Patch - MAAG LAOS - US SPECIAL FORCES - Green Berets - USSF - Vietnam War - 5705

Description

CIA MAAG - MAAG LAOS - Airborne
Operation White Star (Larry Thorne) - Red Eye Recon
Laos Special Forces - US Special Forces - 1st / 5th Special For
Patch - US Special Forces - Elite Ops - Green Berets
Measures - 4 x 3.2 inches (10 x 8 cms)
LAOTIAN HIGHWAY PATROL - Operation White Star – Laos – 7
th
Special Forces - Recon
US SPECIAL FORCES - MACV SOG
- Initially instigated by the SOE in 1959 ‘Operation White Star’ was set-up to train members of the Meo Tribe to resist the growing threat of the Pathet Lao, the Communist's in Laos.
Operation White Star was discontinued in 1962 after the Geneva Accords. It was revived with a defined role and renewed vigour in 1965.
Led by US Special Forces, Major Larry Thorne, Op 35 (Operation White Star and later named Operation Shining Brass) was set-up to fight the Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese inside Laos. It consisted of three stages;
US Special Forces Recon into Laos (from South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia) to identify trails used and base camps of enemy.
US Special Forces led, Exploitation Commando units including Montagnard Special Forces annihilation of VC / Pathet Lao Base Camps.
US Special Forces Operatives remaining in Laos after Operations to set-up Resistance Cells amongst the locals, these units called the 'White Star Resistance'.
They operated from the US Special Forces camp at Kham Duc on the Laos Border.
Note: It should be noted that Major Larry Thorne was a native Finn and a winner of the highest Military Award of Finland, The Mannerheim Cross, on two occasions for his defence against Soviet Attacks in WWII including an ambush on a Russian Convoy that led to the deaths of over 300 Soviets without him losing one Man.
During WWII he commanded Finnish Commandos behind Soviet Lines to harass their advance - At the end of WWII he joined the US Army, under the Lodge Bill, as a Private, volunteered for Special Forces and within months was commissioned a Captain.
The first operation of the renewed Op 35 (White Star) took place in October 1965 - During this operation, before a shot had been fired inside Laos by the newly formed group, the helicopter carrying Larry Thorne, all passengers and crew were lost.
Operation White Star, Officially Operation 35, later to be known as Operation Shining Brass was to continue in varying forms and with varying names through to the end of the war.
Extension of Operation White Star - Shining Brass - Operation White Star MAAG - LAOS Operation White Star - Project White Star Operation / Project White Star was a MAAG (pre 1964) military advisory mission into Laos.
The role of Operation White Star was to supply and train the Laotian Army (and associated anti-communist groups with Laos) in their fight against the Pathet Lao and Viet Cong.
Operation White Star was extended as the NVA commenced use of Laos as a staging and supply route for operations into South Vietnam.
Initially launched in the 1950's as operation Hotfoot with over 100 operatives of the US 77th Special Forces Group (CIA).
In 1961 the operation was renamed Operation White Star and the 77th SFG became the 7th Special Forces Group.
With Laos having declared neutrality prior to 1961 the operatives of the 7th SFG were under direct command of CIA Operatives, some of these operatives had been in Laos since the mid 1950's.
7th SFG operatives at this time did not wear uniforms inside Laos.
With growing concern by the Laos Government over the growing communist presence the Operation became a full scale mission in late 1961 with the 7th SFG operatives commencing the wearing of Uniforms throughout Laos.
This however ended in 1962 with the Laos Government attempting to find peace with the NVA and Pathet Lao.
mission 'officially' ended at this time however the 7th Special Forces along with
the CIA then reverted to their previous actions of operating out of uniform and covertly, the operation continued well into 1960's certainly past 1967.
The presence of the CIA and the 7th Special Forces Group continued into the mid 1970's, certainly past the end of the Fall of Saigon however (apart from POW / MIA searches) effectively ended with the fall of Long Tieng (The Most Secret Place in the World) in 1975.
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