1965

10 Jul 65- William Horner, SSG E-6, USASF, MACVSOG, Ops 34, 60mm mortar accident, at Long Thanh; the round blew when it exited the tube.

I have just been looking through this site. Interesting. I think I can say as far as being one of the first permanently assigned to SOG in 1964. I can give you all of the names from the 5th SF. The Commander was Col Clyde Russell, Logistics was Maj Hanz Manz, NCOIC of Logistics was MSG Linwood E. Pate, SSG James McGlon, O&I in MACVSOG headquarters on Pasture Street and I had what was called House 10. Was responsible for all of rigging of bundles for the indig teams, all of their equipment and working with them with the airborne training at Camp Long Thanh. Most of the guys at the camp were from the 1st SF, some TDY, a few PCS at the time. I was there from 64-65. SSG Bill Horner was my replacement and he was killed on June 65 at the camp firing a 60 mm mortor. Round went off just as it left the barrel. Could tell you quite a few stories about the early days and the problems we had. Just thought I would drop a few lines about this. Many do not know about those of us in 64. MAJ Dan Baldwin was suppose to be OIC of House 10 but he spent all of his time with the ARVN Rangers trying to make combat jumps with them. LTC Karavoric was the Camp Commander, but he spent quite a bit of his time at House 10. Like working with the teams we were getting ready for insertion. Well enough of this. Getting old at 71 and most of the old stories in the past now. I did spend 68-69 at CCC. Worked with Bob Howard, Bill DeLima, Bill Hanson, Ralph Rodd, Joe Walker, Allen Farrell, Roy Lamphier, Anthony Dorff, Ethal Duffield, Insane Lasane and a few more I cant remember. Have lots of pictures from 68-69.

1965 Aug 27 JACKSON, CARL E. CPT and SSG ROTH, BILLY L. SSG, Loadmaster USAF 1st FLIGHT DETACHMENT MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND, VIETNAM STUDIES AND OBSERVATION GROUP 1131st SPECIAL ACTIVITIES SQUADRON 12th DETACHMENT

On June 27, 1965 a C-123 operated on a night mission from Nha Trang to Saigon with 14 "Chinese Nationalists" on board. The two American crewmen consisted of pilot and aircraft commander CAPT Carl E. Jackson and loadmaster SSGT Billie L. Roth. The C-123 had been used on a MACV-SOG mission. The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG), was a joint service high command unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The aircraft had no standard markings on it, but was painted with a unique camo pattern of low-reflectivity black, green and brown paint. The aircraft was rigged with pylons on it. All aircraft were sanitized as well as the nationality and individuality of those on board. While on approach, the C-123 started receiving ground-fire and subsequently crashed. The crash occurred at 2245 hours, 5 miles south of Bien Hoa. Rescue crews arrived at the scene and found that there were no survivors. Immediately MACV SOG took charge and sent out an aircraft recovery team. Three bodies were removed, but CAPT Jackson’s and SSGT Roth’s bodies were not recovered. Forty Popular Forces personnel and two sergeants were sent to protect the crash site. The FBI was brought in to fingerprint all on board however, and none of the bodies could be identified as either of the two U.S. crewmen. [Taken from pownetwork.org and talkingproud.us]

SENT TO ME THRU FACEBOOK, 12/1/15

I was stationed with your Dad Captain Carl E. Jackson. I saw his plane, a C-123 aircraft only know as 'E' aircraft. At the time when I worked on them they'd were run by the CIA and MACV-SOG. I only knew your Dad as a Pilot with the Air Force Air Commandos he flew with the Chinese Nationalist Pilots that normally flew these five Very Special and Secretive C-123s. I was suppose to be working on another aircraft that wasn't in country as of yet. It was the Forward Air Control Aircraft and I was to be crew chief on one of them. Your Father lifted off on June 27th 1965 around noon and the ground crew and myself waited all night for the C-123s to come back but in the meantime the Base at Nha Trang was mortared and we found out that is why the five C-123s took off earlier that day. Well when the Base was mortared five of the eight rounds of mortar hit exactly right where we had all five aircraft parked that morning. It wasn't until the next morning that we heard that the 'E' aircraft with. Your Father aboard was lost on the late afternoon of June 27th 1965 on its approach to Tan Son Nhut AB. When the crash site had been spotted a few days later the Chinese Nationalist crew were found KIA but you Father and the Aircraft's Loadmaster were missing. Your Father and the rest of the Air Commando Crew lived off base so we never mingled together on base. Like I said these five aircraft were too Secretive and the members of these aircraft were also too special just to be seen around the town or base, only to fly the planes. Sorry for your loss and sorry I don't have any more information for you

