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Richard Secord | |
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| Birth name | Richard Vernon Secord |
| Born | (1932-07-06)July 6, 1932 LaRue, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 2024(2024-10-15) (aged 92) Port Orange, Florida, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1955–1983 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | 603rd Special Operations Squadron Military Assistance Advisory Group United States Air Force Director of International Programs |
| Conflicts | Vietnam War Secret War in Laos Battle of Lima Site 85 |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross |
Major GeneralRichard Vernon Secord (July 6, 1932 – October 15, 2024) was aUnited States Air Force officer who worked incovert operations. Early in his military service, he was a member of the first U.S. aviation detachment sent to theVietnam War in August 1961,Operation Farm Gate. Secord left Vietnam in 1965 to attendAir Command and Staff College. Afterward, he returned to Southeast Asia, being detailed to theCentral Intelligence Agency for duty in theSecret War in Laos. While in Laos, he was responsible for several notable military actions. One was theBattle of Lima Site 85. Another was the only successfulprisoner of war rescue of the Vietnam War. Both of these came about because of his responsibilities for overseeing the operations of theRoyal Lao Air Force,Air America, andRaven FACs.
After his Southeast Asian service, Secord commanded the603rd Special Operations Squadron and underwent further advanced military education at theNaval War College. He then served on staff duty in theDepartment of Defense from June 1972 through September 1975. His next posting returned him to Iran, this time managing all U. S. military assistance to the Iranians. He was involved in theIran–Contra affair, making $2 million on the arms transactions and charged with lying to Congress about it but acquitted. Secord went into business in the private sector after his retirement from the USAF.
Richard Vernon Secord was born to Wahnetta and Lowell Secord inLaRue, Ohio, on July 6, 1932. Two younger siblings, Sandra and Jim, were born in the next five years.Laura Secord was one of the ancestors in their family tree. Because they were poor, Lowell Secord taught his eldest son to use firearms for hunting for food from an early age.[1]
Lowell Secord was envious of a childhood friend who had graduated fromWest Point. To his son, he harped on the benefits of being paid to attend college, and the honor of a military career. Though Lowell moved toMarion, Ohio to become a welder as World War II began, he knew he had not improved his finances enough to afford to send a child to college. Richard adopted the goal of attending the service academy.[2]
Lowell and Wahnetta divorced after the end of World War II. Wahnetta moved the children toColumbus, Ohio in search of better schools. Although herQuaker heritage opposed her to military academies, she also believed Richard should graduate from college. Despite her opposition, Richard gained admission to West Point on his second try, having narrowly failed mathematics on his first academic testing.[3]
As the outbreak of theKorean War had decimated the Class of 1950, Secord's Class of 1955 underwent extraordinarily thorough combat training during his tenure. Secord fought, with limited success, on the academy's varsity boxing team for three years; on his coach's advice, he gave up the sport to evade possible damage to his eyesight.[4]
Secord graduated from West Point in 1955 and was then commissioned in the USAF, completing pilot training in August 1956.[5][6] Secord later obtained an MSc in international affairs from theGeorge Washington University in 1972, as well as graduating from theAir Command and Staff College in 1966 and theNaval War College in June 1972.[5]
Secord served as a flight instructor from 1956 to 1959 atLaredo Air Force Base, and from 1959 to 1961 as an instructor and operations officer atTinker Air Force Base. During the latter assignment, he was posted to theUniversity of Oklahoma to study for a master's degree in English Literature. While progressing to the point of needing only his thesis to gain his degree, he met and married his wife, Jo Ann.[7]
In August 1961 he joinedcovert operations in what would become the1st Air Commando Wing, remaining there until 1965. As part ofOperation Farm Gate, the wing was the first American aviation unit assigned to Vietnam. Secord flew over 200 combat missions between March 1962 to January 1963, flyingAT-28s. One of the Vietnamese pilots he met during this assignment wasNguyen Cao Ky, later the president of Vietnam. Another new acquaintance there wasBrigadier GeneralHarry "Heinie" Aderholt. Also during this time, Secord was temporarily assigned to theImperial Iranian Air Force as an adviser (January to July 1963, January to May 1964, January to March 1965).[5][8]
After graduating from theAir Command and Staff College in 1966, Secord returned to Vietnam as an air operations officer, before being transferred to Thailand'sUdorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in August 1966.[5] Belatedly promoted tomajor, he joinedOperation Waterpump to train theRoyal Lao Air Force. During this time Secord was detailed to theCentral Intelligence Agency to serve in theSecret War inLaos. He worked for, and knew,Ted Shackley andThomas Clines; he worked directly with the CIA officers supplying the Secret War in Laos,James William Lair andLloyd C. "Pat" Landry.[9]
On January 7, 1967, in what is still a heavily classified operation, Secord directed the only successfulprisoner of war rescue of the Vietnam War, theBan Naden raid. A team of the CIA'shill-tribe mercenaries was inserted out of hearing of the POW prison; their surprise raid quickly wiped out about 40 guards. It was then discovered there were about twice as many prisoners as expected. Nevertheless, a scratch force of nine single-pilotedAir AmericaH-34 helicopters dropped into the middle of theHồ Chí Minh Trail and rescued 53 Asian prisoners. This rescue is still used as a case study in CIA training for covert operations.[10][11]
Secord's responsibilities as a one-man logistics and operations staff covered a wide range of duties. One of the first duties he assumed was defense ofLima Site 85. In early 1967, GeneralHunter Harris briefed Secord and Lair on the upgrading of theTACAN installation there with guidance radar. The location, nearly on the Lao border with northern Vietnam, would enable American strike aircraft to follow its radar beam toHanoi orVinh and drop their bombs blind, regardless of weather. Lair and Secord were tasked with defense of the site. Despite their best efforts, this site would beoverrun in March 1968. Secord requested additional protection for the technicians. AmbassadorWilliam H. Sullivan, who supervised the war in Laos by presidential directive, denied the need for stationingGreen Berets at the site, or for personal weaponry. However, Secord insubordinately issued small arms to the onsite technicians for self-defense.[12]
