Project 9: The Birth of the Air Commandos in World War II

Forward

vii • • • Foreword Foreword R. V. Secord, Major General, USF (Ret) This book, Project 9: The Birth of the Air Commandos in World War II is a very thoroughgoing and well-documented story of the famed 1st Air Commandos. It is important in that it not only fills in an interesting part of WWII, but also because this series of events explains the heritage and spirit of today’s Air Commandos. USAF commandos of today are known officially as the Air Force Special Operations Command, which is aptly described by their unofficial appellation, “The Tip Of The Spear” or “Any Time Any Where.” Our Air Commandos at the time of this writing have been involved in combat continuously in Afghanistan for over twelve years as well as current operations in a number of other hot spots in this era of unconventional warfare known today as Special Operations. The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is the unified command supervising this effort involving the Army Rangers and Green Berets and the USN Seal Teams along with a number of other small units. But the Air Commandos are the least known of these elite warriors, and I think of them as the “enablers.” Dennis Okerstrom’s work clearly describes our commandos’ roots, which were reinvented in the Vietnam War and were properly codified in 1986 when the Nunn/Cohen Amendment was enacted, thus ensuring the continuing existence of our Special Operations forces in spite of frequent “conventionalist” attempts to eliminate them. I knew Johnny Alison, described herein, for many years and had the privilege of meeting Phil Cochran at an Air Commando dining in during the 1960s after these Air Forces had been recreated largely for use in the war in Southeast Asia. These two heroes carried out unbelievable feats in WWII, and both evinced such humble personages that one would never have viii viii • • • Foreword suspected they had done so. I see a similar situation in today’s air commandos as they carry on the traditions so completely described in this very different book. August 2013 (Gen. Secord spent many years in special operations at virtually every command level and is currently President of the Air Commando Association .) ...