Trong thời gian cuối năm 1968, đầu 1969, bộ chỉ huy Nam (CCS) thường xuyên cho những toán biệt kích 6 người xâm nhập vào khu vực Lưỡi Câu (Fish Hook), giữa biên giới VNCH và Cambodia. Các toán biệt kích SOG có nhiệm vụ theo dõi các hoạt động càng ngày càng gia tăng của quân đội Bắc Việt và VC trong khu vực.
Đó là nhiệm vụ khó khăn, nguy hiểm, ít có toán biệt kích nào xâm nhập, hoạt động quá ba ngày. Có toán chỉ mới vào được chừng 30 phút đã bị địch phát giác, tấn công. Một vấn đề khó khăn nữa, tìm được một bãi đáp trực thăng, không có người canh gác là cả một vấn đề. Gần như tất cả mọi bãi đáp đủ rộng cho trực thăng đáp đều đã bị địch quân để ý, cho người canh gác.
Để làm thay đổi tình thế, ngăn chặn ảnh hưởng của địch trong khu vực (Lưỡi Câu), Bộ Tư Lệnh Quân Lực Hoa Kỳ tại Việt Nam (cơ quan MACV) soạn thảo một kế hoạch tấn công cơ quan đầu não, Trung Ương Cục (R) Miền Nam Việt Nam (COSVN). Bộ chỉ huy (R) của địch (tin tình báo) với căn cứ, hầm hố, điạ đạo nằm trong khu vực Lưỡi Câu, sâu trong đất Miên khoảng một dặm, cách đồn điền cao su Minot khoảng 14 dặm về hướng đông nam, cách căn cứ hành quân tiền phương Quản Lợi (của đơn vị SOG) 20 dặm và cách Tây Ninh 28 dặm về hướng đông bắc.
Sau khi nhận lệnh hành quân đưa đại đội xung kích Hatchet Force đi hành quân trên đất Miên từ mấy ngày trước, trung tá Earl Trabue, chỉ huy trưởng bộ chỉ huy Nam (CCS) ở Ban Mê Thuột báo lên Hành Quân 35 (Oplan 35) và bộ chỉ huy đơn vị SOG trong Saigon rằng theo ý kiến của ông ta, kế hoạch tấn công Trung Ương Cục Miền Nam trên đất Miên khó thành công. Theo kế hoạch, đơn vị Hatchet Force sẽ tìm cách bắt sống tù binh để lấy tin tức, và báo cáo kết qủa trận thả bom của phi cơ B-52 trên bộ chỉ huy Trung Ương Cục. Trung tá Trabue hiểu rất rõ nhiệm vụ khó khăn, nếu chỉ đưa một trung đội (Hatchet Force) thì nên hủy bỏ kế hoạch tấn công, còn về chuyện phi cơ B-52 thả bom, địch quân cũng đã đề phòng trước.
Độ lớn của đơn vị Hatchet Force cũng phải giới hạn đủ cho 9 trực thăng chở quân thuộc phi đoàn 195 Trực Thăng Tấn Công của Lục Quân Hoa Kỳ. Các trực thăng chỉ mất mười phút bay đoạn đường 20 dặm từ phi trường Quản Lợi đến mục tiêu. Chín chiếc trực thăng gồm có 1 trực thăng chỉ huy (C&C), 4 trực thăng võ trang yểm trợ, chỉ còn lại bốn chiếc để chở quân... Do đó bộ chỉ huy Nam (CCS) chỉ có thể đưa một trung đội Hatchet Force đi tấn công.
Ngày 24 tháng Tư năm 1969, đại úy William O’Rourke Jr., đại đội trưởng đại đội Hatchet Force sẽ chỉ huy đơn vị tấn công, phụ tá là đại úy Paul D. Cahill, trung úy Gregory M. Harrigan, và trung úy Walter L. Marcantel, sau đó là trung sĩ nhất Jerry M. “Mad Dog” Schriver. Trung sĩ Earnest C. Jamison, y tá đơn vị, và các binh sĩ người Thượng đơn vị Hatchet Force sẽ được trực thăng đưa vào bãi đáp trực thăng, qua khỏi biên giới Việt-Miên khoảng một dặm rưỡi.
Tất cả trực thăng trong hợp đoàn tham dự cuộc đổ quân, theo lệnh của chiếc trực thăng chỉ huy. Một chiếc phi cơ thám thính FAC bao vùng sẽ điều động các phi tuần phi cơ chiến thuật lên oanh kích nếu cần thiết.
