After over a decade
of research and three years of writing, I am proud to announce the
publication of Unlikely Warriors,The Army Security Agency’s Secret
War in Vietnam, 1961-1973. The book is available on the
iUniverse/bookstore website, as well as, most major retail websites such
as Barnes and Noble. Simply search, Unlikely Warriors.
We need the help of
all Army Security Agency veterans to make sure this story is told. For
too long we have “served in silence.” You can help. Each of
you are in touch with other ASA vets. Please make sure they are
aware of the book and make sure your family knows of your service.
You can find us on Facebook at Unlikely Warriors and soon on our own
website, www.asasecretwar.com.
Thank you for your
consideration,
Lonnie M. Long and
Gary Blackburn
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By
Lonnie M. Long Gary B.
Blackburn
In early May 1961,
a U.S. military aircraft taxied toward a well-guarded terminal building.
The plane slowed to a halt; steps were maneuvered up to its side, and
the door was pulled open. The tropical night air was heavy and dank, and
the moon shone dimly through high thin clouds. On board the aircraft
were ninety-two members of a specially selected team. The men were
dressed in indistinguishable dark suits with white shirts and dark ties,
and each man carried a new red U.S. diplomatic passport inside his
breast pocket. The men held copies of their orders and records in
identical brown Manila envelopes, and each man’s medical records were
stamped “If injured or killed in combat, report as training accident in
the Philippines.”
In such clandestine
fashion, the first fully operational U.S. military unit arrived at Tan
Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. The unit was so highly classified
even its name was top-secret. It was given a codename, a cover identity
to hide the true nature of its mission. The unit’s operation was housed
in a heavily-guarded compound near Saigon, and within two days of its
arrival, Phase I was implemented. Its operatives were intercepting Viet
Cong manual Morse communications, analyzing it for the intelligence it
contained and passing the information to the U.S. Military Assistance
Advisory Group-Vietnam. The Army Security Agency was on duty.
