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Apr 3 6 tweets 5 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
SPECIAL FORCES AND OPERATIONS IN VIETNAM
The modern conception of U.S. military special operations crystallized during the #VietnamWar, when elite special forces units conducted clandestine operations under the command of the MACV Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG).
MACV-SOG was created on 24 JAN 1964 as a joint task force dedicated to covert operations under the command of a U.S. Army Special Forces colonel; accession to the unit was strictly voluntary, and the Army 5th Special Forces Group provided the largest share of volunteers. #USArmy
Its elements conducted a wide range of sensitive missions, including strategic reconnaissance, personnel recovery, psychological operations, direct action, sabotage, and counterintelligence. As the war escalated SOG grew, and its activities expanded into other countries.
#TRADOC
SOG became famous for its small-unit incursions into neighboring North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. These typically consisted of 2–3 SOG operatives and 6–9 indigenous auxiliaries who gathered intel deep within hostile territory, often encountering enemy resistance.
#Armyhistory
As the war wound down, the need for SOG’s services declined, and the unit disbanded on 30 APR 1972. As the first theater-level Joint Special Operations Task Force, SOG was an important precursor to modern special forces operations during the Global War on Terror.
@USArmy @TRADOC
Nine Army #SpecialForces operatives earned the Medal of Honor for actions during their service with SOG, although the veil of secrecy surrounding SOG meant their exploits only became widely known after the end of the Vietnam War. #VietnamVeterans #MilitaryHistory #GreenBerets

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More from @USArmyCMH

Apr 5
M48 PATTON MAIN BATTLE TANK - END OF THE VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION

Part of the Patton family of main battle tanks, the M48 saw widespread use by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, providing crucial infantry support, particularly in intense urban combat. Image
Originally developed in the early 1950’s as a first-generation main battle tank, the M48 was quickly modified in several variants. The model which was most common in the Vietnam War was the M48A3, developed in the late 1950’s.
#TRADOC #Armor #VietnamWar #Armyhistory #USArmy
Although it was superseded by the M60 tank in the early 1960’s, the M48 performed well in Vietnam, where the scarcity of tank-on-tank combat allowed the slightly behind-the-times M48 to shine in infantry support and convoy defense roles.
#VietnamWarHistory #VietnamVeterans Image
Read 5 tweets
Apr 5
U.S. ALLIES IN VIETNAM - END OF VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION

Although the U.S. was the main military supporter of South Vietnam, combat troops from South Korea, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand fought in the Vietnam War as well.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC Image
South Korea was the second-greatest contributor of forces, sending over 300,000 soldiers to Vietnam from 1965 – 1972, where they earned a reputation for combat efficiency. By the end of 1972, most foreign forces in-country were South Korean.
#VietnamWar #VietnamWarHistory Image
Australian advisors assisted the ARVN as early as 1962, and both Australia and New Zealand began sending ground combat elements in 1965, with their troops often serving together. Australia sent 60,000 soldiers over the course of the war, while New Zealand sent 3,000. Image
Read 5 tweets
Apr 5
5 APRIL 1945 - PO VALLEY CAMPAIGN BEGINS - #WWII

On 5 April 1945, Allied forces pushed across the Po River Valley, and, as German resistance crumbled, made rapid advances which ended with the surrender of the German forces in Italy on 2 May 1945.
#armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC Image
After another slow, arduous advance over rugged terrain, in poor weather, against a determined, well-entrenched, and skillful enemy, by April 1945 the superbly led and combat-hardened Allied 15th Army Group enjoyed overwhelming numerical superiority on the ground and in the air.
On the evening of 2 May, the 15th Army Group headquarters, commanded by General Mark Clark, transmitted the cease-fire orders throughout northern Italy, and the remaining Axis forces laid down their arms within the next forty-eight hours.
#POValley #MilitaryHistory @USArmy Image
Read 5 tweets
Apr 4
SOLDIER PROFILE - GENERAL WILLIAM WESTMORELAND - VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION

Widely remembered as the face of the U.S. war effort in Vietnam, GEN Westmoreland commanded Military Assistance Command – Vietnam (MACV) from 1964 to 1968.

#Armyhistory #USArmy Image
Westmoreland’s career began at West Point, after which he climbed up the ranks during WWII, during which he garnered a sterling reputation. He further burnished his career by becoming the youngest MG in the U.S. Army in 1956 and superintendent of West Point in 1960.
In JAN 1964, Westmoreland was made deputy commander of MACV; in JUN he was elevated to overall command. He occupied that role for the next four years, during which he would become the primary force shaping U.S. military strategy in the region.
#VietnamWar #VietnamWarHistory Image
Read 8 tweets
Apr 4
AMERICAN FORCES VIETNAM NETWORK (GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!) - END OF THE VIETNAM WAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION

AFVN was a U.S. military radio network which entertained troops with music, comedy, and news and was immortalized in the 1987 movie Good Morning, Vietnam. ImageImage
A direct successor to the famous U.S. Army-operated Armed Forces Radio Service radio stations of WWII, AFVN began broadcasting in Saigon under the banner of Armed Forces Radio Saigon in AUG 1962. As the network grew it was renamed AFVN.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #DINFOS Image
AFVN’s round-the-clock broadcasts became an important source of news of current events and provided a respite from the hardships of military life through music and humor. AFVN stations also became a tool for broadcasting information to the Vietnamese people.
#PublicAffairs ImageImage
Read 7 tweets
Apr 4
4 APRIL 2003 – BATTLE OF NAJAF ENDS – OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM 20TH ANNIVERSARY

As U.S. Army units penetrated the Euphrates Valley in the opening days of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF), they surrounded the key city of Najaf during the headlong dash towards Baghdad.

#ArmyHistory Image
Located at a strategic position on the highways to Karbala and Baghdad, the 3rd ID began to encircle Najaf on 24 MAR. That night, the 11th Aviation Regiment’s AH-64 Apache helicopters staged a deep-penetration assault against the elite Iraqi Medina Division near the city. Image
The Apaches survived a coordinated enemy effort to eliminate the strike force and were followed shortly thereafter by the 3rd ID itself, which blazed through the Medina Division en route to Baghdad. Najaf remained isolated, as-yet uncaptured by U.S. forces. Image
Read 6 tweets

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