Trước khi hợp đoàn trực thăng cất cánh vào lúc rạng đông, trung sĩ nhất Shriver leo lên, ngồi trên chiếc trực thăng dẫn đầu. Các phi cơ chiến lược B-52 đang thả bom trên khu vực tình nghi có bộ chỉ huy Trung Ương Cục Miền Nam. Khi đoàn trực thăng cất cánh, chiếc trực thăng chở đại úy O’Rourke cùng ban tham mưu của ông ta bị trở ngại kỹ thuật nên phải quay lại, do đó người chỉ huy trận tấn công là đại úy Cahill.
Theo dự trù, đoàn trực thăng sẽ đến bãi đáp khi lớp bụi sau trận thả bom lắng xuống, nhưng hợp đoàn trực thăng bay lạc, không tìm ra bãi đáp. Phải mất hơn nửa tiếng đồng hồ bay lòng vòng (để bị lộ) mới tìm ra được ba hố bom để đáp xuống, cho đơn vị (trung đội) Hatchet Force tiến vào khu vực hành quân. Sau đó hợp đoàn trực thăng bay về phi trường Quản Lợi, cũng là căn cứ hành quân tiền phương của đơn vị SOG (CCS) nơi phiá nam.
Khi ra khỏi trực thăng, các biệt kích quân nhẩy xuống một trong hai hố bom lớn, bố trí, chỉ cách một ổ súng đại liên của địch khoảng 30, 50 thước. Các trực thăng vừa bốc lên cao, ra khỏi bãi đáp khoảng 20 thước, tiếng súng đại liên, súng AK từ các công sự phòng thủ, giao thông hào của địch nổ dòn, bắn gục những ai còn trong bãi đáp, chưa kịp nhẩy xuống hố bom tránh đạn.
Từ trong hố bom, trung sĩ nhất Jerry M. “Mad Dog, Chó Điên” Shriver gọi máy liên lạc, báo cáo, khẩu đại liên của địch đặt phiá bên trái đàn áp không cho toán quân dưới quyền anh ta ngóc đầu lên được. Anh ta yêu cầu, phần còn lại của trung đội Hatchet Force tác xạ vào khẩu đại liên để làm giảm bớt hỏa lực của địch. Đại úy Cahill, trung úy Marcantel, và trung sĩ Earnest C. Jamison trú trong hố bom ở giữa cũng nằm chịu trận, không cựa quậy được.
Chiếc trực thăng chỉ huy báo cho đơn vị Hatchet Force biết sẽ điều động không quân chiến thuật (khu trục cơ hoặc phản lực) lên oanh kích, yểm trợ. Trong khi đó các trực thăng võ trang bay vào bắn hỏa tiễn, đại liên minigun sáu nòng xuống vị trí của địch, để đỡ cho trung đội Hatchet Force. Khi một chiếc trực thăng võ trang chúi xuống, bắn đại liên, người xạ thủ đại liên báo cáo, ổ súng đại liên của địch đặt trong pháo đài xây bằng bê tông, đạn trúng không ăn thua.
Trên chiếc trực thăng chỉ huy có thiếu tá Benjamin T. Kapp Jr., một cấp chỉ huy trên căn cứ hành quân tiền phương, quan sát trận điạ và báo cáo về cho trung tá Trabue, chỉ huy trưởng bộ chỉ huy Nam (CCS) ở Ban Mê Thuột. Từ trên cao, thiếu tá Kapp nhìn rõ vị trí trung đội khai thác (xung kích) Hatchet Force, bị hai khẩu đại liên của địch đặt trong pháo đài kiên cố chế ngự.
Khoảng 10, 15 phút sau, đại úy Cahill nghe Shriver báo cáo, sẽ cùng với năm biệt kích Thượng sẽ chạy vào bià rừng phiá tây bãi đáp trực thăng, rồi từ đó tấn công khẩu đại liên. Nhìn qua hố bom bên kia, đại úy Cahill trông thấy sáu người nhẩy lên khỏi hố bom, chạy thật nhanh vào hàng cây nơi bìa rừng. Trong lúc chạy, Jerry Shriver vẫn liên lạc với phi cơ quan sát FAC.
Ngồi trong hố bom quan sát, đại úy Cahill trông thấy Shriver chạy vừa đến hàng cây thì bị trúng mấy viên đạn, gục xuống, và cũng không nghe được những lời đối thoại giữa Shriver và phi công FAC. Viên phi công FAC cố gắng liên lạc, gọi Shriver thêm mấy lần, nhưng không có tiếng trả lời. Đại úy Cahill tin rằng, Shriver đã trúng đạn, chết dưới hàng cây.
Tiếng súng vẫn nổ đều khắp nơi, trung sĩ y tá Jamison bò ra khỏi hố bom để lôi một biệt kích Thượng xuống hố bom, anh ta trúng đạn chết ngay cạnh binh sĩ Thượng. Ít phút sau, đại úy Cahill đưa đầu lên khỏi hố bom để quan sát chiến trường, một viên đạn AK trúng vào miệng ông ta, trổ ngược lên con mắt bên phải. Đau đớn vì vết thương, ông ta không nhìn được gần ba mươi phút, và hư luôn con mắt bên phải.