Having flown 285 combat missions in Southeast Asia,[13] Secord mulled resigning from the USAF. General Aderholdt convinced him to reconsider. During Secord's next posting, he was promoted tolieutenant colonel ahead of his peers.[14] Secord served atEglin Air Force Base from September 1968 to November 1969, as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations for theTactical Air Command, in what would later become theU.S. Air Force Special Operations Force. From there, he transferred to serve ascommanding officer of the603rd Special Operations Squadron.[5] His three years in command of the 603rd was focused on development of theA-37 Dragonfly forcounter-insurgency; however, the 603rd was disbanded in June 1971. Secord moved on, to attend theNaval War College in August 1971.[15]
Secord graduated from the Naval War College in June 1972. He then moved toWashington, D.C., serving in various capacities in theUnited States Department of Defense. His initial assignment was desk officer for Laos, Thailand and Vietnam under theAssistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. While serving in this post, Secord claims to have been involved in planningthe Christmas bombing of North Vietnam.[16] During this period, on 1 April 1973, he was promoted tocolonel far ahead of his contemporaries.[17]
Following that assignment, he assumed the position of Executive Assistant to the Director of theDefense Security Assistance Agency in July 1973.[5]
Secord then was the USAF Chief of theMilitary Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) in Iran from September 1975 to July 1978.[5][13] The new posting mandated a promotion tobrigadier general.[18] In his new capacity he managed all USAF military assistance programs in Iran as well as some US Navy and Army programs, and acted as chief adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of theIranian Air Force.[5] Secord claims that despite endemic corruption in Iran, his MAAG was able to rebate to the Iranian government about $50 million from theGrumman Corporation.[19] During this time he also oversawProject Dark Gene and Project Ibex.[20][21] After William H. Sullivan was appointed ambassador, Secord again found himself clashing with the diplomat over the use of U. S. military personnel and civilian technicians.[22]
Returning to Washington, D.C., in July 1978, Secord served at Headquarters U.S. Air Force as director of international programs. Secord's official biography states that he was the ranking US Air Force officer forOperation Eagle Claw, the April 1980 attempt to end theIran hostage crisis.[13] However, in his autobiography, Secord denies involvement with Eagle Claw. He does give some details of his involvement withOperation Credible Sport, the planned second rescue raid to rescue the American hostages in Iran that was aborted by the hostages' release.[23] In his final military assignment, Secord wasDeputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs with responsibility for Near Eastern, African and South Asian affairs, from April 1981 to May 1983.[5][13]
While holding these two appointments, Secord continued to be involved in covert operations, though at a high level. He was instrumental in the controversialsale of early warning aircraft toSaudi Arabia.[24]
Secord retired from the Air Force in 1983 after allegations of improper dealings with former CIA agentEdwin P. Wilson.[13] Secord noted that the Reagan administration did not supply him with legal help when he was accused of shady dealings with Wilson. An unindicted Secord went $22,000 in debt for legal representation in conjunction with the Wilson matter, despite serving as a government witness in court against Wilson. The latter never mentioned during trial Secord's participation in any of Wilson's activities. Pentagon service being unhealthy for Secord was another factor in his retirement; he had recently survived three cases ofpneumonia in as many years.[25]
Operation Tipped Kettle was a precursor to theIran-Contra logistics operation. Sources are not explicit about the dates of Secord's involvement, but it seems he may have carried over this project from his military service into his retirement. Operation Tipped Kettle, transferredPalestine Liberation Organization weapons seized by Israel in Lebanon to the Contras.[26]
To stay active during retirement, Secord went into business withAlbert Hakim, becoming President ofStanford Technology Trading Group Intl., also known as "The Enterprise", a company involved with arms sales toIran during theReagan presidency. The final report of Iran/Contra Independent CounselLawrence Walsh concluded that Secord had received at least $2m from his involvement in these activities, and had lied to Congress about it.[13] On November 8, 1989, Secord pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress as part of a plea agreement.[27]
He was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to one count in a plea agreement.[28]
In the aftermath Secord filed a libel case against Leslie Cockburn, Andrew Cockburn, Morgan Entrekin, Atlantic Monthly Press, and Little, Brown and Company, Inc. for publishing a book in 1987 entitledOut of Control: The Story of the Reagan Administration's Secret War in Nicaragua, the Illegal Pipeline, and the Contra Drug Connection. Entrekin, Atlantic Monthly Press, and publishers Little, Brown and Company were dropped from the suit. The court then orderedsummary judgment on behalf of the defendantsLeslie Cockburn andAndrew Cockburn, indicating that Secord was unable to show the defendants had malicious intent.[29]
In 1989, Secord was charged and convicted of drunk driving in Fairfax County, VA.[30]
In early 1992, Secord and another retired officer Brig. Gen. Harry Aderholt visited the newly independent former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan on behalf of MEGA Oil, a company established by retired U.S. military officers.[31] Secord reportedly offered to Azerbaijani leaders to train its special operations forces for $10 million.
In 2002, retired General Secord was namedCEO andChairman of the Board at Computerized Thermal Imaging, Inc.[32]
Secord lived in anassisted-living facility in theDaytona Beach area. He died inPort Orange, Florida on October 15, 2024, at the age of 92.[33]
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Commander (Third Class) of the Most ExaltedOrder of the White Elephant
South Korea:
Cheonsu Medal of theOrder of National Security Merit
South Vietnam:
