Jelle H.
05-26-2006, 08:00 AM
Some time ago I had a discussion with some researchers and vets from OSS society about the lineage of the US Special Forces (Green berets). We were discussing wether the OSS operational groups or the SOE/OSS Jedburghs were the true predecessors.
This is a very interesting email I got from Mike Yared about the Special Forces lineage:
Jelle,
I posted this 1-2 years ago in OSS society.
The lineage is a real mess. The professional historians at the
Center for Military History have not really done anything and they
argued with this and they argued with the command historians and the
unit historians and the reunion historians.
For example, there is no correct Special Forces lineage at
http://www.army.mil/cmh/lineage/branches/sf/001sfgp1sf.htm and
http://www.army.mil/cmh/lineage/branches/sf/003sfgp1sf.htm
WHY? CMH had decided that the combined U.S. and Canadian 1st
Special Forces Group was the forerunner of the U.S. Army Special
Forces. However, it is the beliefs of most SOFs veterans that it is
not. The operational groups of the Office of Strategic Services, a
paramilitary organization under the Joint Chief of Staff responsible
for foreign intelligence, were the forerunner. Col. Aaron Bank (U.S.
Army Ret.) was an OSS veteran and is the father of the Special
Forces. He has always emphasized that OSS had created the
foundations on which Special Forces was founded (guerilla warfare;
language training; teaching). Col. Bank wrote an article in Gung-Ho
Magazine's special issue on Special Forces of December 1983 about
the history of SF. Furthermore, Col. Aaron Bank in Army Magazine of
June 1993, p.48-52, has always emphasized "that OSS had created the
building blocks, the foundation, on which Special Forces was
founded." Lt. Gen. William P. Yarborough, the first commander of the
Special Warfare Center, agree. Col. Bank was assigned to activate
and commanded the 10th Special Forces Group in 1952. About 50+ of
the new 500 personnel were OSS's OG veterans. Were there any FSSF
veterans in the new 10th SFG? There were none. The First Special
Service Force was an reinforced regimental-combat-sized Ranger
outfit. The FSSF were primarily used as shock troops in tough
terrain in Europe.
Thus Special Forces carries the lineage of the 1st Special
Service Force and the operational group of the Office of Strategic
Services (O.S.S.), while for the 75th Ranger Regiment, it is the
Merrill's Marauders (5307th Composite Regiment) and Darby's Rangers.
Also, the 75th Ranger Regiment carries a consolidated lineage of
Merrill's Marauders, 75th Inf Regt (formerly 475th Inf Regt), the
WWII Ranger battalions, and the Korean War Ranger companies. Because
of CARS (Combat Arms Regimental System) in 1969, the honors and
lineage of 6 Ranger Battalions of World War II and the 15 Airborne
Ranger Companies of the Korean War were consolidated with the honors
of the First Special Service Brigade, which had been given to
Special Forces instead to the 75th Infantry Regiment. Special Forces
built its own tradition from the OSS (a para-military
organization). The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) (known as
the Merrill's Marauders) was consolidated with the 475th Infantry
Regiment on August 10, 1944. The 5307th was not designated as a
Ranger unit. Seemed the Merrill's Marauders forced their World War
II lineage onto the Rangers. Their mode of operation was totally
different from the Rangers. Rangers are primarily direct action and
act as in special assault missions. The Marauders, organized in the
China-Burma-India Theater in October 1943, fought in Burma,
primarily against the Japanese 18th Infantry Division, using
indigenous troops at times. It was the 8213th ASU (8th Army Ranger
Company) and the 1st, 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions (Darby's
Rangers). The 475th Infantry was redesignated the 75th Infantry on
either June 21, 1954 or November 20, 1954. There are three current
Ranger Battalions and a Regimental HQ in the 75th Infantry Regiment.
Moreover, in 1984/1985/1986, the U.S. Army stated that Special
Forces received the Ranger lineage instead of the O.S.S. and the
Rangers received the Merrill's Marauders, a non-Ranger outfit who
fought semi-conventional actions using indigenous troops, instead of
the Darby's Ranger (specialist of spearheading special assaults).
It is time for the Army's Center for Military History and for
the command historians of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command
and the U.S. Army Special Forces Command to restore the tradition,
colors and battle campaigns of the Special Forces and to change the
lineage from FSSF to the OSS. Sure, OSS was a civilian organization
with many military personnel assigned to it.Sure, the issue of the
OSS and the military were political. For example, the research and
analysis arm of the OSS went over to the CIA.
Sources:
(most of the authors were former Green Berets).
Barker, Geoffrey.
A concise history of US Army special operations forces, with lineage
and insignia.
Anglo-American Pub. Co.,c1988.
ISBN: 0922004005
Adams, Thomas K.
US special operations forces in action: the challenge of
unconventional warfare.
Frank Cass, 1998.
ISBN: 0714643505
Bank, Aaron.
From OSS to Green Berets: the birth of special forces.
Presidio, 1986.
ISBN: 0891412719
Collins, John M.