Trong khi trung đội Hatchet Force đang lâm nguy, các toán biệt kích thuộc bộ chỉ huy Nam (CCS) đang xâm nhập hoạt động dò thám, được lệnh tìm vị trí an toàn, nằm im, để tất cả trực thăng võ trang bay đi cấp cứu đơn vị Hatchet Force.
Trên bầu trời, bộ chỉ huy Trung Ương Cục, số trực thăng võ trang đã tăng lên 8 chiếc. Trung úy Harrigan yêu cầu các trực thăng xử dụng hỏa lực của hỏa tiễn và đại liên minigun sáu nòng đàn áp các khẩu đại liên của địch. Ông ta điều chỉnh hỏa lực trực thăng bắn phá thêm 45 phút rồi trúng đạn bị thương nặng. Trước đó Greg Harrigan báo cáo hơn nửa trung đội Hatchet Force đã chết hoặc bị thương. Sau đó trung úy Harrigan trúng đạn tử trận.
Một toán biệt kích gồm có hai quân nhân Hoa Kỳ, bốn biệt kích Thượng được đưa vào một hố bom thứ ba cách bãi đáp khoảng 80 thước, tăng cường cho trung đội Hatchet Force. Nhiệm vụ của toán biệt kích sẽ tấn công theo sườn hướng tây phòng tuyến của địch, tiến sát đến pháo đài, ném lựu đạn vào lỗ châu mai phá khẩu đại liên. Không ngờ toán biệt kích cũng bị hỏa lực của địch đàn áp, kẹt trong hố bom, không tiến lên được.
Tám trực thăng Huey võ trang luân phiên nhau bắn yểm trợ và bay về phi trường Quản Lợi lấy nhiên liệu, hỏa tiễn, đạn dược. Trung tá Trabue chỉ huy trưởng bộ chỉ huy Nam (CCS) xin thêm hai trực thăng Cobra thuộc tiểu đoàn 2, trung đoàn 20 Không Pháo (Arial Artillery) lên tham chiến, cũng không xong vì pháo đài của địch được xây bằng bê tông.
Trung tá Trabue yêu cầu phi công FAC xin các phi tuần không quân chiến thuật lên thả bom, nhưng được trả lời, không có sẵn. Ông ta liên lạc về Hành Quân 35 (Oplan 35) của đơn vị SOG, và khoảng 45 phút sau, có một phi tuần phản lực lên oanh kích. Sau mấy vòng phi cơ oanh kích, thả bom, trung đội Hatchet Force báo cáo, hỏa lực của địch nơi bãi đáp vẫn còn mạnh, trực thăng chưa thể vào được để di tản trung đội.
Trung tá Trabue quyết định xử dụng bom Napalm để cứu đơn vị Hatchet Force. Ông ta yêu cầu thả bom Napalm dọc theo phòng tuyến xây bằng bê tông của địch. Sau hai qủa bom Napalm, trung đội Hatchet Force báo cáo, hỏa lực của địch giảm đi nhiều và trực thăng có thể vào di tản.
Bốn trực thăng Huey đáp xuống di tản trung đội Hatchet Force. Khi trực thăng vừa bốc lên, phi hành đoàn một trong bốn chiếc trực thăng nhìn xuống hố bom ở giữa bãi đáp, trông thấy có người chuyển động, vội báo cho phi công quay lại. Trung úy Daniel Hall nhẩy ra khỏi trực thăng lôi lên được quân nhân LLĐB/HK mang máy truyền tin bị thương nặng và xác của trung úy Harrigan.
Trong số 18 biệt kích quân thộc trung đội Hatchet Force và 6 người trong toán biệt kích vào sau. Toán biệt kích về đầy đủ, và 10 biệt kích quân trong trung đội Hatchet Force, tất cả đều bị thương. Quân nhân y tá Ernest Jamison được báo cáo tử trận, không lấy được xác. Shriver cùng với năm biệt kích Thượng được ghi nhận “Mất Tích” (MIA).
Trung sĩ nhất Jerry Michael “Mad Dog” Shriver rất tốt với các binh sĩ Thượng của anh ta. Jerry nói được tiếng Rhade, lúc nào cũng để ý nếp sống của người Thượng, xử dụng tiền lương của mình mua thực phẩm, quần áo giúp đỡ gia đình binh sĩ trong trung đội. Trước khi “mất tích” Jerry chỉ còn 3 tuần lễ phục vụ trong ba chuyến (tour) tình nguyện qua Việt Nam chiến đấu.
Dallas, TX.
vđh
This is a write-up on Jerry M. Shriver and others killed in action in either Laos or Cambodia.
