Sentinel NEWSLETTER OF THE QUIET PROFESSIONALS SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER 78 The LTC Frank J. Dallas Chapter VOLUME 12, ISSUE 8 • AUGUST 2021 REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN 16 SF KIA FOB 4/CCN, August 23, 1968 A Letter From A Friend A Soldier’s Tribute to a Friend Lost at FOB4 Afghanistan to Arlington — We Are Sentinels Assault Into the Sangin Valley — “That’s What Heroes Do” August 2021 | Sentinel i From the Editor VOLUME 12, ISSUE 8 • AUGUST 2021 This issue has many aspects: action, respect, IN THIS ISSUE: introspection, great writing, and good news, President’s Page .............................................................. 1 from CHIEFSOG Jack Singlaub’s 100th birth- day, to long overdue recognition with legend- US ARMY SPECIAL Happy Birthday MG Singlaub .......................................... 2 ary Ranger Ralph Pucket’s Medal of Honor, OPS COMMAND 60 Army Special Operators Awards described by John Friberg, editor of SOF. Upgraded for Operation Gothic Serpent .......................... 3 NEWS, and a USASOC announcement of 60 Col (Ret.) Ralph Puckett Medal of Honor ......................... 3 Silver Stars and more for Mogadishu actions. How Miller US ARMY 16 SF KIAs — August 23, 1968: John “Tilt” Meyer recalls how formidable the JFK SWCS NVA THROUGH THE WIRE… FOB 4/CCN .................... 4 Sentinel Editor NVA were, the arch enemies of MACV-SOG. Through planning, intelligence, sympathizers A Letter From a Friend ..................................................... 8 and reckless self-regard, the NVA managed Afghanistan to Arlington — to attack the super-secret CCN where they lived, with devastating 1ST SF COMMAND We Are Sentinels of History & Our Fallen ...................... 10 results. John gives a blunt account of how many things went wrong at Assault Into the Sangin Valley — FOB4, and what it took to overcome them. “That’s What Heroes Do” ...................................................14 Chapter 78 Gold Star member Steve Bric, lost his brother Bill at Book Review: Indochina in the Year of ... Series ........... 16 FOB4, and shares a letter from a friend of Bill’s he received years 1ST SF GROUP Attention SFA Members: MEDIC! .................................. 16 later. It is a poignant and well written story in its own right. Steve is forever grateful for that letter. SFA Chapter 78 July 2021 Chapter Meeting ................. 18 Alex Quade who has long covered SF, frequently embedded down- FRONT COVER: SOTF-71 CMDR COL Pat Mahaney pays final range, pens two pieces. First she tells of her visit, with other of our 3RD SF GROUP respects onboard C-130 to 1-of-3 of his 7SFG Green Berets KIA, comrades in arms, to Arlington National Cemetery, and many of her KAF, Afghanistan, 2007. (Courtesy SOTF-71) memories of some who are buried there. Then she expands on the loss of Flipper 75 that she had been scheduled to be on during its Please visit us at final mission, sharing ODA 726’s Joff Celleri’s letter of his first hand 5TH SF GROUP specialforces78.com experience. and sfa78cup.com Then that operation is described from a different perspective, high- CHAPTER OFFICERS: lighting how a small SF detachment, “without orders from higher”, President Coordinator of ROTC Program took it upon themselves to come to the aid of their fellow soldiers 7TH SF GROUP Bruce Long Ed Barrett and airmen, “because that’s what heroes do” in Alex’s words. She Vice President Chaplain also shared a letter of appreciation from the aviation commander to Don Gonneville Richard Simonian the team, along with exclusive downrange photos from that Sanjin Susan Weeks Sentinel Editor Valley operation. Our three August guest speakers were on that op. Secretary How Miller 10TH SF GROUP Check out Alex's video! (see the link on page 15) Gary Macnamara Immediate Past President Treasurer John Stryker Meyer Steve Sherman is a former Green Beret who has helped uncountable Richard Simonian numbers of us with information on how to find old teammates, and a Sergeant At Arms/ Quartermaster cataloging that has helped us place ourselves in the big picture. In 19TH SF GROUP Mark Miller his lifelong endeavor he has written a series of books, one for each year of the Vietnam War. He has finally completed the series, and it is described by Mike Benge, who is one of the many contributors to the collection. There's even a special deal for us on the set .