With the 50th anniversary of the Son Tay Raid, there was such an outpouring of articles and commemorations honoring the raid. It also prompted memoirs from North Vietnamese commanders. We have assessed the current state of the body of knowledge regarding the Son Tay Raid. We can now objectively debunk misconceptions, conspiracy theories, rumors, and outright fabrications. You'll see the facts.
You'll step aboard the three aircraft carriers that launched 59 aircraft for the raid.
You'll be inside our amazing RC-135 airborne command post electronically eavesdropping on the conversations of the NVA commanders and SAM operators.
You'll see examples of the intel that our POWs inside the Son Tay POW camp were sending out through clandestine communications.
You'll be in the back seat of an F-105 slammed by the Soviet SAMs.
You'll stand with Colonel Bull Simons on the grounds of the Son Tay POW Camp and on-stage giving presentations over the years following the raid.
Now, we can help Special Operators of this current generation correct, clarify, and improve their understanding of this mission that sets the example of professional and effective planning of modern Special Ops.
John Gargus, Colonel, USAF (retired), was a planner of the Son Tay Raid and a navigator aboard the MC-130 Cherry Two, leading the strike force to the POW camp. He has given innumerable speeches about the raid, including many with Lt. Gen. LeRoy Manor, Colonel Bull Simons, and other luminaries of that iconic special ops mission. Born in Czechoslovakia, he was smuggled by his parents at the age of 15 from that Soviet-dominated country behind the Iron Curtain to live with relatives in America. He is the author of the 2007 book, The Son Tay Raid: American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten, arguably the most detailed and authoritative book on the topic.
Cliff Westbrook, a 1988 graduate of the US Air Force Academy and a pilot of the B-1 bomber, is the son of Clyde 'Neal' Westbrook, theAircraft Commander of Lime 2 during the Son Tay Raid. As a member of the Son Tay Raid Association, Cliff has interviewed numerous Raiders and helped gather the historical behind-the-scenes facts, including a complete compilation of the radio channels (air & ground) recorded during the Son Tay Raid. Cliff co-authored Who Will Go: Into the Son Tay POW Camp with Terry Buckler. He also co-authored Jakovenko: From the Steppes of Ukraine to the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame with Vladimir Jakovenko. You can contact Cliff at cliffwestbrook88@gmail.com