"Mad Dog," as he was aptly called in the SOG (Special Forces) group at FOB#2 Kontum, VN. It seemed to me, that every time one of these teams got into a perdicamint we were on call.
I grew rather close to "Mad Dog" during my tour with the 170th AHC Bikinis in 1967.
He was a peculiar person.
My children have heard many tales of my crew inserting and extracting Jerry's team of Special Forces. Upon my return to VN in 1969, I heard that Jerry was dead and the NVA had decapitated him to show proof that he would not bother them anymore.
"Mad Dog," as he was aptly called in the SOG (Special Forces) group at FOB#2 Kontum, VN. It seemed to me, that every time one of these teams got into a perdicamint we were on call.
I grew rather close to "Mad Dog" during my tour with the 170th AHC Bikinis in 1967.
He was a peculiar person.
My children have heard many tales of my crew inserting and extracting Jerry's team of Special Forces. Upon my return to VN in 1969, I heard that Jerry was dead and the NVA had decapitated him to show proof that he would not bother them anymore.
Today we pause to remember one of SOGs legends, SFC Jerry M Shriver who went MIA on April 24, 1969. Jerry is credited with taking part in an extraordinary number of recon missions with SOG.
Born Jerry Michael Tate, he was a military brat. His biological father, Henry A Tate, Jr., was in the Air Corps and Air Force. His parents married in 1941 and his father served during WW II in Italy. After the war, the family spends time in Germany and Bermuda. By the time he was 12, Jerry had three younger siblings and his parents had split up. Soon afterwards his mom "Doll" marries another career Air Force man, Dale L Shriver. Jerry and his siblings all take the Shriver surname. Three more siblings were added to his family.
In Dec 1958 - 17 year old Jerry Shriver drops out of South Fork High School (Miranda, CA) to join the Army. He is listed as living in Weott, Humboldt County, California. His mom and step-father live in Sacramento.
After basic training at Fort Ord, Jerry receives infantry/11B training. He probably finished all of his initial training in early 1959. It’s unknown what he does for the next few years, but sometime prior to 1961 he attends jump school and then is assigned to Wildflecken, Germany as a member of Co A, 75th Infantry, serving on a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team.
Jerry’s years as a LRRP with 75th are told in a 3 page article in the Fall 2008 75th Ranger Regiment Association's newsletter. 'Tales of Digger' (Digger was Jerry's nickname) show that his eccentric and sometimes risk taking nature was well established before he stepped foot in Vietnam. On the flip side of the coin his passion for training and conditioning himself into a fierce fighting machine and his talent to put his skills to good use was recognized.
In 1965 Jerry was at Fort Bragg attending Special Forces training. His off base housemates were Ron Dahle & Roy Link. His rather bizarre and dangerous shenanigans continued at Fort Bragg, but he managed to arrive in Vietnam in 1966 wearing Staff Sergeant stripes and was soon promoted to Sergeant First Class.
On 8 October 1966 Jerry earns the first of his seven Bronze Stars w/V device and 19 days later he earns his first Silver Star while serving as an assistant team leader on a recon team.
Below is a list of the personal decorations he received:
For action on 08 Oct 1966 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 27 Oct 1966 Silver Star
For action on 02 May 1967 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 05 May 1967 Soldier's Medal
For action on 10 Aug 1967 ARCOM w/V
For action on 23 Sep 1967 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 23 Oct 1967 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 13 May 1968 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 04 Nov 1968 Bronze Star w/v
For wounds on 12 Mar 1969 Purple Heart
For action on 24 Apr 1969 Silver Star (awarded posthumously 2 Oct 1974)
By 1968 the 5th Special Forces Group executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Norton, had been watching SOG recon casualties skyrocket and grew concerned about men like Mad Dog whose lives had become a continuous flirtation with death. Norton went to the 5th Group commander and urged, "Don't approve the goddamn extensions these guys are asking for. You approve it again, your chances of killing that guy are very, very good." But the group commander explained SOG needed experienced men for its high priority missions. "Bullshit," Norton snapped, "you're signing that guy's death warrant." Eventually 5th Group turned down a few extensions but only a very few; the most experienced recon men never had extensions denied. Never.
Unless you were one of Mad Dog's close friends, the image was perfect prowess -- but the truth was, Shriver confided to fellow SOG Green Beret Sammy Hernadez, he feared death and didn't think he'd live much longer. He'd beat bad odds too many times, and could feel a terrible payback looming.
It was said that by his third tour of duty Shriver had become troubled and anti-social. He had even started to drink heavily and was said to be having trouble sleeping. He slept with his M3A1 (Grease Gun) Suppressed Sub-machine Gun under his pillow. But most people who served with him acknowledged that he was also a brave, dedicated, and committed soldier, who would do anything to help his team.
