Son Tay Raid During the Vietnam War

The raid on Son Tay prison camp occurred during the Vietnam War.  Colonel Simons and his men captured Son Tay on November 21, 1970. Armies Commanders United States Colonel Arthur D. Bull SimonsLieutenant Colonel Elliot Bud Sydnor56 Special Forces soldiers, 92 airmen, 29 aircraft North Vietnam Leaders: UnknownNumbers: Unknown Son Tay Raid Background In 1970, the US had identified the names of over 500 American POWs who were being held by the North Vietnamese. Sources reported that these prisoners were being held in atrocious conditions and were being cruelly treated by their captors. That June, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Earle G. Wheeler, authorized the formation a fifteen-member planning group to address the issue. Operating under the codename Polar Circle, this group studied the possibility of conducting a night raid on a North Vietnamese POW camp and found that an attack on the camp at Son Tay was feasible and should be attempted. Son Tay Raid Training Two months later, Operation Ivory Coast commenced to organize, plan, and train for the mission. Overall command was given to Air Force Brigadier General LeRoy J. Manor, with Special Forces Colonel Arthur Bull Simons leading the raid itself. While Manor assembled a planning staff, Simons recruited 103 volunteers from the 6th and 7th Special Forces Groups. Based at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, and working under the name Joint Contingency Task Group, Simons men began studying models of the camp and rehearsing the attack on a full-size replica. While Simons men were training, the planners identified two windows, October 21 to 25 and November 21 to 25, which possessed the ideal moonlight and weather conditions for the raid. Manor and Simons also met with Admiral Fred Bardshar to set up a diversionary mission to be flown by naval aircraft. After 170 rehearsals at Eglin, Manor informed the Secretary of Defense, Melvin Laird, that all was ready for the October attack window. Following a meeting at the White House with National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, the raid was delayed until November. Son Tay Raid Planning After using the extra time for further training, JCTG moved to its forward bases in Thailand. For the raid, Simons selected 56 Green Berets from his pool of 103. These men were divided into three groups each with a different mission. The first was the 14-man assault group, Blueboy, which was to land inside the camp compound. This would be supported by the 22-man command group, Greenleaf, which would land outside, then blow a hole in the compound wall and support Blueboy. These were supported by the 20-man Redwine which was to provide security against North Vietnamese reaction forces. Son Tay Raid Execution The raiders were to approach the camp by air aboard helicopters with fighter cover above to deal with any North Vietnamese MiGs. All told, 29 aircraft played a direct role in the mission. Due to the impending approach of Typhoon Patsy, the mission was moved up one day to November 20. Departing their base in Thailand at 11:25 PM on November 20, the raiders had an uneventful flight to the camp as the Navys diversionary raid had achieved its purpose. At 2:18 AM, the helicopter carrying Blueboy successfully crash landed inside the compound at Son Tay. Racing from the helicopter, Captain Richard J. Meadows led the assault team in eliminating the guards and securing the compound. Three minutes later, Col. Simons landed with Greenleaf approximately a quarter mile from their intended LZ. After attacking a nearby North Vietnamese barracks and killing between 100 to 200, Greenleaf re-embarked and flew to the compound. In Greenleafs absence, Redwine, led by Lieutenant Colonel Elliott P. â€Å"Bud† Sydnor, landed outside Son Tay and executed Greenleafs mission as per the operations contingency plans. After conducting a thorough search of the camp, Meadows radioed Negative Items to the command group signaling that no POWs were present. At 2:36, the first group departed by helicopter, followed by the second nine minutes later. The raiders arrived back in Thailand at 4:28, approximately five hours after departing, having spent a total of twenty-seven minutes on the ground. Son Tay Raid Aftermath Brilliantly executed, American casualties for the raid were one wounded. This occurred when a helicopter crewman broke his ankle during the insertion of Blueboy. In addition, two aircraft were lost in the operation. North Vietnamese casualties were estimated at between 100 to 200 killed. Intelligence later revealed that the POWs at Son Tay had been moved to a camp fifteen miles away in July. While some intelligence indicated this immediately prior to the raid, there was not the time to change the target. Despite this intelligence failure, the raid was deemed a tactical success due to its nearly flawless execution. For their actions during the raid, the members of the task force were awarded six Distinguished Service Crosses, five Air Force Crosses, and eighty-three Silver Stars.

What Are They Key For Success - 1650 Words

Justin Pauciello Period 1 May 4th, 2015 WHAT IS THEY KEY TO SUCCESS? Standing on One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington, one is simply flabbergasted at the nearby mountainous office towers, studded with immaculate windows, hazily reflecting the sun. How did one man, Bill Gates, establish these headquarters and virtually mold this 370$ billion company from so little? Many would argue that his intrinsic genius, inherited traits, and sheer brilliance are to blame for his success; after all, he is the wealthiest man in America. However, few know of the objective factors that are highly likely to lead to one’s success, such as environment and upbringing, their work ethic, and their familial connections as well as ability to plan. In this case, Bill Gates come from an extremely well to do family, and thus attended and lived two blocks from one of the nation’s most prestigious schools, Lakeside in Seattle. 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Artifact Description free essay sample

