Coffee or Die had the honor of speaking with John Meyer for this story, which can be read in his own words in his memoir, “Across The Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam (Expanded Edition)©,” among a good many other MACV-SOG stories. Cambodia, 1968. ...
The Gear They Carried: The Equipment of MACV-SOG
Countless legends have been spawned from the MACV-SOG, who fought some of the most harrowing missions of the Vietnam War. This task force, which included U.S. Special Forces operators, was charged with carrying out secretive, unconventional missions, ...
Weblo’s Final Flight: A Special Operations Military Working Dog Receives Hero’s Goodbye
“Our working dogs are selfless in everything they do simply to please their handlers and those who work with them,” said Sergeant Major (retired) Jeremy Knabenshue, a veteran who worked as a K9 handler in the U.S. Army. “They give everything they ...
What it Means to be an Army Ranger, According to 7 Rangers
The U.S. Army Rangers are a storied group of elite warriors. They have conducted legendary missions, but for every met objective you hear about on the news, there are hundreds that go unseen and unheard. It takes a particular breed of person to earn ...
How a Former Afghan Commando Found A New Life in America
If you were to peruse the Black Rifle Coffee facility in Salt Lake City, you might run into a man named Mohammad Wali Tasleem. You might see him inspecting equipment, changing lights, patching drywall, painting, or a number of other tasks essential ...
Secret Service Dog Honored For Defending White House From Intruder
On Oct. 22, 2014, Officer Marshall Mirarchi and his K9, Hurricane, were at the White House. They were part of the Secret Service Special Operations Division security team that was entrusted with the safety of the White House grounds, as well as the ...
October 3rd is an Important Day for 3rd Ranger Battalion — Here’s Why
Early October is a time filled with moments that are seared into the minds of many U.S. Army Rangers from 3rd Ranger Battalion. In an odd twist of fate, some of the battalion's most significant or harrowing events have fallen around this time ...
Marine Raiders vs. Special Forces: Here’s What You Need to Know
When there's an iconic picture floating around of a special operator with a hefty beard and a well-worn rifle standing in some unspecified distant country, there's a good chance that he hails from the U.S. Army's Special Forces (SF, sometimes known ...
‘Boon’ and ‘Tanto’ on Moving Forward After Benghazi Attack
Sept. 11, 2012 — Benghazi, Libya: The CIA had set up an annex near an American diplomatic compound and, after their remembrances of Sept. 11, 2001, the men and women of these facilities went about their daily tasks. However, as night fell upon them, ...
Sea Stories: What the Korean War Looked Like From the Bottom of a Boat
Sweat was pouring from LD Ryan’s head as he checked and rechecked the gauges. It was 1952 and the Korean War was in full swing, but that was happening outside the metal skin of this U.S. Navy boat. Inside, Ryan's head was spinning as he made his way ...
Modern Special Operators are Using Hatchets in Combat — Here’s Why
From infrared lasers fixed to rifles and night vision devices mounted to helmets to the precision bombs they can rain down on their enemies within seconds of calling for them, the modern warrior has never been so effective (or deadly) thanks to the ...
V-J Day: 4 Lesser-Known Stories From World War II’s Pacific Theater
On Aug. 14, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces, marking the end of World War II (it was Aug. 15 in Japan due to the time difference). Known as V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, the surrender was secured after the United ...
What’s the Origin of the Term “Operator”?
If you're in military circles for more than a couple of minutes, you'll probably hear the term "operator" thrown around. In general, it's used to refer to a member of Special Operations Forces (SOF) — particularly a trained shooter, medic, forward ...
A Fallen Army Ranger, His Brother in Arms, and a Corvette
The rain in Charlotte had been pouring down as Eric gripped the wheel of his 1981 Corvette, peering through the mist at the long line of red tail lights. They had slowed as the road began to narrow into a construction zone, vehicles crammed together ...
Contracting in Afghanistan: ‘The Biggest Threat to Us … Was the US Army’
As the longest war in American history continues, a variety of unique stories have bubbled to the surface. One belongs to Tim Lynch, a retired U.S. Marine who lived and worked in Afghanistan for approximately eight years as a civilian. In a war-torn ...
The True Story Behind the Viral Coast Guard Video
A recent viral video showed the United States Coast Guard crew from the Legend-class cutter Munro intercepting a drug smuggling submarine in the Pacific. Switching between two camera angles, crew members from the Coast Guard leap onboard, slam down ...
How Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ Provides Insight Into Modern Special Forces
The U.S. Army's Special Forces, sometimes known as “Green Berets,” are an elite special operations force (SOF) tasked with many types of missions, from direct-action raids to complex reconnaissance and gathering human intelligence on the ...
Do You Know the Difference Between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Working Dogs?
The professional dog industry is complicated. Trained dogs range from seeing eye dogs for the visually impaired, dogs who can smell blood sugar levels, and even attack dogs who look like they’ll rip your throat out. There are also emotional support ...
A Ranger Recalls the Actions of Heroes on Roberts Ridge Captured on Video
U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman was killed in action on March 4, 2002. He fought with courage and ferocity on the cold, snow-laden mountaintop of Takur Ghar, now known as Roberts Ridge. Chapman was posthumously awarded the Medal ...
Dead on the Fourth of July: The Tumultuous Friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
It was the Fourth of July, 1826, precisely 50 years after the United States of America had declared its independence. Two elderly men lay in two beds — one in Massachusetts, the other in Virginia — and the life in their bones began to wane. One ...
From Factory to Fire: The Journey of an American flag
Every step of this story is true. It was an early morning in Smoaks, South Carolina, and humidity hung in the air. A truck pulled into the Valley Forge Flag driveway, a facility whose sole purpose is flag production. Valley Forge has been ...
Rangers vs. SEALs: Who’s Had More Impact in the War on Terror?
U.S. Navy SEALs — the elite Special Operations group with a name that has earned its reputation around the world. If people know the name of one elite unit, it's probably the Navy SEALs. U.S. Army Rangers — as old as American history itself, they ...