"He wanted to quit," Medal of Honor winner Fred Zabitosky could see. "He really wanted to quit, Jerry did. I said, 'Why don't you just tell them I want off, I don't want to run anymore?' He said he would but he never did; just kept running."
"Mad Dog was wanting to get out of recon and didn't know how," said recon team leader Sonny Franks, though the half-measure came when Shriver left recon to join his teammate O’Rourke’s Reaction Company.
LTC Earl Trabue stated “I had taken Shriver out of Recon and put him in the Reaction Company commanded by O'Rourke based on advice from my Sergeant Major who told me Shriver was burnt out. I also refused Shriver's request for another extension. I personally told him that he needed a rest. I had a rule that at 10 days before DROS no one went on a mission. Shriver was two days short of the 10 days when the mission took take place.”
As his longtime friend Ron Dahle has said about Jerry, "Jerry had to die in Nam, there was no place in a civilized world for him. He was great sober (seldom) unfortunately he was a total alcoholic and totally crazy when drunk. Don't misinterpret what I am saying, I loved Jerry to death, but what was...was."
When Jerry boarded the helicopter at Quan Loi (a small SOG compound) on the morning of April 24, 1969 it was thought the COSVN (North Vietnamese Army Headquarters) raid would make a fitting final operation; Shriver could face his fear head-on, charge right into COSVN’s mysterious mouth and afterward at last call it quits.
The story of Jerry’s last mission by LTC Earl Trabue and others:
LTC Trabue: “I was Flying C&C and was there from the git-go. We had to fly around the area for about 30 minutes to find three dry bomb holes (indicating that they were fresh). We knew at the start that due to aircraft availability it would be a platoon sized mission. However, the reason that there were so many officers on it was that CPT Bill O'Rourke wanted an officer in each flight team. As I had assigned the mission to O'Rourke's company, it was his responsibility to select the men who would go in on the ground. He decided to go in and command the ground operations. His plan was to go in on the last ship to land in order that he might see how the teams were dispersing on the ground. There was an engine failure in his ship at take off. We all knew that the mission was stupid from the time we got the order. I personally contacted Col Johnson at Ops 35 (My immediate Supervisor at SOG) and told him that with the manpower we would have the Mission was not appropriate. We were supposed to capture a prisoner and conduct a bomb assessment. I was told that the B-52s bombs would stun all of the enemy so bad it would be a piece of cake. So much for rear echelon knowledge of the real world in the field. “
Shriver's platoon was air assaulted into Cambodia by four helicopters. Upon departing the helicopter, the team had begun moving toward its initial target point when it came under heavy volumes of enemy fire from several machine gun bunkers and entrenched enemy positions estimated to be at least a company-sized element.
Capt. Cahill and Sgt. Ernest C. Jamison, the platoon medical aidman, took cover in a bomb crater. Cahill continued radio contact with Shriver for four hours until his transmission was broken and Shriver was not heard from again.
LTC Trabue: “Shriver called from his hole over to Cahill and told him he planned to try to get into the trees and get behind the VC. Cahill, who was now the ground commander, told him not to go as the fire was too hot. Shiver went anyway with five ‘Yards. All were killed. Cahill observed Shiver getting hit and going down just short of the tree line. “
It was known that Shriver had been wounded 3 or 4 times. An enemy soldier was later seen picking up a weapon which appeared to be the same type carried by Shriver.
Jamison left the crater to retrieve one of the wounded Montagnards who had fallen in the charge. The medic reached the soldier, but was almost torn apart by concentrated machine gun fire. At that moment Cahill was wounded in the right eye, which resulted in his total blindness for the next 30 minutes. The platoon radioman, Y-Sum Nie, desperately radioed for immediate extraction.
Maj. Benjamin T. Kapp, Jr. was in the command helicopter and could see the platoon pinned down across the broken ground and rims of bomb craters. North Vietnamese machine guns were firing into the bodies in front of their positions and covering the open ground with grazing fire. The assistant platoon leader, 1Lt. Gregory M. Harrigan, reported within minutes that half the platoon was killed or wounded. Harrigan himself was killed 45 minutes later.
LTC Trabue: “The first time the C&C ship went back to the base for fuel gathered up a recon team and put them on the ground to try and infiltrate around to the rear of the enemy. The team claimed that they could not get out of the hole I had put them in as they were under fire. During the action, when it became apparent that the choppers did not have enough fire power to suppress the VC, I got a message relayed to Ops 35 telling them that if I did not get close air support we would lose every one on the ground. I got the support in the form of several sorties but their bombs were having no effect. After the war I found out from one of the gunners from the 195th, which was our Helicopter support, that the bunker complex we were fighting was made of Concrete. He saw them when they went in low to strafe the area. Finally I called for napalm and that stopped the fire from the VC long enough for us to evacuate the survivors and some of the dead. Jamison was left on the ground (he was dead) because the last pickup ship was receiving fire and had to get out of there.”
