SOG Boss Jack Singlaub Gives Chapter 78 Members a Mission

Editor’s note: This account of a meeting at the home of the late MG John Singlaub carried a significance not mentioned in story that follows.

Upon MG Singlaub’s passing, he was memorialized on Sandboxx.us by Stavros Atlamazoglou in “John Singlaub, American Commando and Leader, Dies at 100.” In it, Stavros quotes John Stryker Meyer:

“He always cared deeply about the men who served under him. For example, Doug ‘the Frenchman’ LeTourneau and I had lunch with Jack, his wife Joan and Debra, Joan’s daughter. Joan told Jack that Doug was battling Stage 4 bone marrow cancer and was having some issues with the VA at the time. Jack pulled out his cell phone, dialed a rare-cancer doctor in Houston who specialized in that cancer. The doctor took Jack’s call and following Jack’s request, he examined Doug four times and monitored his condition until he died from heat exposure-related causes July 26, 2019,” Meyer told Sandboxx News.

The visit described in this story was the same occasion Meyer recalled here—just one of many times Singlaub’s actions revealed his deep concern for his men.

As Stavros noted: “There are many traits that make a good leader: Vision and moral courage are some. But a good leader isn’t necessarily beloved by his or her men. Those leaders that earn both the love and respect of their men are a rare breed indeed. One trait that they possess is empathy and sympathy for their men. They truly care about them and their well-being. They understand that a true leader is there to serve his men and not the other way around. Singlaub was such a leader.”

By John Stryker Meyer
Originally published in the May 2017 Sentinel

Two SFA Chapter 78 members recently visited spec ops living legend Jack Singlaub in his new Tennessee home.

The newest Chapter 78 member, SOG recon man Doug L. “The Frenchman” LeTourneau and fellow SOG recon dog and chapter member John Stryker “Tilt” Meyer visited (retired) Major General Jack Singlaub, his wife Joan and daughter Debra in Franklin, TN, on April 21.

Before brunch, Singlaub talked about previous missions as an agent for the OSS during WWII, spec ops in Korea and of course, a few stories about his two-year tenure as Chief SOG. He was one of colonels who commanded the secret war in Southeast Asia conducted under the aegis of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group. And, he was kind enough to autograph his book “Hazardous Duty” for The Frenchman, who served one year in SOG running recon with RT Virginia and RT Idaho.

Before they left, Singlaub asked them to carry his message of gratitude to the Mel Swanson Day Celebration of Life to be held the following day at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville, TN. Singlaub, who turns 96 in July, explained that he couldn’t attend it but asked the SOG recon men to do so on his behalf. We saluted and provided him details about the venerable Air Force A-1 Skyraider pilot and squadron commander who flew hundreds of sorties in the single-engine SPAD in support of SOG and SAR (Search and Rescue) missions in Laos, N. Vietnam and Cambodia.

In early 1970, Lt. Col. Melvin G. “Mel” Swanson was assigned to command the 56th SOW Operating Location Alpha Alpha (OLAA) at Da Nang, where he led the small unit in support of SOG recon and Hatchet Force missions across the fence, along with pulling SAR missions. In September 1970, a Green Beret Hatchet Force out of Kontum ran one of the most successful missions against communist forces in Laos in Operation Tailwind. With close air support from SPADs led by Swanson, Marine Corps Cobra gunships from Scarface, and fast mover jets during the day and Spectre C-130s at night, the 16 Green Berets and 120 indigenous forces successfully destroyed enemy weapons and food caches, collected hundreds of enemy intelligence reports and documents while successfully taking pressure off of a CIA operation deep in Laos, thus enabling then to crush enemy resistance at that time.

When Swanson died March 12, fellow OLAA pilots and Museum staff planned the celebration of his life that included SOG recon men George Hunt, George Steinberg, John Hutchens, LeTourneau and Meyer who told stories about how fearless SPAD pilots like Swanson had saved their teams on numerous occasions during the eight-year secret war.

Swanson’s daughter Frances and her granddaughter were told that Gen. Singlaub wanted them to know that there were times when the Air Force brass attempted to replace A1 Skyraiders with other assets, but he and other commanders insisted on keeping SPADs assigned to support SOG missions because they provided the most ordnance in close support of SOG teams and could stay on station longer than any other aircraft. Singlaub said he saluted Mel Swanson, his courage and all of the SPAD pilots who served in Vietnam.