The Quiet Professional: Major Richard J. Meadows of the U.S. Army Special Forces

Notes

233 Notes Prologue 1. General William Westmoreland was then Commander of U.S. Forces, Vietnam. A controversial figure, he eventually became Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army before his retirement in 1972. 2. Dai Uý is the Vietnamese word for captain, but it was often used in the sense of “boss” for sub-unit commanders of noncommissioned rank. 3. The basic content of this mission was provided by Meadows. Con- firmation was obtained from Major Billy Antony, USA (Ret.), during an interview at Crestview on the day following Meadows’s funeral. 2. The Young Soldier and Korea 1. Floyd Payne was interviewed at Fort Bragg in 1996. His clear recollections of those early days with Meadows was impressive. He also served with Meadows in the Special Forces in later years. 2. The story of the 187th RCT from its inception until the end of the Korean War is shown in a video produced by Butler Military Videos. Interestingly, one of the brigade commanders in Korea was William C. Westmoreland, who was to have a direct influence on Meadows’s career some years later. 3. Though Meadows was very young to get the rank of master sergeant , it was policy in the 1950s to give the appropriate rank to the man who was qualified and actively doing the job; as such, he could have been E-6 or E-7. The true test for Meadows would be if he were allowed to keep the rank when he left Korea. 3. Special Forces 1. The 10th Special Forces Group was initially under command of Colonel Aaron Bank, often referred to as the “father” of Special Forces, a veteran of the OSS who had operated in German-occupied France during World War II. The 10th SFG deployed to Bavaria in 1953, and the cadre which remained at Fort Bragg became the 77th SFG. Later (in 1960) it became the 7th SFG. 234 Notes to Pages 43–67 2. Much later Sydnor and Meadows were to become closely linked at key points in their careers. 4. A Lighthearted Interlude with the Brits 1. A detailed account of this can be found in the book Looking for Trouble by General Peter de la Billière, who commanded at all levels within the SAS Group and who was a staunch supporter of the USSFG and SAS liaison. 2. Johnny Cooper was the youngest of the original SAS volunteers in the Western Desert during World War II. After the war he rejoined the 22nd SAS in Malaya before serving with the Sultan of Oman’s army. 3. On a visit to Afghanistan in November 2009 I accompanied retired Major Roddy Jones (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), who, while serving with the Trucial Oman Scouts, had visited the Jebel Akhdar at the same time as Meadows. He said, “Meadows was the first American Special Forces soldier that I had met and he was the best possible advertisement for the Green Berets; his skills were obvious; he was knowledgeable and eloquent; he could climb; he knew his military history and weapons; and he was totally at home in the desert/mountain environment.” 5. Laos and the Learning Curve 1. This clumsy arrangement was in force right up until the French Army withdrew from Laos at the end of 1960. 2. Master Sergeant Theodore “Ted” Berlett died on January 28, 1962, while detonating faulty 3.5-inch rocket launcher ammunition. 3. The legendary Bull Simons commanded the first group to be inserted into Laos in July 1959. He remained until June 1960 but returned once more in October 1961, coincidental with the name being changed to White Star. 4. Colonel Vang Pao had been selected by the CIA to head the clandestine military operations against the Pathet Lao. He was a controversial figure who eventually became a general in command of some 25,000–30,000 troops who tied down the communists for over ten years. 5. Captain Moon was later reported to have been executed. Sergeant Ballinger was freed by the Pathet Lao on the signing of the Geneva Agreements in August 1962. 6. Spencer Chapman was a highly regarded British member of the SOE and Ferret Force operating in Malaya and Thailand during the Japanese occupation. His book covers, among other things, the long Notes to Pages 69–95 235 period he spent alone in the jungles of Malaya evading the Japanese Army. 6...