(see page 16) 20TH SF GROUP Medics, from all of our readership, please send pics and stories to 888-923-VETS (8387) • VeteransAffordableHousing.org Dennis DeRosia for the SFACON medic event. The Sentinel is published monthly by Special Forces Association Chapter Another SF Medic, MOH recipient, Gary Beikirck, appears on Army 11TH SF GROUP 78, Southern California — art direction and design by Debra Holm, Dinwiddie Holm Graphics. The views, opinions and articles printed in this issue do not Times with an inspiring video in the series “Dear Young American”: necessarily reflect the views of the United States Army or the United States https://www.militarytimes.com/video/2021/07/27/you-have-to-decide- Special Operations Command the Special Forces Association or Special what-is-the-right-thing-to-do-dear-young-american-gary-beikirch/ v Forces Association Chapter 78. Please address any comments to the editor at [email protected]. How Miller, Sentinel Editor 12TH SF GROUP From the President | August 2021 Our meeting at the Eagle’s Nest, We gained seven new LIFE members to our Chapter — John Gietzen, in the city of Cypress, got off to Nicholas Murray, Gianni Pacheco, Steven Sechier, Rostislav a late start due to staff issues. Tokman, Andrew Vargas, and Broneil Baytkarimmoshahad But as most of you know, as (that’s one long name tag). These individuals just completed the SF we are flexible and when Q-course. Since we instituted LIFE memberships for individuals who we can’t be flexible we become have a HOR in CA, we now have fifteen new members — thanks to fluid. I had a COL tell me that Richard Simonian’s generosity. once and it has stuck with me As most of you know, the Chapter made a $10,000 donation to during frustrating times. National for an upgrade to their software. Club Express is the name of the new software, and will be going into effect as I write this column. The big event of the Chap- This will allow a wider distribution of not only our Sentinel Newsletter, ter meeting was the celebra- and will allow easier access to National and the forwarding of new tion of Richard Simonian’s chapter applications, to just name a few improvements. This will bring eighty-ninth Birthday. We sang National into the 21st Century. John Joyce, a former member of our him two rounds of “HIM” even Chapter, and who is now a member of SFA Chapter 51 (Las Vegas), in mixed company. A delicious Bruce Long, President SFA Chap. 78 is part of the driving force behind this project. John is also the Director sheet cake was provided by my of the upcoming October 2021 SFA Convention in Las Vegas. wife Geri. Our Chapter meeting was well attended with thirty members in attendance. One of our Get ready for our August 21 special guest speaker, Pat Mahaney “Old Time” members Sal Sanders was present, along with his wife. COL, SF (ret). For more details on our upcoming speaker, please Other guests included Jim Suber’s wife and son, and our guest read the back page of the July Sentinel — very impressive. speaker Frank Snepp III and his daughter Paige. The next Chapter meeting is scheduled Saturday, August 21 at Our guest speaker Frank Snepp III, a former Chief analyst for the CIA, the Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) in the city of Las Alamitos. was in Saigon right up to the bitter end. For those of us who served Same time, same room. Please remember to email Don Gonneville in ‘Nam it was quite informative. A real eye opener was hearing how at [email protected]. a double NVA agent, Vo Van Ba, the Ambassador Graham Martin, CIA Station Chief Polgar, and Henry Kissinger all played major roles As usual, if you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out v in the withdrawal of military forces and the South Vietnamese agents to me. and families that were loyal to the U.S. For those of you who were De Oppresso Liber not in attendance, you really missed out on one of the best speakers Bruce D. Long SGM, SF (ret) of the year. President, SFA Chapter 78 COMPLIMENTS TO THE SENTINEL We received this note and update from former SF COL Alan Shumate, Ch.1-18’s Treasurer: “Thank you, Alex Quade, you made me smile, I mean really smile with that article (“Brotherhood Builds Over BBQ & Beer,” Sentinel July 2021 issue, the photo at right, upper left appeared along with the story). The photo attached (see far right) is from the 28 June 2021 SGM(R) Walter Shumate bridge dedication in Pocahontas, VA, my Dad’s hometown. SF for life — and beyond! Thank you for supporting SF and telling our stories. DOL — Alan Shumate” FYI: CSM Walter L. Shumate, Distinguished Member of SF Regiment, served seven tours in Vietnam, among other accomplishments. Pictured at right, bottom left, he was well known for his large handle-bar mustache. (https://www.soc.mil/SWCS/RegimentalHonors/_pdf/sf_shumate.pdf) August 2021 | Sentinel 1 Happy Birthday MG Singlaub! John Singlaub was born in Southern California, a graduate of Van Nuys High School and UCLA, he had an illustrious career in the US Army and beyond. He very early began fighting behind enemy lines in a Jedberg unit in France. He worked with the CIA in Manchuria during the communist revolution.