Episode 64: Into the Heart of Laos – A FAC’s Harrowing Account of Operation Tailwind

In the latest episode of Military Tales, we delve into one of the Vietnam War’s deepest and most intense incursions into Laos: Operation Tailwind. Our guest, a veteran Forward Air Controller (FAC) who served with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, provides a gripping, first-hand account of supporting this highly classified and dangerous mission.

The Forward Air Controller: Orchestra Leader of the Battlefield

Our guest explains the critical role of the FAC, likening themselves to an “orchestra leader”. Everything that hits the ground – from bombs to strafing runs – is cleared through the FAC. They act as a clearing house, communicating with ground troops on FM radios, helicopters on VHF, and fighters on UHF. The FAC ensures friendly forces are not hit, using discretion on whether to authorize “cleared in hot” ordnance drops or just “dry” passes. This requires immense situational awareness and authority, especially for a young lieutenant directing seasoned pilots in fast movers.

The O-2 “Oscar Deuce” vs. The OV-10 Bronco

The episode sheds light on the aircraft used for the FAC mission, primarily the O-2 Skymaster, affectionately known as the “Oscar Deuce”. This Cessna 337, with its back seat stripped out for radio gear, was the primary aircraft for “prairie fire” missions in 1969 and 1970. Its key advantage was having a second seat right next to the pilot, allowing an experienced SOG team leader (known as a “one zero”) to act as a “cubby rider”. This rider, having charts and intimate knowledge of ground tactics, could communicate with the ground team leader and use hand signals to the pilot, significantly enhancing coordination.

The guest contrasts the O-2 with the OV-10 Bronco, a tandem-seated aircraft designed specifically as a FAC platform. While the OV-10 was more capable with more power, speed, and a bubble canopy allowing better downward visibility and turns in either direction, the tandem seating made communication and coordination with the ground team rider more difficult. The O-2, despite dictating left turns due to the pilot’s position and lacking integrated ordnance beyond sidearms, was still the preferred aircraft for these critical missions during the period discussed.

Operation Tailwind: A Deep, Joint Services Incursion

Operation Tailwind was unique – the only mission our guest worked that involved all services (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Air) except the Coast Guard. It was the deepest incursion ever into Laos, far outside the normal operational range of typical SOG insertion teams. While normal SOG missions involved small 9 to 11-man teams, Tailwind utilized a “hatchet force”, a company-sized outfit of 133 guys put on the ground.

The insertion was fraught with danger. On the first day, the Marine helicopters, used for heavy lift, were shot out and didn’t even reach the objective. The guest notes that Marine tactics, effective in Vietnam where staying above 1500 ft AGL offered relative safety, were lethal in Laos due to heavy anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). In Laos, aircraft needed to be either “on the deck at treetop level” or up around 4500 ft elevation to avoid being “waxed”. Despite disagreements at briefings, the initial low-altitude approach proved disastrous. Insertion was eventually achieved, but even on the second day, helicopters took fire and guys were wounded getting out.

Intense Air Support and High Losses

Our guest wasn’t on the initial insertion flight but worked the operation for two or possibly three days. With the force deep inside Laos, it became a “prairie fire” emergency. When a team declared a “P”, it gained the highest priority in Vietnam after Search and Rescue efforts for downed airmen. This meant the FAC supporting Tailwind had access to virtually any air asset Hillsboro (Air Force command) could scramble. During the operation, air support was stacked up “probably to 30,000 ft”. Our guest, as the “low FAC”, was down directing the actual strikes, while a “high FAC” coordinated the flow of fighters from holding patterns to the low FAC’s strike frequency.

These missions were incredibly intense. The guest recounts a resupply effort where bundles dropped from an OV-10 landed directly onto an enemy-infested hillside, which then erupted in muzzle flashes. At night, identifying enemy positions involved spotting these muzzle flashes. While AK-47 flashes were small “sparklers,” a 50 cal muzzle flash at night was described as being “as big as this room”. Facing this intense ground fire night after night was initially terrifying, leading the guest to question survival, but experience eventually built resilience.

The nature of these close support missions was inherently risky. The guest mentions that Skyraider losses were “exceptionally high” in 1965 and 1966. While he didn’t track mission numbers for himself, he accumulated 733 hours of combat time.

Harrowing Extractions and Rescues

The episode details the perilous extraction phase. During one lift, a helicopter taking out troops, including Hatchet Force commander Jean McCarley, got hit hard, lost an engine, and had to autorotate into the bottom of a steep canyon. Though the landing was successful, many were injured.

In another tense moment, after an extraction, it was discovered one indigenous soldier was missing. Despite being nearly out of fuel and operating under extreme pressure, the guest went back, flying low (“on the deck”) until spotting the soldier’s signal panel. Locating him allowed helicopters and gunships to be scrambled for a pickup. The guest believes he saved that man’s life that day, calling it a moment that “makes it all worthwhile”. Tragically, he notes that many Montagnards (“yards”), including possibly the one he rescued, were slaughtered after the US withdrawal.

The Aftermath and a Bizarre Controversy

Years after the war, Operation Tailwind gained notoriety due to a controversial 1998 CNN report by April Oliver and Peter Arnett. The report made “preposterous, ludicrous” claims, including the assertion that the US used sarin nerve gas during the operation to assassinate deserters. Our guest immediately dismissed the sarin claim, noting he didn’t have a gas mask and would have been killed if it were true. He explains that the gas they sometimes used for crowd control or breaking contact was CS gas or powder. This report caused such a “stink” that the Pentagon investigated and tracked down our guest through his call sign, “Gary Green”. He became involved in the debriefings to set the record straight.

Beyond the headline controversy, the guest reflects on the challenges of the war, including the increasing difficulty of inserting teams undetected by mid to late 1970, possibly due to sophisticated enemy tracking (including dogs and listening posts) and the potential for a mole at headquarters.

This episode offers a profound look at the realities of deep reconnaissance missions, the indispensable role of the FAC, and the courage required to operate in such a hostile environment.