January 2023 Sentinel

From the Editor:

I left 3SFG at Fort Bragg more than 50 years ago for a “paid vacation in the sunny tropics” with the 5th Group, as the junior medic at an A camp on the Cambodian border — A325 Duc Hue.

I got the opportunity to represent Chapter 78 at events for the Q-Course Class 331 graduation, at Fort Bragg in November and packed in as much activity as time allowed, along with Duc Hue team mate Lew Chapman, commo man.

Our first story covers the barbecue co-sponsored by Chapter 78 (SoCal) and Chapter 1-18 (Fayetteville) as an introduction to SFA and what it has to offer the graduates in the future. That was followed by our attendance and support for the new Green Berets at the graduation.

The JFK Special Warfare Museum was a treat to visit, and that was topped by meeting Director Roxanne Merritt, who has been working there for forty years. She and her staff are part of the SF Family. The displays that they have put together and maintained, are informative, interesting, and leave you both appreciative of the accomplishments of SF and wanting more.

The fascinating story of Sully deFontaine in the rapidly deteriorating, newly-independent Republic of the Congo, came to us in a Letter to the Editor. Jack Lawson was able to extract the story from the soft-spoken Sully, and they collaborated to bring out an SF success story that virtually nobody knew about. Jack sent me the book “The Slaver’s Wheel” to review and I insisted he let us publish a couple of riveting chapters.

John Stryker Meyer was another Green Beret whose story, along with those of his intrepid peers in SOG, was not allowed to be told until many years afterward. John has written several books about SOG, including his Across the Fence series, about the super secret war behind enemy lines in Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. He shares with us one of those stories centered around New Years, the enemy never letting up, and loyalty.

SGM James O. Schmidt has left us. Remarkable doesn’t begin to describe his life. He made a combat jump into Sicily at 15 and continued to have an amazing career. He earned a very rare 3 CIBs and fought in Korea at Chosin Reservoir, and was CSM of 5th group in Vietnam. Add in a stint with Air America and a long civilian career. This tribute was written by his fellow SF Jack Williams.

We end with our chapter meeting pictures.

Enjoy.

How Miller

Sentinel Editor