MACV-SOG, or Military Assistance
Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group, was a joint service high command
unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations
throughout Southeast Asia. The 5th Special Forces channeled personnel into
MACV-SOG (though it was not a Special Forces group) through Special Operations
Augmentation (SOA), which provided their "cover" while under secret
orders to MACV-SOG. These teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic
reconnaissance and interdiction which were called, depending on the time frame,
"Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions.
HALO - High Altitude, Low Opening -
was one method of inserting reconnaissance teams by parachute deep into enemy
held territory that MACV-SOG experimented with in early 1971. The
"baseman" on a free-fall jump is the first man to exit the aircraft
and the one that all others form up on during the jump. The team members were
experienced Special Forces personnel who had previously been trained in HALO
free falls. The men chosen for these teams were put through refresher training
on Okinawa; they practiced for an additional month at Long Thanh, South Vietnam.
This in-country training included 10 jumps from Huey helicopters and C-130s, 4
night HALO jumps and a final exercise in War Zone D, north east of Saigon.
The target selected for this
particular team's mission was far beyond any ARVN outpost in the extremely
rugged jungle covered mountains approximately 40 miles northwest of Kham Duc, 60
miles west-southwest of DaNang and 5 miles east of the South Vietnamese/Lao
border, Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. US Air Force infrared photos of this
area disclosed numerous NVA cooking fires while daytime photos showed fresh row
crops. Recently two Command and Control North (CCN) teams were inserted into
this same area by helicopter, and both missions failed. The first team lasted
only 45 minutes on the ground before enemy forces ambushed them and they were
forced to retreat under fire. The second team had its insertion helicopter shot
up on the landing zone (LZ) as they tried to disembark.
On 22 June 1971, Sgt. Major Billy
Waugh, team leader; SSgt. James "J. D." Bath, assistant team leader
and the team's baseman; Sgt. Jesse Campbell and SSgt. Madison A. Strohlein, both
riflemen; comprised a four-man HALO team on a reconnaissance mission to locate
and report on NVA activity. The team was to have been inserted earlier, but the
first insertion attempt was cancelled due to weather and on their second attempt
the team was 10 seconds away from exciting the aircraft when the mission was
scrubbed. At 0100 hours on this - their third - attempt, the team boarded the
Blackbird, a C-130 specifically set up for this mission, for the 2 hour flight
to their mission destination. In addition to a CAR-15, each man carried a
sawed-off shotgun or sawed-off grenade launcher, a suppressed pistol, 20
minigrenades, and miniclaymore mines fashioned from soap dishes. As a joke,
Jesse Campbell wore captain's bars and Billy Waugh pinned on a general's star.
If the NVA captured them, Sgt. Major Waugh told the others, "they'll think
they've really got something!"
From a drop altitude of 19,000 feet,
the team planned to free-fall to 14,000 feet (over 2 miles) then open their
parachutes at 5,000 feet, just above the area's highest mountain peak and glide
the final mile. Learning from the previous HALO missions, a dull green light was
installed on J. D. Bath's parachute container so the others could follow him
during the free-fall. A light was also installed atop his parachute canopy for
the last phase of the insertion. As the Blackbird neared the release point, the
tailgate of the C-130 opened and the jumpmaster, Larry Manes, and J. D. Bath lay
side by side on the rear ramp trying to make out ground landmarks. That night
there was supposed to be 8% illumination, however, it was solid black. So solid,
in fact, everything lacked definition accept for a passing cloud. Because it was
not too stormy, the decision was made to use Doppler radar to locate the DZ.
Moments later the reconnaissance team stood on the edge of the ramp, looked back
once at Larry Manes, and on his signal, leaped into the night. SSgt. Bath, the
baseman, saw two men following him out the back of the aircraft before he turned
and flipped the toggle switch that controlled his backpack light. He could see
the drop zone in the distance and realized the radar had proven inaccurate yet
again.
As J. D. Bath reached 5,000 feet, he
flipped the light on and off to signal the others he was at opening altitude. At
4,500 feet he shut it off and deployed his parachute, but it responded
sluggishly. He looked up and saw that the opening shock had blown out the canopy
center tearing away the beacon light. Further, he was descending dangerously
fast with almost no canopy control. Unable to see SSgt. Bath's light, the other
team members drifted away in the heavy rain, and though unable to see the
others, Billy Waugh was able to make out an NVA truck convoy on a road about 5
miles north boldly driving with lights on.
