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Special Operations.Com
SOG Aviation Support
While
SOG did not have its own air wing, several helicopter
companies flew in direct support of SOG missions.
This page is dedicated to these unsung heroes who
often flew when and where others would not.
SOG TO THEIR
SPECIAL BENEFACTORS, THE AIR ASSETS AND CREW, WE STAND
AND SALUTE EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE AND VALOR!
The following is extracted from an email written by
Fred "Lightening" Wunderlich of CCN to the brother
of Walter E. Demsey who was killed along with five
other aircrew members in the attempted rescue/extraction
of two of our own.
First, I want to express my earnest thanks to the
likes of your brother and his comrades. The selfless
and extraordinarily brave men of the air assets who
supported special operations. Every single SOG hand
has a special place in their tearful heart for the
sacrifice made by such hero’s who, as a group, lost
so many in the rescue of so few. Even with the SOG
image of rough and tough warriors, we know we were
still standing on the shoulders of real men.
I am not getting maudlin Dave, these words should
be said, and I gladly take my part of the obligation
to pay homage to the largely unsung groups who quite
literally saved the likes of me and so many others.
The few of us from SOG remaining today would certainly
be a much smaller number without them. Perhaps such
sentiments can give some closure where the actual
physical world may cloak its mysteries in time as
events and evidence are as dust to dust.
If you
were a pilot or crew with one of these units and you
have a link you would like added, please email Robert
Noe at SOG1RLNOE@AOL.COM.
Additional
U.S. helicopter units that served in Southeast Asia
can be found here.
Main Menu
US
Marine and 101st Airborne Division Helicopter Support
119th
Assault Helicopter Company Gators and Crocs
155th
Assault Helicopter Company Falcons & Stagecoach
334th
Armed Helicopter Company Sabres
229th Assault Helicopter
Company
Nguyen
Cal Ky's CH-34 Kingbee, 219th Air Force Squadron
281st
Assault Helicopter Company Rat Pack, Bandits,
and Wolf Pack
361st
Aviation Company (Escort) and 361st Aerial Weapons
Company (AWC)
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The
USAF units that supported SOG Operations out
of NKP were:
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23d TASS - Nail FACs, Cessna O2's, and OV-10
Broncos.
56th Special Operations
Wing.
1st Special Operations Sqdn
- A-1 Skyraiders.
Main A-1 Skyraider Association
20 & 21st Special Operations
Sqdn - H3 & HH53 helos.
Jim Henthorn's Vietnam Vet Page
22nd Special Operations
Sqdn - A-1 Skyraiders
602nd Special Operations
Sqdn - A-1 Skyraiders
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20th Special
Operations Squadron
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The 20th
Special Operation Squadron (SOS), United States
Air Force (the only USAF combat unit flying
Hueys in Southeast Asia) based at Cam Ranh
Bay, supported CCS at Ban Me Thuot, flying
F-Model Hueys and referred to as the "Green
Hornets." The nickname was derived from the
only marking on the aircraft, a green hornet
stenciled on the tail. Crews rotated every
ten days to the SOG CCS base, where the crews
became personal friends of the men they had
to insert and extract. The Green Hornet's
pilot took the SOG teams to heart, if a pilot
put a team in, it was "his team" and if "he
put them in, he'd take them out!" With this
attitude, many CCS teams owed their all to
the pilots and crew of the 20th SOS.
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