After seven hours of contact, three helicopters dashed in and pulled out 15 wounded troops. As the aircraft lifted off, several crewmen saw movement in a bomb crater. A fourth helicopter set down, and Lt. Daniel Hall twice raced over to the bomb crater. On the first trip he recovered the badly wounded radio operator, and on the second trip he dragged Harrigan's body back to the helicopter. The aircraft was being buffeted by shellfire and took off immediately afterwards. No further MACV-SOG insertions were made into the NVA stronghold.
A total of 24 men had been inserted; 17 were recovered, and of those 17, ten were wounded and one was dead (1LT Gregory M. Harrigan). Two Americans and five Montagnards were not recovered; one of the seven, medic SGT Ernest C. Jamison, was known dead, while the other six were listed as Missing in Action.
On the 12th of June 1970, a team from the US Grave Registration Unit arrived at the battle-site to search for seven soldiers who had gone missing during the battle, including Shriver. Although they did recover the bodies of SGT Jamison and one of the Montagnards, no trace of Jerry Shriver or his equipment was ever found.
According to the Task Force Omega site, a Radio Hanoi broadcast indicated that Shriver had been killed in the fighting. However, he was carried as MIA until 10 June 1974, when the Secretary of the Army approved a Presumptive Finding of Death. During this time he was promoted from E-7 to E-8. As of April 2019 his remains have not been repatriated.
There is a memorial marker for Master Sergeant Jerry M. Shriver in the Fort Lawton Federal Cemetery in Seattle, Washington (Plot 4-235, placed 08/22/1974).
He is on "The Memorial Wall " in Washington, D.C. P-26W/L41
He is also featured in January 1997 "Soldier Of Fortune"
He is in the following:
"SOG" by John L Plaster
"Code Name: Copperhead" by Sergeant Major Joe R. Garner
"The Last Medal of Honor" by Pete Billac
………………………………..
Seattle Daily Times, WA, Friday, August 23, 1974, page E11, col. 6
Sergeant honored posthumously
Master Sgt. Jerry Michael Shriver was honored posthumously yesterday at Fort Lawton, the first missing-in-action person from this area to be so honored.
Shriver was pronounced dead by the Army after being missing in Laos five years.
The sergeant's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Shriver of Bellevue, attended the ceremony along with the sergeant's brothers and sisters, Colleen, 18, Bonnie, 17, Patrick, 20, Roger, 27 and John, 23.
Shriver's six posthumous awards include the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest military honor.
Lt. Col. Douglas Horne, special assistant to the chief of staff at Ft. Lewis, presented Mrs. Shriver with an American flag, a Special Forces green beret like Shriver once had worn and a plaque with the six medals attached.
A 21-gun salute honored the sergeant. Members of Company B, 75th Rangers, 9th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, served as the honor guard.
Born Jerry Michael Tate, he was a military brat. His biological father, Henry A Tate, Jr., was in the Air Corps and Air Force. His parents married in 1941 and his father served during WW II in Italy. After the war, the family spends time in Germany and Bermuda. By the time he was 12, Jerry had three younger siblings and his parents had split up. Soon afterwards his mom "Doll" marries another career Air Force man, Dale L Shriver. Jerry and his siblings all take the Shriver surname. Three more siblings were added to his family.
In Dec 1958 - 17 year old Jerry Shriver drops out of South Fork High School (Miranda, CA) to join the Army. He is listed as living in Weott, Humboldt County, California. His mom and step-father live in Sacramento.
After basic training at Fort Ord, Jerry receives infantry/11B training. He probably finished all of his initial training in early 1959. It’s unknown what he does for the next few years, but sometime prior to 1961 he attends jump school and then is assigned to Wildflecken, Germany as a member of Co A, 75th Infantry, serving on a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team.
Jerry’s years as a LRRP with 75th are told in a 3 page article in the Fall 2008 75th Ranger Regiment Association's newsletter. 'Tales of Digger' (Digger was Jerry's nickname) show that his eccentric and sometimes risk taking nature was well established before he stepped foot in Vietnam. On the flip side of the coin his passion for training and conditioning himself into a fierce fighting machine and his talent to put his skills to good use was recognized.
In 1965 Jerry was at Fort Bragg attending Special Forces training. His off base housemates were Ron Dahle & Roy Link. His rather bizarre and dangerous shenanigans continued at Fort Bragg, but he managed to arrive in Vietnam in 1966 wearing Staff Sergeant stripes and was soon promoted to Sergeant First Class.
On 8 October 1966 Jerry earns the first of his seven Bronze Stars w/V device and 19 days later he earns his first Silver Star while serving as an assistant team leader on a recon team.
