Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately one linear foot of materials documenting Sergeant Major Gerald Grant's special forces service in Southeast Asia including his time with the 1st Special Forces Group in Laos and Vietnam (1960-1965), the 3rd Special Forces Group and 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam (1965-1970), and the 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand (1970-1974). Also included are records documenting Sergeant Major Grant's military service prior to the Vietnam War, including his service with the 11th Airborne Division, the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 77th Special Forces Group. The materials include moving images; slides; photographs; articles and clippings; award citations; letters of commendation and appreciation; service records; memos and correspondence; certificates; military orders; and eyewitness statements. The materials are dated predominately 1951-1977.

Biographical / Historical

Sergeant Major Gerald V. Grant served with the U.S. Army from March 1, 1951 through March 1, 1977. This included 26 years of continuous Airborne duty and the last 19 years of his service was as a Green Beret. He served with the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY; the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team in Korea and Japan; the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC; various Special Forces units at Fort Bragg, Okinawa, Laos, the Republic of Vietnam, and Thailand; and ROTC at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. From 1960-1961, he served in Laos with the White Star Mobile Training Team. From 1967-1970, he was assigned to MACV-SOG OP35 unit with the ground studies division. All missions and operations conducted by this unit were in North Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia. Missions included rescue of downed pilots, capturing enemy troops, gathering information on enemy troop units and movements, mining and ambushing enemy routes of commmunication, and identification of truck parts and enemy supply depots. Sgt. Major Grant was shot down 4 times in 1967 during helicopter insertions and extractions. He also served as a coordinator for the Thai Security Defense Forces and helped set up the first leper colony in Southeast Asia in July 1963. He received numerous awards including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.