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GHQ 1st Raider Company

U.S. Army 

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This unit, attached to U.S. Army X Corps, was organized in Japan in 1950 by Gen MacArthur and Staff -110 Americans and 12 British Commandos - trained at Camp McGill, Japan with Marines and Navy UDT.  This unit was designated initially to assist in creating a diversion at Kunson two days prior to the Inchon invasion and to later take Kimpo airfield . The diversion was accomplished by travel to Korea in the British frigate "Whitesands Bay" and moving by rubber boats into Kunson. This was a Top Secret mission with no written orders. The commanding officer was a Colonel Louis Eli who was with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WW2. 

Walt Sheldon - war correspondent - gives a detailed account of the initial operations of the unit in Chapter Eight of his book "Hell or High Water". He describes the Raider Co. as the forerunner of today's U.S. Army Special Forces.  Later the company was part of 10th Corps and part of Special Activities Group 8227th AU commanded by a Colonel Wallace Haines. This unit was a combined Korean and American organization that utilized Agents to assist in Intelligence operations.  The GHQ Raider Company was deactivated in Tokyo in the Spring of 1951.

Note: GHQ was the abbreviation for entire General Headquarters which was the Far East Headquarters for the entire Far East Forces which was located in Tokyo, Japan.

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