‘I relive that mission every single day of my life’: how Black soldiers handled the Vietnam war
In ambitious documentary Soul Patrol, the complicated experiences of the Vietnam war’s first Black special ops team are explored both on and off the battleground
In ambitious documentary Soul Patrol, the complicated experiences of the Vietnam war’s first Black special ops team are explored both on and off the battleground Ask the average American to name an elite US fighting force, and they might kick off with the Rangers or the Seals.
But during the Vietnam war, a specialized patrol of army volunteers became critical to the US military effort. Known as long-range reconnaissance patrols, or LRRPs, these small teams of six to eight soldiers were dropped behind enemy lines to track supply routes and hostile positions, sometimes for days at a time.
Stealth was essential. Their job was to identify targets and call in the cavalry, usually in the form of airstrikes, while avoiding direct engagement with
enemy forces to preserve their cover. Continue reading...
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