I dated the document as when Barton actually was given permission to first go to the battlefield by Colonel Pucker. Then, I signed it as the colonel for authenticity. To be properly and appropriately clothed, Barton wore a dress even on the battlefield as it was disrespectful to wear anything less. The ~’Angel of the Battlefield was known to wear a dress and apron. This artifact explains how Clara Barton was dressed most of the time. Miss Barton was given the task of finding and identifying missing soldiers, prisoners of war, and also dead men. Shed write to family members of these heroes to tell of her findings. In this artifact, the letter is written from Clara Barton to ask people if they have seen any soldiers. One of Miss Bartons later accomplishments was that of helping come up with the original first aid kits. This small and accessible tool forever changed the practice of nursing. We will write a custom essay sample on Artifact Description or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It has a variety of helpful things in the case of an emergency. The First Aid Kit has developed over the years and has contributed to getting aid quickly. The amethyst pansy brooch and smoky topaz brooch presented to Miss Barton by her dear friend, the Grand Duchess Louise, became her most cherished possessions. Clara Barton wore this brooch everywhere she went. It was one of her most valued possessions as well. â€Å"A Memory of Salferino,† by Harry Dunant was one of her favorite books to read in free time. The book gave her many inspirations and ideas of what to do in her life, it motivated her completely. The artifact helped her decide who she wanted to become. A newspaper was written in honor of Clara Barton. It explains why Barton should be entered into the power hall of fame. The artifact was written a few years later after Clara Barton’s death and showed her impact and accomplishments. As I was looking through a box of Clara Barton’s belongings, I found a letter that was written to one of her cousins during the time of The Civil War. The artifact above expresses her feelings to her cousin and how she really misses her. It was one of the pages from her diary. An artifact which was the most important to Clara Barton was the picture of her father. He was a huge impact on Clara Barton’s life and after his death; she kept his picture with her through all of her journeys.

Irvings American Progeny Essays - The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

Irving's American Progeny Irvings American Progeny Washington Irving had the unique opportunity of helping a new nation forge its own identity. America, fresh out of the revolution, looked for an author to take charge and create something that seemed to be missing from the newly born nation. He took this responsibility seriously and made a mythology that founded an American literary tradition. He took bits and pieces from the Old World and incorporated them into the New in such a manner that what he wrote appeared original, and yet tied into a tradition that was centuries old. He did this in a manner that astonished many Europeans who believed an American could never produce literature with such a strong English foundation. Although Irving relied heavily on European influence, he drew distinct lines between the American and the European and his plot lines illustrate the struggle between the United States and England. This amazing period in the nations history provided an excellent backdrop for Irvings work. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (is)a celebration of the bounty of the United States, (Bowden, 72). This bounty fueled the fire of social change that was burning in the U.S. at the time. If we ever had a period during which social progress was not retarded then it was exactly the period Rip slept through. In that generation we were transformed from a group of loosely bound and often provincial colonies into a cocky and independent republic with a new kind of government andas the story itself makes clear enougha whole new and new-fashioned spirit, (Young, 466). Irving took full advantage of the new scene around him, and immortalized himself by demonstrating the importance of what he saw. When I first wrote the Legend of Rip Van Winkle, so Irving remembered it in 1843, my thoughts had been for some time turned towards giving a color of romance and tradition to interesting points of our national scen ery which is so generally deficient in our country, (Wagenknecht, 174). Irving used his characters as depictions of American ideals and emotions in order to show the drastic change that had recently occurred. Sleeping through the American Revolution forced Rip Van Winkle to cope with the amazing changes that had taken place while he was asleep. Rips country has changed its name. On the hotel sign, George III has given way to George Washington. Rip is no longer even Rip Van Winkle; his own son now answers to that designation, (Hedges, 140). From Rips point of view, the village he left represented private turmoil and public tranquility. At the storys end, Rip enjoys private tranquility in a village given over to public turmoil. It is almost as if the one is the price that Rip has to pay for the other, (Roth, 158-159). Rips world had undergone unpredictable changes, but he quickly got back into the swing of his old easygoing life swapping stories outside of the hotel. Irving also demonstrated the volatility of the times by his definition of history. Irvings introduction of Ichabod Crane defines a particular problem of the early American writer. In this by-place of nature, he writes, there abode, in a remote period of American history, that is to say, some thirty years since, a worthy wight of the name Ichabod Crane. The archaic substantive wight serves to emphasize the incongruity of the introduction; only in the America of the time could a remote period of history be defined as thirty years, (Martin, 336-337). Irving took this peculiarity and used it to his advantage in a humorous way. He allowed Americans to laugh at the newness of their government while helping them realize the exceptionality of the time period they had just experienced. He also uses humor in creating his American mythology, while scoffing at those who believe in such supernatural occurrences. Springer gives validity to the imaginative elements of The Legend. What Irving does is show us the value of imagination in bringing wonder and enjoyment into our logic bound lives, (483). Martin disagrees with this notion. Crane loses all chance for the double prize of Katrina and the wealth of the Van Tassel farm when, terrified by his excessive imagination, he is literally run out of the