Journal of Army Special Operations History PB 31-05-2 Vol
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Journal of Army Special Operations History PB 31-05-2 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2006 In this issue . The Origins of Det-K 39 The 160th SOAR in the Philippines 54 The 422nd CAB in OIF 70 KOREA TURKEY GERMANY MYANMAR (Burma) FRANCE IRAQ EL SALVADOR PHILIPPINES In This Issue: In the past sixty years, ARSOF units and personnel have made history in diverse places throughout the world. Locations highlighted in this issue of Veritas are indicated on the map above. Burma—Merrill’s Marauders Philippines—E Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment France and Germany—512th Airborne Signal Company and 112th Airborne Turkey—528th Special Operations Support Battalion Army Signal Battalion Iraq—5th Special Forces Group, 422nd Civil Korea—2nd Ranger Infantry Company and Affairs Battalion, and 315th Psychological U.S. Special Forces Detachment–Korea Operations Company El Salvador—Special Forces trainers Rangers in IEDs in Infiltrating PYSOP in 27 Korea 47 El Salvador 64 Wadi al Khirr 76 Baghdad CONTENTS 3 Airborne Signal: The 112th (Special Opera- 54 Night Stalkers in the Philippines: tions) Signal Battalion in World War I Tragedy and Triumph in Balikatan 02-1 by Cherilyn A. Walley by Kenneth Finlayson 19 From Ledo to Leeches: The 5307th 60 Out of Turkey: The 528th Special Composite Unit (Provisional) Operations Support Battalion by Cherilyn A. Walley by Cherilyn A. Walley with A. Dwayne Aaron 22 The End Run of Galahad: 64 Infiltrating Wadi al Khirr Airfield The Battle of Myitkyina by Robert W. Jones Jr. by Kenneth Finlayson 70 Order From Chaos: The 422nd 27 The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company: CA Battalion in OIF “Buffaloes” in Korea by Cherilyn A. Walley with 29 December 1950–19 May 1951 Michael R. Mullins by Charles H. Briscoe 76 Psychological Operations in Baghdad 39 SF Detachment 39: SFLE in Korea by Cherilyn A. Walley by Cherilyn A. Walley and Charles H. Briscoe 81 Frank E. Allen 47 Los Artefactos Explosivos Improvisados by Charles H. Briscoe Improvised Explosive Devices 84 Colonel Aaron Bank in El Salvador by Kenneth Finlayson by Charles H. Briscoe 86 Books in the Field 88 Historical Snapshot COVER: World War II airborne troops in Operation DRAGOON—the invasion of Southern France—arrived by parachute and by glider. Sol- diers with 1st Airborne Task Force Headquarters, including signalmen from the 512th Airborne Signal Company, moved quickly from their gliders to the command post near le Mitan. Vol. 2 No. 1 The Azimuth of the USASOC History Office The very Ongoing positive responses interests include to the second Veritas, a legacy units in the “spectrum” issue, indicate China-Burma-India The- that we are “on azimuth” with ater—Merrill’s Marauders, our audience in how we are pre- MARS Task Force, and the OSS. senting ARSOF history. We have Early Special Forces, Psychological been pleased to see that our distribu- Operations, and Civil Affairs opera- tion has grown weekly, and comments tions are of constant interest. The His- and feedback continue to arrive from the tory Office welcomes input from the field field. E-mails and letters from our readers in the form of articles, photographs or are always welcome; that is one way we stay interviews. attuned to the ARSOF community. Forthcoming projects include the book Ensuring that all of ARSOF gets covered All Roads Lead to Baghdad: ARSOF in Iraq and in each Veritas is a constant challenge. Regular three posters. The first poster was produced features like “Books in the Field,” “Histori- in conjunction with the 21 November 2005 cal Snapshot,” and the back cover preview of memorialization of the Special Operations upcoming articles in the next Veritas will con- Academic Facility in honor of Colonel Aaron tinue. Because 2005 was the start-up year, only Bank. The poster features an oil painting of two issues were published. In 2006, the journal Colonel Bank by Lieutenant Colonel Edward will truly become a quarterly publication. A. McHale, a long-time 10th SFG officer. The The azimuth defines the direction of the second ARSOF history poster depicting the USASOC History Office. In the immediate OEF-Afghanistan campaign will be distrib- future are book-length studies on ARSOF uted in late January, and one for LTG William in the Korean War, ARSOF in El Salvador, P. Yarborough is scheduled for March 2006. ARSOF and Camp MacKall, and Somalia. Effective September 2005, the USASOC Veritas will continue to examine the early History Office was relocated to H-1715 on roots of Army Special Operations, from Son Tay Road. the legacy units of World War II through To all the veterans—from World War on-going campaigns in the Global II to OEF and OIF now—thanks for War on Terrorism. Future historical agreeing to be interviewed and shar- studies will encompass the ARSOF ing photos, maps, and memorabilia. campaigns in the Balkans and The time and contributions pro- in Latin America as well as vide “life” and make ARSOF specific events involv- history more interesting ing USASOC units. and meaningful. Veritas: Veritas