Even though the team could not see the
ground, they felt the air temperature rising indicating they were close to
landing. SSgt. Bath's parachute collapsed on a tree branch plunging him the last
dozen yards to the ground. He hit hard wrenching his knee and back, and knocking
him unconscious. Across the ridge Madison Strohlein crashed through the trees
and was jerked to a halt. Billy Waugh also landed in a tree and used his
descender to lower himself to the ground in the maddening rain. Jesse Campbell
also landed in the trees, however, unlike the other team members, he landed
uninjured. When SSgt. Bath awoke, it was still dark. He tried to radio the
others, but only received a response from SSgt. Strohlein. He reported to the
assistant team leader that he broke his right arm, was unable to use his
descender and, therefore, was stuck in his harness high above the jungle floor.
With a ridgeline between them, communication between the two was difficult.
Shortly after dawn and approximately 5
hours after the HALO team reached the ground, a Forward Air Control (FAC)
aircraft, call sign "Covey," arrived on station. He established voice
contact immediately with Sgt. Campbell who reported that he was in the process
of evading NVA soldiers who were in hot pursuit. SSgt. Strohlein also
established voice communication with the FAC. He reported his situation and
requested an immediate medical evacuation due to injuries. Meanwhile, Sgt. Major
Waugh crept up to the edge of a cliff and peeked over the rim only to see 5 NVA
below him chatting as they hunted monkeys.
Soon search and rescue (SAR)
helicopters with a Bright Light team on board in rappelling gear crisscrossed
above the treetops searching for the recon team. They located J. D. Bath and
offered to immediately come in for him. SSgt. Bath told them to get Madison
Strohlein first since his injuries were more severe than his were. About that
time, the assistant team leader saw a couple men walking toward him. Thinking
that they were Billy Waugh and Jesse Campbell he almost waved to them.
Thankfully he realized in time they were NVA, not his teammates! He laid low and
they passed him by. Meanwhile, SSgt. Strohlein tried to vector the SAR
helicopters toward him by radio using the sound to their rotors. Unfortunately
there were several helicopters participating in this operation and he would hear
one, but be talking to another. Before long everyone became confused and this
approach of locating Madison Strohlein was abandoned. Heavy clouds began to
build above and in the mountains, and desperate to attract the attention of any
one of the helicopters, Madison Strohlein threw a smoke grenade. None of the
aircrews could see the smoke, but enemy soldiers did. The last radio
transmission for SSgt. Strohlein reported that enemy troops were moving toward
his location from all directions.
In the late morning with bad weather
closing in and fuel nearly exhausted, the SAR helicopters extracted Sgt.
Campbell and Sgt. Major Waugh. They returned early that afternoon, but were
unable to raise Madison Strohlein on his emergency radio. Further, they were
unable to locate the ridge he was trapped on because it was now covered by
ground fog. They were able to make contact with SSgt. Bath, and after
pinpointing his position, two men rappelled down and helped him onto a STABO
extraction rig. The three men were lifted out of the jungle by the helicopter as
they came under light enemy ground fire.
On the morning of 23 June, a Hatchet
Force platoon was inserted onto the ridge where Madison Strohlein landed. The
team had no trouble locating the tree where he had been. They found that both
SSgt. Strohlein and his parachute were gone, and there were piles of expended
AK-47 and CAR-15 shell casings near by on the ground. According to Billy Waugh,
"Strohlein did not go without kicking some NVA ass." The Hatchet team
also found the missing sergeant's map and CAR-15 at the base of the tree. An AK
slug that ricocheted off of it marred the CAR-15's stock. The team searched the
immediate area. They found no blood, no bandages and no sign of a freshly dug
grave. They also found that the NVA removed the parachute from the tree by using
AK-47 rounds to cut the tree branch to free the canopy. The team also believed
they heard movement as they neared the tree, which they took to be the NVA
pulling away.
To the recon men, the evidence left
one inescapable conclusion: The NVA captured Madison Strohlein since no SOG man
would ever abandon a functional CAR-15. Most of the others felt that the bullet
that hit his rifle had knocked it from his good hand thereby disarming him. The
other team members are absolutely convinced that the NVA captured him even
though the communists claim no knowledge of him. At the time search efforts were
terminated, and even though it was determined there was no way Madison Strohlein
could have avoided being captured, he was listed Missing in Action.
Since the end of the Vietnam War well
over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for
have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE
American Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Military men in Vietnam were called
upon to fight in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be
wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could
be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
At age 23, Madison Strohlein was the
youngest member of the team. He was also the team leader
Incidental Information