“Colonel Mike” The Origins of the MIKE Force in Vietnam

By Kenneth Finlayson

From Veritas, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2009

1965 was a critical year in the course of the Vietnam War. A resurgent Communist Viet Cong (VC) joined with a growing number of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units to launch a general offensive against the South Vietnamese Army and its American allies. The frequency and ferocity of the Communist attacks were largely responsible for accelerating the deployment of American conventional forces in 1965. The U.S. Army made its role as advisors to the South Vietnamese Army secondary and took on an increasingly greater role in ground combat operations against the Communist forces. U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) also adapted to these changing tactics. SF became more aggressive in finding and fixing the VC and NVA units and interdicting supply lines into South Vietnam. One long-lasting change that resulted from the 1965 VC offensive was the creation of the MIKE Force.

MIKE Force Patch

 

LINK TO READ:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1laYmz8p_r6hRmlnmyu5n0fftgkaIK_SM/view?usp=sharing

 

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