In this issue:
From the Archive:
“A Proud Heritage and Braided Lineage—A Tangled Lineage”
In honor of the 55th anniversary on February 1 of the redesignation of the LRP companies and detachments as lettered Ranger companies of the 75th Infantry Regiment—from the April 2016 Sentinel: Kenn Miller discusses the complex and intertwined history of the US Army Rangers and Special Forces lineages.
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print edition (pdf)
ON THE COVER: A Ranger instructor explains to the company of Rangers the technical instructions of repelling from the 50 ft. rock to his left in Dahlonega, Georgia, during the Mountain Phase of the Ranger training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo) (released)
SOGCast
Untold stories of MAC-V SOG. Vietnam. The Secret War.
040: Duong Ngoc Nhu – Heroic Kingbee pilot saved SOG teams in Laos, Cambodia.
041: Duong Ngoc Nhu – After war spends years escaping communism.
John Stryker Meyer, call sign—Tilt, interviews Duong Ngoc Nhu, who during the eight-year secret war, was a Kingbee pilot in one of the bravest aviation units, the 219th Special Operations Sqaudron of the S. Vietnamese Air Force.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or other major podcast providers. Video episodes are available on our YouTube channel SOGCast playlist.
Honor U.S. MACV-SOG with the Congressional Gold Medal
4,147 people have signed the petition to honor the MACV-SOG with the Congressional Gold Medal. We are planning on sending the petition and signatures onto Capital Hill soon. So once again, we still need your help! If you’ve already signed, please share this petition on social media, by email, or even by word of mouth! Any American citizen is qualified to sign.
Read and share Jack Murphy’s “The push has begun to have MACV-SOG awarded a Congressional Gold Medal” on Audacy.com. This article discusses the history of MACV-SOG, why this award has not been presented to them already, and what it would mean to the men and their families.
From the Editor:
We begin this Sentinel with a Letter to the Editor by relatives of Green Beret-turned-Sandanista David Baez. It was sent to author Greg Walker to both confirm the accuracy of Greg’s Sentinel articles and to express profound thanks for what his efforts have meant to his family.
A remarkable former Green Beret, among other things, James R. Webb has written Innovators Who Changed the World. My review of this delightful and informative book describes his many subjects and their common threads. Please be sure to read his biography at the end of his Chapter 4 on the U.S. Army Rangers, which follows my review.
Featured from “Innovators” is the story of the origins and history of America’s U.S. Army Rangers, from the French and Indian War through World War II. Included is a breakdown of today’s Ranger School and how they teach infantry tactics, perseverance, flexibility, and most of all, leadership. As with other innovators, the most successful candidates are those that inspire others to push themselves and buy into the unit’s mission.
Next, our frequent contributor, Marc Yablonka, shares, in “Holocaust Memories,” a short history of his family’s dangerous dealings with the Nazis in France, some of the many perilous circumstances they endured, and some of the people who took great risks to help them. This is a poignant reminder of the evils that SF fights around the world.
And please enjoy pictures from our Christmas Party at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Newport Beach, CA, and the swearing-in of our new and returning chapter officers. Our keynote speaker, on loan from SFA Chapter 4-24, Chris Sorenson, told us about his and others’ activities at the beginning of the U.S. response to the 9/11 attacks. We also had the privilege of a visit by our distinguished guest, one of the SF Originals, Vahan Sipantzi. The meeting was a “thank you” and “goodbye” to our outgoing president, Greg Horton, and an introduction to our new president, Aaron Brandenburg, a GWOT veteran.
We have been able to share a lot of interesting and informative articles with you because of the many people who have submitted materials to us. Please help us preserve the record of what you have done by letting us know your story.
How Miller
Sentinel Editor
SENTINEL Awards
- Awarded best Special Forces Association Monthly Newsletter at SFA National Convention June 2011 and 2014
- Awarded Golden Quill at SFA National Convention June 2015 and June 2016
- Best Newsletter Award for 2017 from Special Forces Association National Board of Directors at the International Convention in Fayetteville, NC
- Special Forces Association (SFA) Cross Arrow Award for Excellence, 2018, First Award Presented by SFA in this category
- The War Reporters Award, Presented by Alex Quade – (War Reporter and Film Producer) for Chapter 78 Sentinel’s Commitment documenting Special Forces History, July 2018
- The Golden Arrows for Excellence in Newsletters 2019 awarded by SFA National
- The Golden Arrows for Excellence in Newsletters 2020 awarded by SFA National
The Sentinel is published monthly by Special Forces Association Chapter 78, Southern California — art direction and design by Debra Holm, Dinwiddie Holm Graphics. The views, opinions and articles printed in this issue do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Army or the United States Special Operations Command, the Special Forces Association, or Special Forces Association Chapter 78. Please address any comments to the editor at sfachapter78@gmail.com.
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