Below is a list of the personal decorations he received:
For action on 08 Oct 1966 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 27 Oct 1966 Silver Star
For action on 02 May 1967 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 05 May 1967 Soldier's Medal
For action on 10 Aug 1967 ARCOM w/V
For action on 23 Sep 1967 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 23 Oct 1967 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 13 May 1968 Bronze Star w/v
For action on 04 Nov 1968 Bronze Star w/v
For wounds on 12 Mar 1969 Purple Heart
For action on 24 Apr 1969 Silver Star (awarded posthumously 2 Oct 1974)
By 1968 the 5th Special Forces Group executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Norton, had been watching SOG recon casualties skyrocket and grew concerned about men like Mad Dog whose lives had become a continuous flirtation with death. Norton went to the 5th Group commander and urged, "Don't approve the goddamn extensions these guys are asking for. You approve it again, your chances of killing that guy are very, very good." But the group commander explained SOG needed experienced men for its high priority missions. "Bullshit," Norton snapped, "you're signing that guy's death warrant." Eventually 5th Group turned down a few extensions but only a very few; the most experienced recon men never had extensions denied. Never.
Unless you were one of Mad Dog's close friends, the image was perfect prowess -- but the truth was, Shriver confided to fellow SOG Green Beret Sammy Hernadez, he feared death and didn't think he'd live much longer. He'd beat bad odds too many times, and could feel a terrible payback looming.
It was said that by his third tour of duty Shriver had become troubled and anti-social. He had even started to drink heavily and was said to be having trouble sleeping. He slept with his M3A1 (Grease Gun) Suppressed Sub-machine Gun under his pillow. But most people who served with him acknowledged that he was also a brave, dedicated, and committed soldier, who would do anything to help his team.
"He wanted to quit," Medal of Honor winner Fred Zabitosky could see. "He really wanted to quit, Jerry did. I said, 'Why don't you just tell them I want off, I don't want to run anymore?' He said he would but he never did; just kept running."
"Mad Dog was wanting to get out of recon and didn't know how," said recon team leader Sonny Franks, though the half-measure came when Shriver left recon to join his teammate O’Rourke’s Reaction Company.
LTC Earl Trabue stated “I had taken Shriver out of Recon and put him in the Reaction Company commanded by O'Rourke based on advice from my Sergeant Major who told me Shriver was burnt out. I also refused Shriver's request for another extension. I personally told him that he needed a rest. I had a rule that at 10 days before DROS no one went on a mission. Shriver was two days short of the 10 days when the mission took take place.”
As his longtime friend Ron Dahle has said about Jerry, "Jerry had to die in Nam, there was no place in a civilized world for him. He was great sober (seldom) unfortunately he was a total alcoholic and totally crazy when drunk. Don't misinterpret what I am saying, I loved Jerry to death, but what was...was."
When Jerry boarded the helicopter at Quan Loi (a small SOG compound) on the morning of April 24, 1969 it was thought the COSVN (North Vietnamese Army Headquarters) raid would make a fitting final operation; Shriver could face his fear head-on, charge right into COSVN’s mysterious mouth and afterward at last call it quits.
The story of Jerry’s last mission by LTC Earl Trabue and others:
LTC Trabue: “I was Flying C&C and was there from the git-go. We had to fly around the area for about 30 minutes to find three dry bomb holes (indicating that they were fresh). We knew at the start that due to aircraft availability it would be a platoon sized mission. However, the reason that there were so many officers on it was that CPT Bill O'Rourke wanted an officer in each flight team. As I had assigned the mission to O'Rourke's company, it was his responsibility to select the men who would go in on the ground. He decided to go in and command the ground operations. His plan was to go in on the last ship to land in order that he might see how the teams were dispersing on the ground. There was an engine failure in his ship at take off. We all knew that the mission was stupid from the time we got the order. I personally contacted Col Johnson at Ops 35 (My immediate Supervisor at SOG) and told him that with the manpower we would have the Mission was not appropriate. We were supposed to capture a prisoner and conduct a bomb assessment. I was told that the B-52s bombs would stun all of the enemy so bad it would be a piece of cake. So much for rear echelon knowledge of the real world in the field. “
Shriver's platoon was air assaulted into Cambodia by four helicopters. Upon departing the helicopter, the team had begun moving toward its initial target point when it came under heavy volumes of enemy fire from several machine gun bunkers and entrenched enemy positions estimated to be at least a company-sized element.
Capt. Cahill and Sgt. Ernest C. Jamison, the platoon medical aidman, took cover in a bomb crater. Cahill continued radio contact with Shriver for four hours until his transmission was broken and Shriver was not heard from again.
