Vietnam-era Special Ops vets reunited
Special Ops Group
It had been nearly 45 years since some of them had seen each other without tiger-striped camouflage fatigues.
Back then, they werefighting alongside their South Vietnamese counterparts in the dense steaming jungles of South Vietnam.
Three of the group had been wounded in action and awarded Purple Hearts: Sgt. John Shylo of Hollidaysburg, Pa.; Sgt. William Lafrance of Libby, and Sgt. James Lyles of Cold Springs, Texas.
On March 21, these former Marines and Navy veterans of what would later become the “Combined Action Program” reunited in New Orleans, hosted by former Marine Corps Reservist William Speer of Slidell, La.
Former Navy veteran Charles Mason from the USS Haynsworth DD-700 escorted the group.
Navy Corpsman Glen Smith of Coos Bay, Ore., had volunteered to join these Special Ops Marines.
Sgt. Mike Majesky of Jackson, Wisc., had been their combat communications radio NCO.
Speer had earlier researched their combat exploits while looking for a Louisiana Marine from the Program who was listed MIA during the war.