18 Oct 65, Larry Alan Thorne, Cpt 0-3, S-3 Kham Duc Norwalk, Conn; USASF, Shining Brass, FOB#1, Kham Duc, Crashed outside of Da Nang aboard Vietnamese CH-34, MIA long with the Vietnamese Pilot, Co-pilot, and Door Gunner all whom were KIA. Cpt Thorne became missing after inserting the first MACV-SOG mission from Kham Duc into Laos. (Cpt Thorne was involved in the insertion of the 1st Shining Brass Recon Mission ran by Charles "Slate" Petry, Jim "Halo" Smith, and William "Willie" Card. Cpt Thorne was a passenger when the aircraft crashed) (See the story by Al Friend, A Walk in the Indian Camp in the Tales from SOG section). [Thorne is featured on page 35-37, SOG, A Photo History of the Secret Wars by John Plaster]. For more on Larry Thorne, click on Thorne. Also visit Larry Thorne's video clip (Site 2) (Site 3) (Site 4) (Book) Lauri Alan Törni was born in Viipuri, Viipuri Province, when it was controlled by Finland. In 1945 the region was finally ceded to the Soviet Union following the Winter War and Continuation War. He served with the Finnish and German armies in the wars against the Soviet Union. In 1950, he immigrated to the United States and joined the US Army in 1954A soldier of 3 armies.

18 Oct 65; Harley B Pyles, Maj 04 20TH TAC AIR SPT SQDN, 6250TH TAC AIR SPT GROUP, 13TH AF and Windfield W. Sisson, Cpt, 0-3, USMC, SOG Liaison Officer, 0-1 Bird Dog, FAC, OP 34-Da Nang Air Base,-MIA (Maj Pyle was tasked to orbit the 1^st Shining Brass Recon Mission ran by Charles "Slate" Petry, Jim "Halo" Smith, and William "Willie" Card [see Al Friend’s story A Walk in Indian Country, Tales From SOG], to keep a watch on the weather and alert fighter aircraft if the team got into trouble. The aircraft crashed in bad weather as they were returning to Da Nang)

Harley B. Pyles was a Bird Dog Forward Air Controller assigned to the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Da Nang. He and CAPT Winfield W. Sission (USMC) took off from Kham Duc Special Forces Camp in an O-1E (#56-2600) to lead a flight of helicopters carrying ARVN troops to a landing zone in enemy territory. Later, they controlled an air strike, made a Bomb Damage Assessment, and then started back to their base. They were operating above a low cloud base when they disappeared about 10 miles from Da Nang. CAPT Sisson was reported as a POW but never returned. Their mission was to orbit the 1st Shining Brass Recon Mission ran by Charles "Slate" Petry, Jim "Halo" Smith, and William "Willie" Card as they patrolled the Ho Chi Minh Trail. They were tasked with keeping a watch on the weather and alert fighter aircraft if the team got into trouble. The aircraft crashed in bad weather as they were returning to Da Nang. COL Pyles was promoted while missing and his remains were eventually returned. He was from Enon, Ohio and was 43 and married when he was declared dead on February 4, 1974. [Taken from fac-assoc.org and macvsog.cc]

28 Oct 65; Robert J Fay, Commander, LTC 0-5, CO of US Naval Advisory Det, Ban Dao Son Tra (Monkey Mountain), Op 3 1-Maritime Studies Branch; (Fatally wounded by mortar round while inspecting compound perimeter (LTC Fay was the commander of SOG Ops 31 and was the first Navy "frogman" killed in Vietnam).