LTC Trabue: “Shriver called from his hole over to Cahill and told him he planned to try to get into the trees and get behind the VC. Cahill, who was now the ground commander, told him not to go as the fire was too hot. Shiver went anyway with five ‘Yards. All were killed. Cahill observed Shiver getting hit and going down just short of the tree line. “
It was known that Shriver had been wounded 3 or 4 times. An enemy soldier was later seen picking up a weapon which appeared to be the same type carried by Shriver.
Jamison left the crater to retrieve one of the wounded Montagnards who had fallen in the charge. The medic reached the soldier, but was almost torn apart by concentrated machine gun fire. At that moment Cahill was wounded in the right eye, which resulted in his total blindness for the next 30 minutes. The platoon radioman, Y-Sum Nie, desperately radioed for immediate extraction.
Maj. Benjamin T. Kapp, Jr. was in the command helicopter and could see the platoon pinned down across the broken ground and rims of bomb craters. North Vietnamese machine guns were firing into the bodies in front of their positions and covering the open ground with grazing fire. The assistant platoon leader, 1Lt. Gregory M. Harrigan, reported within minutes that half the platoon was killed or wounded. Harrigan himself was killed 45 minutes later.
LTC Trabue: “The first time the C&C ship went back to the base for fuel gathered up a recon team and put them on the ground to try and infiltrate around to the rear of the enemy. The team claimed that they could not get out of the hole I had put them in as they were under fire. During the action, when it became apparent that the choppers did not have enough fire power to suppress the VC, I got a message relayed to Ops 35 telling them that if I did not get close air support we would lose every one on the ground. I got the support in the form of several sorties but their bombs were having no effect. After the war I found out from one of the gunners from the 195th, which was our Helicopter support, that the bunker complex we were fighting was made of Concrete. He saw them when they went in low to strafe the area. Finally I called for napalm and that stopped the fire from the VC long enough for us to evacuate the survivors and some of the dead. Jamison was left on the ground (he was dead) because the last pickup ship was receiving fire and had to get out of there.”
After seven hours of contact, three helicopters dashed in and pulled out 15 wounded troops. As the aircraft lifted off, several crewmen saw movement in a bomb crater. A fourth helicopter set down, and Lt. Daniel Hall twice raced over to the bomb crater. On the first trip he recovered the badly wounded radio operator, and on the second trip he dragged Harrigan's body back to the helicopter. The aircraft was being buffeted by shellfire and took off immediately afterwards. No further MACV-SOG insertions were made into the NVA stronghold.
A total of 24 men had been inserted; 17 were recovered, and of those 17, ten were wounded and one was dead (1LT Gregory M. Harrigan). Two Americans and five Montagnards were not recovered; one of the seven, medic SGT Ernest C. Jamison, was known dead, while the other six were listed as Missing in Action.
On the 12th of June 1970, a team from the US Grave Registration Unit arrived at the battle-site to search for seven soldiers who had gone missing during the battle, including Shriver. Although they did recover the bodies of SGT Jamison and one of the Montagnards, no trace of Jerry Shriver or his equipment was ever found.
According to the Task Force Omega site, a Radio Hanoi broadcast indicated that Shriver had been killed in the fighting. However, he was carried as MIA until 10 June 1974, when the Secretary of the Army approved a Presumptive Finding of Death. During this time he was promoted from E-7 to E-8. As of April 2019 his remains have not been repatriated.
There is a memorial marker for Master Sergeant Jerry M. Shriver in the Fort Lawton Federal Cemetery in Seattle, Washington (Plot 4-235, placed 08/22/1974).
He is on "The Memorial Wall " in Washington, D.C. P-26W/L41
He is also featured in January 1997 "Soldier Of Fortune"
He is in the following:
"SOG" by John L Plaster
"Code Name: Copperhead" by Sergeant Major Joe R. Garner
"The Last Medal of Honor" by Pete Billac
………………………………..
Seattle Daily Times, WA, Friday, August 23, 1974, page E11, col. 6
Sergeant honored posthumously
Master Sgt. Jerry Michael Shriver was honored posthumously yesterday at Fort Lawton, the first missing-in-action person from this area to be so honored.
Shriver was pronounced dead by the Army after being missing in Laos five years.
The sergeant's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Shriver of Bellevue, attended the ceremony along with the sergeant's brothers and sisters, Colleen, 18, Bonnie, 17, Patrick, 20, Roger, 27 and John, 23.
Shriver's six posthumous awards include the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest military honor.
Lt. Col. Douglas Horne, special assistant to the chief of staff at Ft. Lewis, presented Mrs. Shriver with an American flag, a Special Forces green beret like Shriver once had worn and a plaque with the six medals attached.
A 21-gun salute honored the sergeant. Members of Company B, 75th Rangers, 9th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, served as the honor guard.
No comments:
Post a Comment