Richard V. Secord
| Richard Secord | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Vernon Secord July 6, 1932 LaRue, Ohio, United States |
| Alma mater | West Point |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | U.S. Air Force |
| Years of service | 1955 - 1983 |
| Commands | 603rd Special Operations Squadron |
| Battles/wars |
Vietnam War Secret War in Laos |
Major General Richard Vernon Secord, Retired (born July 6, 1932), is a United States Air Force officer with a notable career in covert operations. Early in his military service, he was a member of the first U. S. aviation detachment sent to the Vietnam War in August 1961, Operation Farm Gate. Secord left Vietnam in 1965 to attend Air Command and Staff College. Afterwards, he returned to Southeast Asia, being detailed to the Central Intelligence Agency for duty in the Secret War in Laos. While in Laos, he was responsible for several notable military actions. One was the Battle of Lima Site 85. Another was the only successful prisoner of war rescue of the Vietnam War. Both of these came about because of his responsibilities for overseeing the operations of the Royal Lao Air Force, Air America, and Raven FACs.
After his Southeast Asian service, Secord commanded the 603rd Special Operations Squadron and underwent further advanced military education at the Naval War College. He then served on staff duty in the Department of Defense from June 1972 through September 1975. His next posting returned him to Iran, this time managing all U. S. military assistance to the Iranians.
After his retirement from the USAF, Secord went into business; however, he did not immediately sever his connections to covert operations. He was involved in the Iran-Contra affair.
In latter years, Richard Secord has served as president of a charitable organization, the Air Commando Association.
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Wikipedia