REAL LIFE SUPERHERO he United States was involved in the Vietnam War from 1957 to 1975 In 1964 the 7th Special Forces Group was at Camp Dong in Vietnam when the enemy attacked During the attack Captain Roger Donlon noticed three enemy soldiers by the camp's main gate The enemy soldiers were about to blow up the gate But Donlon quickly killed them and the gate remained standing Although the camp's main gate stood many US soldiers Captain Roger Donlon proudly wears his Medal of Honor
were wounded or killed during the battle Donlon was hit by shrapnel more than once during the attack But even wounded he provided cover for a gun crew that was heading for safety Conlon pulled a seriously wounded soldier to safety He also dragged a heavy cannon to a place where President Lyndon Johnson ſat podium presents the Medal of Honor to Captain Roger Donlon standing right of podium other soldiers could use it Later in the five hour battle Donlon was more seriously injured by a grenade But he continued to help his fellow soldiers He gave medical care to other wounded soldiers during and after the battle Thanks to Donlon's courageous actions the US Army successfully defended the camp Donlon survived his injuries and was awarded for his bravery and service He received the Purple Heart and the Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is the military's highest award It is presented to soldiers by the president of the United States Donlon was the first Special Forces soldier to receive this
FOUNDING OF THE SPECIAL uring World War II intelligence organizations in the United States England and France created special teams These teams were known as Jedburgh Teams Each Jedburgh Team included a British or US officer a French officer and a radio operator The team members were called Jeds The Jeds parachuted behind enemy lines in France They gathered intelligence and interfered with enemy plans They also trained friendly foreign fighters and arranged supply drops Jeds train on high bars in an obstacle course at Milton Hall
In London England an officer briefs Jeds on a mission After World War II the US Army modeled a new unit on the Jedburgh Teams It was the 10th Special Forces Group Airborne This unit was activated in June of 1952 and led by Colonel Aaron Bank Some of the members were men who had been on the Jedburgh Teams Army Rangers and Airborne soldiers were recruited too The Special Forces were trained in unconventional warfare The founding mission had two parts One was to infiltrate by land sea or air deep into enemy occupied territory The other was to organize the resistancelguerrilla potential Today's Special Forces do all that and
