Cover page Jan 2023 Combat Magazine

 

RVN Commando Uniforms

 

STRATEGIC TECHNICAL DIRECTORATE (A Brief History)

        This article is a brief introduction and history of the Vietnamese top secret unit which had been the counterpart of the U.S. MACV-SOG. In the early of the year 1960, the CIA funded and directed several units to operate beyond 17 parallel, Laos and Cambodia for collecting intelligent information.

        Strategic Technical Directorate was the covert name for that Vietnamese commando unit, the name sounded like a department which repaired automobile. It was the last name for that unit until the fall of South Vietnam. The commando unit had changed its name many times during the war according to the events caused by the changing of political or military.

        Unconventional Warfare Command was first operated under the name Geographic Deployment Department. This department was commanded by Colonel Le Quang Tung and operated in both inside and outside of South Vietnam. Office 45 or (E) of the department was specialized in intelligent collecting beyond the 17 parallel. At that time the office was commanded by Captain Binh (covert name), and his commando teams were usually inserted into North Vietnam via a third country (Laos, Thailand). Office E later was called North Office.

        Geographic Deployment Department in 1963 was developed into the Special Forces Command with two principle units the 77th and the 31st Groups. The North Office was renamed Deployment Office and separated from the Special Forces Command. The first commander of the Deployment Office was Colonel Tran Van Ho, this office worked closely with the U.S. counterpart MACV-SOG.

        Commando teams from the North Office operated in North Vietnam under two long and short-term plans. Teams in the long-term plan stayed deep in the North meanwhile operations in the short-term plan were carried out by the 68th and 11th Group. A Training Center was established in Long Thanh to train teams operated along the border Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia to search for Communist sanctuaries. The name “Lightning Tiger” appeared during this time. The “Lightning Tiger” commandos unit was commanded by Colonel Ho Tieu and the unit was called the Liaison Office. The highest operation of their time was the period between 1966 to 1972. The Liaison Office included three groups:

The 1st Group located in Da Nang (I-Corps)

The 2nd Group based in Kontum (II-Corps)

The 3rd Group was in Ban Me Thuot (II-Corps)

   (Before 1972, all Liaison Office teams operated out of South Vietnam)

        In 1965, the Deployment Department worked under the Joint General Staffs and renamed as Strategic Technical Department then rose to a higher level Directorate. The Directorate controlled the following offices:

Liaison Office

Special Mission Service  (former of the 68th, 11th Groups)

Air Attachment Office

Coastal Defense Office

Quyet Thang Training Center

Psycho-Logical Warfare Office

        The Special Mission Service Office was formed last from the 68th and 11th groups then with newly formed groups 71st, 72nd and the 75th. The Office Headquarters located in Nha Trang, the 11th, 71st and 72nd Groups were in Da Nang, the 75th in Kontum, and the 68th Group based in Saigon near the STD headquarters.

        The Coastal Defense Office included Maritime commandos and the Frog-men (SEAL) attacked the Communist Naval bases or military installations along the coast of North Vietnam. This office operated directly under the control of the Strategic Technical Directorate even its commander was a naval officer Cmdr. Ho Van Ky Thoai.

        The Psycho-Logical Warfare Office employed many civilians to operate two secret radio stations which broadcasted toward North Vietnam for propaganda against the Communist regime.

Vietnamese Arms Forces Day 1997 (06/19)

Hieu D, Vu

Pictures of Hoa Pham early day in the United States

 

Marines Camp Pendletion, Oceanside California 7/1975

San Leandro Northern California U.S.A.  10/1975

361F Western Dr. Santa Cruz California 11/1975

Hoa Pham & Former President of RVN Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thiệu

Washington D.C. USA

Picture in few months prior jointed RVN Special Operations

Santa Cruz California 11/1975

President VABC TV Channel 18 Los Angeles California 2000

Hayward California 8/1975 with the sponsor Mrs Delaney

May 1972 / Quang Trung Training center 

Founder members of RVN Special Operations Association 

With Former President Clinton and the Lost Commando group

Santa Ana City Hall

Fort Bragg North Carolina USA Presidential Unit Citation 2001

Camp Pendleton California 7/1975

Former RVN President Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thiệu

General Lương Xuân Việt U.S. Army

U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez 

With John Meyer President Special Operations Association

Vietnam Veterans Colonel Craig Mandeville Army, and Major William Mimiaga USMC

With members RVN Special Operations

Washington D.C. 1983

MACV-SOG / STD Pictures with trace

Lt. Thành, Sergeant Trọng, Lt. Chịa, Sergeant Thành Group 72 Special Mission Services @ Huế Province summer 1972

Picture credit to Phạm Gia Trọng

Major Nguyễn Phan Tựu Commander group 72 / SMS

PIX credit to Mr. Nguyễn Phan Tựu

From left: Colonel John Sadler Chief MACV-SOG (68-70)

Major Nguyễn Văn Nhờ STD (Strategic Techinical Directorate)

Major Lữ Triệu Khanh HQ/STD

2 Members MACV-SOG

Colonel Đoàn Văn Nu Commander STD

(See notes below) pictures credit to Mr. Lu Trieu Khanh

Team Wyoming CCN MACV-SOG Picture credit to Đoàn Khánh right

Team 723 Group 72 from left Lt. Tùng, Lt. Lê Văn Hậu, X, Sergeant Phong Huỳnh, X

Picture credit to Lt. Lê Văn Hậu 

Team 723 G72/SMS Sergeant Quang, Lt. Hậu, Sergeant Phong & Sergeant Huỳnh Cẩm Sanh / Pix credit to Lê Văn Hậu

Lt. Hùng CCC Kontum MACV-SOG Pix credit to Lt. Hùng CCC

Team Wyoming CCN Picture credit to Đoàn Khánh Interpreter

Lt. Lê Văn Hậu @ Đoàn 72 (Group 72) Tiên Sa Đà Nẵng Việt Nam

Pix credit to Lê Văn Hậu 

Lt. Ngôn Nguyễn Group 72 SMS

Picture credit to Ngôn Nguyễn

Lt. Hoa V. Pham Team leader 723 SMS 

Picture for public domain

Special mission combined team / Group 72 SMS

Quảng Nam Việt Nam

Lt. Tuấn and Lt. Lê Hoàng Group 11 / SMS

Picture credit to Lê Hoàng 

Major Lữ Triệu Khanh HQ/STD and Major Ernest T. Hayes

SOG Liaison Officer and later became Commander CCN/SOG

Picture credit to Mr. Lu Trieu Khanh

Team 723 after tri-borders operations