SPARKS, Wiley, March 13, 2017

Information Releasable Under The Freedom of

Information Act

Extract of Sparks Personal Records