Jerry Shriver

Jerry Michael Tate Shriver (24 September 1941 – 10 June 1974), also known by his nickname "Mad Dog", was a Master Sergeant in the United States Army who served in Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) in the Vietnam War. He took part in operations along the Ho Chi Minh trail, Cambodia and Laos from 1966 to 1969. He also served in West Germany as part of a long range patrol unit and in Taiwan. He took part in classified special operations missions in North and South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, often leading a platoon of Montagnard soldiers in his operations and conducting reconnaissance tasks.

Shriver was born in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, and moved to Sacramento, California, while still in school. In 1962, at the age of 21, he joined the U.S. Army and attended United States Army Airborne School. Shriver then joined the United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets). He spent a short time serving in the 101st Airborne Division but then was sent to Europe as a part of a long range Patrol company; he also served in Taiwan in 1964. He was sent to Vietnam around 1966. Assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, he later joined MACV-SOG and took part in classified special operations along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and other denied areas. Shriver frequently served with Montagnard soldiers.

Early life

Jerry Michael Tate Shriver was born on 24 September 1941 in DeFuniak Springs, Florida to Dale Leroy Shriver and Dorothy Madelyn Shriver. Shriver had 3 sisters and 2 brothers, Shriver's family moved to Sacramento, California while he was still in school. He later enlisted in Sacramento.

Military career

1962–1966

In 1962 Shriver enlisted in the United States Army. After finishing basic training he attended Airborne School and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, but only spent a short time there. He joined the 7th Army's Long Range Patrol Company and was sent to West Germany to serve as a patroller near the border with East Germany. After serving in Germany he was sent to Taiwan. In 1966 when he was sent to Vietnam. Shriver was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group.

First and second tours in Vietnam (1966–1967)

Shriver initially served with Project Omega (Detachment B-50), a Special Forces reconnaissance unit intended to give I Field Force Vietnam a long-range patrol capability similar to Project Delta. Although transferred to MACV-SOG in November 1967, Project Omega was originally not a part of that organization. By 1967 Shriver was a team leader (1-0 in SOG) commanding RT (Recon Team) Brace. On one occasion his platoon was surrounded by NVA soldiers and Shriver famously said in a radio transmission with his base: "No, no…I've got 'em right where I want 'em – surrounded from the inside". Shriver was known for using short barreled shotguns and submachine guns but refusing to use long rifles like the M16.

On 8 October 1966, Shriver was operating in the jungle. Two rifle shots were heard nearby and he contacted a supporting aircraft and the team's base letting them know the mission was likely compromised. Shriver found a trail intersection and sent two men to guard it while he and the rest of his team went down another trail. Soon after, the security personnel noticed a Viet Cong unit trailing behind and opened fire, injuring one and driving the others from the area. Shriver moved quickly to follow the injured soldier, leading his troops back into the woods. He saw the soldier turning away from him and made a full 360-degree turn to seize him without firing a shot. He maneuvered his team rapidly in the direction of a landing zone, but two sizeable enemy groups advanced from opposing directions. The prisoner managed to escape, but Shriver again chased after the prisoner in an effort to apprehend him. The prisoner outran him, but Shriver's precise gunshot brought him to a stop. The VC were driven away by the swiftly approaching attack helicopters.

Leading a recon team, Shriver crossed into Cambodia on 23 October 1967 and proceeded to the Fishhook area, where they discovered an abandoned company-sized bivouac camp. It was moved from the original site under emergency circumstances to an area farther into the country than the crew had to travel. Unknown outcomes emerged from four armed helicopter missions that were flown to assist with the exfiltration. While commanding a reconnaissance mission deep into enemy-controlled territory on the afternoon of that day, Shriver distinguished himself by acting with extraordinary bravery. A small hostile force saw the platoon shortly after it was resupplied. In an attempt to apprehend a prisoner, he tried to entice them to approach. An additional enemy soldier approached from a different route and identified the reconnaissance party as such. Shriver set off an alarm by firing, and the others soon joined in. Shriver and his group tried to break contact with the enemy element, which was now the size of a platoon, by giving orders for his members to throw hand grenades so as not to reveal their exact location. The crew was suddenly backed up against a sizable lake, preventing them from moving farther after being surrounded on three sides. Informing the Forward Air Controllers (FAC) of their current precarious situation, Shriver said he was in contact with an enemy platoon and that the enemy was shouting that the rest of the company would soon join them. Two USAF gunships were committed by the FAC to provide support, and Shriver oversaw their rockets launched and minigun rounds into the opposing NVA soldiers, which were barely thirty meters apart and preparing for an attack. During the intense battle, Shriver steadily moved the supporting fire to be within twenty meters of his location until the enemy started to retreat.

For most of 1967 Shriver and his unit remained active, often conducting reconnaissance missions in the "Fishhook" area in Cambodia. On several occasions they were surrounded by NVA forces but escaped due in part to Shriver's tactical skill. On May 13, 1967, Platoon Leader CPT Walter A. Hess and Shriver participated in a reconnaissance and ambush patrol as part of Omega Recon and Reaction Patrol Team "Stud". Shriver, wounded, took command of the patrol and exposed himself to hostile fire to organize a defensive perimeter. His courageous actions resulted in 12 enemy casualties and minimal casualties on his side. Radio Hanoi knew about Shriver and his activities, they mentioned him in propaganda broadcasts and announced whenever he would finish a battle and provide details, at one point the station announced a $10,000 Bounty on him ($85,000 in the present day). By the end of 1967 it was reported that Shriver had a kill count of more than one hundred soldiers.

Third tour (1968–1969)

For most of 1968, Shriver was still in Vietnam and serving, from January to May he was conducting operations but he took a mandatory leave and returned to the US for the summer. While there he spent time with fellow Green Beret Larry White. Shriver bought weapons and sent them back to his base for future use. He bought a lever action rifle that used a .444 Marlin cartridge and mailed it.

After returning, Shriver took part in a mission on November 4, 1968. When Shriver's recon team was placed on a landing strip, they encountered an opposing force believed to be the size of a battalion. Shriver led his squad of three soldiers and launched a heavy fire attack on the enemy, resulting in four deaths and twenty-six injuries. Shriver guided the gunship aircraft fire while also providing cover to his radio operator and making contact with the gunships. A Bell UH-1 helicopter that was landing to retrieve the team at the point came under machine gun fire. Shriver guided his soldiers to an alternate landing zone. While traveling to the LZ, he continued to fire gunship strikes against the attackers.  Rope ladders were dropped from the aircraft for extraction when the squad arrived at the new Landing Zone. While his squad was getting into the helicopter, Shriver physically shielded them from hostile fire. To speed up the extraction, he used a snap link to attach himself to the ladder after every team member was on board. Shriver fired on the enemy from his hanging position while being exposed to enemy fire until the aircraft got clear of the enemy fire.

Disappearance and presumed death

On April 24, 1969, Shriver and a team of US and Montagnard troops were inserted by helicopter into Kampong Cham province, Cambodia, and came under heavy fire as they approached their initial rallying point. During the ensuing firefight, Shriver was seen moving towards the treeline, and the team lost radio contact with him after a few minutes. The team was forced to evacuate without him. He was declared MIA and later promoted in absentia to master sergeant. Subsequent search efforts remained inconclusive, and the Army issued a presumptive finding of his death in 1974. His remains have not been found as of 2024.

Medals and decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shriver, Jerry
1941 births
1969 deaths
United States Army non-commissioned officers
People from DeFuniak Springs, Florida
Military personnel from Sacramento, California
United States Army personnel killed in the Vietnam War