Green Berets, Seals, and Spetsnaz: U.S. and Soviet special military
operations.
Pergamon Press, 1987.
ISBN: 0080357466
This is a very interesting email I got from Mike Yared about the Special Forces lineage:
Jelle,
I posted this 1-2 years ago in OSS society.
The lineage is a real mess. The professional historians at the
Center for Military History have not really done anything and they
argued with this and they argued with the command historians and the
unit historians and the reunion historians.
For example, there is no correct Special Forces lineage at
http://www.army.mil/cmh/lineage/branches/sf/001sfgp1sf.htm and
http://www.army.mil/cmh/lineage/branches/sf/003sfgp1sf.htm
WHY? CMH had decided that the combined U.S. and Canadian 1st
Special Forces Group was the forerunner of the U.S. Army Special
Forces. However, it is the beliefs of most SOFs veterans that it is
not. The operational groups of the Office of Strategic Services, a
paramilitary organization under the Joint Chief of Staff responsible
for foreign intelligence, were the forerunner. Col. Aaron Bank (U.S.
Army Ret.) was an OSS veteran and is the father of the Special
Forces. He has always emphasized that OSS had created the
foundations on which Special Forces was founded (guerilla warfare;
language training; teaching). Col. Bank wrote an article in Gung-Ho
Magazine's special issue on Special Forces of December 1983 about
the history of SF. Furthermore, Col. Aaron Bank in Army Magazine of
June 1993, p.48-52, has always emphasized "that OSS had created the
building blocks, the foundation, on which Special Forces was
founded." Lt. Gen. William P. Yarborough, the first commander of the
Special Warfare Center, agree. Col. Bank was assigned to activate
and commanded the 10th Special Forces Group in 1952. About 50+ of
the new 500 personnel were OSS's OG veterans. Were there any FSSF
veterans in the new 10th SFG? There were none. The First Special
Service Force was an reinforced regimental-combat-sized Ranger
outfit. The FSSF were primarily used as shock troops in tough
terrain in Europe.
Thus Special Forces carries the lineage of the 1st Special
Service Force and the operational group of the Office of Strategic
Services (O.S.S.), while for the 75th Ranger Regiment, it is the
Merrill's Marauders (5307th Composite Regiment) and Darby's Rangers.
Also, the 75th Ranger Regiment carries a consolidated lineage of
Merrill's Marauders, 75th Inf Regt (formerly 475th Inf Regt), the
WWII Ranger battalions, and the Korean War Ranger companies. Because
of CARS (Combat Arms Regimental System) in 1969, the honors and
lineage of 6 Ranger Battalions of World War II and the 15 Airborne
Ranger Companies of the Korean War were consolidated with the honors
of the First Special Service Brigade, which had been given to
Special Forces instead to the 75th Infantry Regiment. Special Forces
built its own tradition from the OSS (a para-military
organization). The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) (known as
the Merrill's Marauders) was consolidated with the 475th Infantry
Regiment on August 10, 1944. The 5307th was not designated as a
Ranger unit. Seemed the Merrill's Marauders forced their World War
II lineage onto the Rangers. Their mode of operation was totally
different from the Rangers. Rangers are primarily direct action and
act as in special assault missions. The Marauders, organized in the
China-Burma-India Theater in October 1943, fought in Burma,
primarily against the Japanese 18th Infantry Division, using
indigenous troops at times. It was the 8213th ASU (8th Army Ranger
Company) and the 1st, 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions (Darby's
Rangers). The 475th Infantry was redesignated the 75th Infantry on
either June 21, 1954 or November 20, 1954. There are three current
Ranger Battalions and a Regimental HQ in the 75th Infantry Regiment.
Moreover, in 1984/1985/1986, the U.S. Army stated that Special
Forces received the Ranger lineage instead of the O.S.S. and the
Rangers received the Merrill's Marauders, a non-Ranger outfit who
fought semi-conventional actions using indigenous troops, instead of
the Darby's Ranger (specialist of spearheading special assaults).
It is time for the Army's Center for Military History and for
the command historians of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command
and the U.S. Army Special Forces Command to restore the tradition,
colors and battle campaigns of the Special Forces and to change the
lineage from FSSF to the OSS. Sure, OSS was a civilian organization
with many military personnel assigned to it.Sure, the issue of the
OSS and the military were political. For example, the research and
analysis arm of the OSS went over to the CIA.
Sources:
(most of the authors were former Green Berets).
Barker, Geoffrey.
A concise history of US Army special operations forces, with lineage
and insignia.
Anglo-American Pub. Co.,c1988.
ISBN: 0922004005
Adams, Thomas K.
US special operations forces in action: the challenge of
unconventional warfare.
Frank Cass, 1998.
ISBN: 0714643505
Bank, Aaron.
From OSS to Green Berets: the birth of special forces.
Presidio, 1986.
ISBN: 0891412719
Collins, John M.
Green Berets, Seals, and Spetsnaz: U.S. and Soviet special military
operations.
Pergamon Press, 1987.
ISBN: 0080357466