is published quarterly by the Copies: Additional copies may be requested Command Historian and Editor: United States Army Special Operations Command, from the address below or by e-mailing one of our Charles H. Briscoe, PhD, [email protected] Fort Bragg, North Carolina (ISSN 1553-9830). The editors. contents are not necessarily the official views of, Managing Editor: Questions: Address questions and comments nor endorsed by, the U.S. government, Department Wendy Nielsen, [email protected] of Defense, USSOCOM, or USASOC. The contents to USASOC, ATTN: AOHS Veritas, E-2929 Desert are compiled, edited, and prepared by the USASOC Storm Drive, Fort Bragg, NC 28310, or e-mail one of Associate Editors: our editors. History Office. All photos not credited are courtesy Kenn Finlayson, PhD, [email protected] of the USASOC History Office. Submit manuscripts, art, illus- Submissions: LTC Robert W. Jones Jr., [email protected] Copyright: Material in Veritas may be reprinted, trations, and photos to the address above. Digital except where copyrighted, provided credit is given format is preferred. Please provide complete con- Photo Editor: tact information for all submissions. The USASOC to Veritas and the creators. Earl J. Moniz, [email protected] History Office reserves the right to edit all copy pre- sented for publication. Veritas Wesel Airborne Signal Le Muy The 112th (Special Operations) Signal Battalion in World War II by Cherilyn A. Walley “Though the life of this unit was only Like Normandy, the invasion of Southern France was seven months and its achievements or name will never a combined sea and airborne assault. The division-sized be recognized by the historians of World War II, the role 1st Airborne Task Force (ABTF) led the air phase of the it played during the invasion and liberation of Southern operation. It was under the command of Major General France will be remembered in the heart of every soldier Robert T. Frederick, former commanding in the First Airborne Task Force.”1 officer of the First Special Service Force This lament is found in a 1945 pam- (FSSF). In addition to the battle-hard- phlet recording the brief history of the ened FSSF, which made an amphibious 512th Airborne Signal Company. Little assault, the task force was composed of did the authors know that the unit virtually every available parachute and First Airborne they served and loved would form glider unit in the Mediterranean Theater Task Force Tab the foundation of today’s 112th Special of Operations to support Seventh Army’s Operations Signal Battalion (Airborne), three-division VI Corps landing force. a vital part of Army special operations The British 2nd Independent Parachute combat support. This article chronicles Brigade and 64th Light Artillery Battal- the adventures and accomplishments ion were joined by American parachute of the 512th Airborne Signal Company and glider units: the American 517th and 112th Airborne Army Signal Bat- Parachute Combat Team (consisting of talion in World War II. the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Troops with the 51th wore the Beginning in 1943, Allied war plan- 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, Airborne Com- ners considered an invasion of South- 596th Airborne Engineer Company, and mand shoulder ern France in support of Operation the newly glider-qualified Antitank Com- patch during Overlord, the Normandy invasion. pany of the Japanese-American 442nd Operation Dra- The decision whether or not to execute Infantry Regiment), the 509th Parachute Goon. Operation Anvil was debated, made, Infantry Battalion reinforced by the 463rd First Special and retracted more than once, even as Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, the Service Force planning continued. General Dwight D. 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, and Eisenhower’s argument that the port of Marseilles, France, the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion. Various other spe- was needed to support a thrust into Germany prevailed cialized units were drawn from forces in Italy and North over British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s desire Africa, including the 512th Airborne Signal Company.3 to push north through Italy and into the Balkans ahead The 512th Airborne Signal Company’s mission was to of the Russians. When Allied forces seized Rome earlier provide communications support to the airborne element than expected in June 1944, the necessary men and assets of the Allied invasion force. Headquarters Seventh Army became available to conduct Anvil. With Allied troops at Lido de Roma, Italy, issued General Orders No. 41 on 14 stuck halfway up Italy and unable to break out of the July 1944, activating the 512th Airborne Signal Company.4 Normandy beachhead, and with storms further limiting When the Seventh Army Airborne Division (Provisional) use of northern French ports, the second half of August was renamed the 1st Airborne Task Force on 21 July 1944, was determined to be the ideal time to execute what was the 512th was already organizing men and equipment in now being called Operation Dragoon.2 support of the task force’s mission.5 Vol.