Good evening, everyone. Thank for allowing me to join. I’m looking for anyone who might have known Burt Chauncy Small, Jr along with some others. So, in total, I’m looking for friends or acquaintances of:
-SPC4 (later SGT) Burt C. Small, Jr.
-SSG Jacob (Jake) G. Roth, Jr.
-SSG Michael F. Stearns
-MSG Thomas J. Sanchez
- anyone at camp A-108 during the years of 66-67
Some details:
Burt graduated Savannah High School class of 1965 then enlisted in Jan 1966 and did basics at Ft Gordon, then Airborne and all at Benning. He was then sent overseas. He arrived as a SP4 but was promoted to SGT (though files online say differently sometimes) and received his beret. On March 6, 1967, he was ambushed while helping to lead a 20-man CIDG patrol with the older SGT and Korean War vet and career soldier, Jacob Roth. After Burt was injured in the leg and fell, the two were separated. Burt was seen by a CIDG soldier during this time who witnessed him being led off as a prisoner by the NVA.
Two American soldiers volunteered to lead a rescue mission from the nearby camp A-108 where they were stationed but they were sadly killed during the firefight. I can tell the details later if you’d like to hear and you’re unaware of their service, but they were heavily outnumbered but each chose to go to the assistance of wounded CIDG brothers anyways during this time despite knowing it would mean the end for them due to the heavy gunfire. They both received posthumous awards with one of them being awarded the Bronze Star. These were special men: Michael Stearns and Thomas Sanchez.
Jacob was rescued by an American helicopter during this time (which has been detailed in a blog by one of the crew if you’re interested) but when a patrol was sent to find Burt, there was no sign of him. He was listed as a POW until the mid 1970s when he was declared presumed dead.
I would really like to hear from ANYONE who knew any of these men: Burt, Jacob (he passed in 2022 and sadly I didn’t find him before then), Michael or Thomas.
One of my best friends and mentors was a friend and brother of Burt. I was also friends with Burt’s father but he passed away years ago and both he and his wife always waited for news until their last days.
I still have many unanswered questions. And I feel like I owe it to Burt and to Burt Sr and to my friend to find these answers. Therefore, I am starting to put up some social media ads and digital advertising boards in Vietnam with rewards for any hints or tips that can lead to the recovery of Burt’s uniform pieces, dog tags, location, or information as to what happened to him after March 6, 1967.
HOWEVER, anyone that knew him and could provide me with more pictures of him, Jacob, details of that day or just what you heard about that day etc would be so helpful. I do not want to contact Burt’s remaining siblings and get their hopes up at this time which is why I thought I’d reach out to the veteran and 5th SF community.
I realize it’s a long shot to find people that knew these men, and an even longer shot to find any info or clues about Burt or this battle, but I just feel like I have to do what I need to do .
Thank you for reading if you got this far.
Here are photos of the guys in question (LtoR, Burt, Jacob, Michael and Thomas: I also used AI— which is obviously not perfect— to try to make modern, HD photos of them in case they would help spark memories for people. Those are in the comments)
3 helicopters tried to pull them out and were driven off by heavy ground fire.
Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez, a Green Beret with Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group, was at the forward operating base monitoring the radio. He boarded one of the returning aircraft carrying a medical bag and a kn*fe.
He jumped from the hovering helicopter and ran roughly 75 meters through g*nfire to reach the team, injured in the leg, face, and head before he got there.
Over the next 6 hours he dragged wunded men to the extraction aircraft, directed air strikes, recovered classified documents from the body of the dad team leader, and fought hand to hand after being bayoneted.
He refused to be pulled aboard until the survivors and the d*ad were loaded first.
Benavidez came off that field with a broken jaw and 37 bllet, shrapnel, and bayonet wunds. At the base he was taken for d*ad and placed in a body bag. Unable to speak, he spat at the doctor who was closing it.
His actions saved at least 8 men. He was initially given the Distinguished Service Cross, and the award was upgraded only after a surviving radioman read about his case in a newspaper and came forward with an eyewitness account.
On February 24, 1981, President Ronald Reagan presented him with the Medal of Honor.
Roy Benavidez d*ed in 1998 at the age of 63.
Before there was Jason Bourne, there was John Tilt Stryker Meyer; Bourne’s Inspiration
John enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1966 and became a Green Beret in 1967. He specialized in covert reconnaissance and served two tours of duty with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG). As Pat would say with Maxxie, the definition of true Badasssery
He received several awards and decorations for his service, including a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars with “V” devices for valor.
29-July 1995, Major Richard J. Meadows died.
Major Richard J. “Dick” Meadows was renowned in military circles as a key figure in the development of the U.S. Army Special Operations. A highly decorated war veteran of the engagements in Korea and Vietnam, Meadows was instrumental in the founding of the U.S. Delta Force and hostage rescue force. Although he officially retired in 1977, Meadows could never leave the army behind, and he went undercover in the clandestine operations to free American hostages from Iran in 1980.
SFA Chapter LX is known as the Richard J. Meadows Memorial Chapter and we have also named our Scholarship Program in honor of Dick.
Rootsandrevolations 
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