The Quiet Professional: Major Richard J. Meadows of the U.S. Army Special Forces

by Alan Hoe, Peter J. Schoomaker (Foreword by)

Overview

Major Richard J. "Dick" Meadows is 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.

The Quiet Professional: Major Richard J. Meadows of the U.S. Army Special Forces is the only biography of this exemplary soldier's life. Military historian Alan Hoe offers unique insight into Meadows, having served alongside him in 1960. The Quiet Professional is an insider's account that gives a human face to U.S. military strategy during the cold war. Major Meadows often claimed that he never achieved anything significant; The Quiet Professional proves otherwise, showcasing one of the great military minds of twentieth-century America.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813144511
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	09/11/2013
Series:	American Warriors Series
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	445,954
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Major Alan Hoe (ret.) served in the British Army Special Forces and is the author of several books, including Terrorism: Threat and Response and David Stirling: The Authorized Biography of the Creator of the SAS.

Table of Contents

Foreword Peter J. Schoomaker xi

Preface xv

Prologue: Changing the Course of the Vietnam War 3

1 The Early Years, 1932-1947 11

2 The Young Soldier and Korea, 1947-1952 25

3 Special Forces, 1952-1960 37

4 A Lighthearted Interlude with the Brits, 1960-1961 45

5 Laos and me Learning Curve, 1962 61

6 Panama and the Fun Years, 1962-1965 69

7 Vietnam and RT Ohio, 1965 83

8 Vietnam Through an Officer's Eyes, 1966-1970 97

9 They'll Know We Cared: Son Tay, 1970 107

10 The Rangers, Mr. Meadows, and Delta Force, 1970-1980 129

11 "Agent" Meadows in Tehran, 1980 141

12 Footloose, 1980-1984 167

13 Entrepreneur in Peru, 1984-1989 173

14 The Golden Days in Peru, 1989-1991 189

15 The Bubble Bursts in Peru, 1991-1995 197

16 A Special Forces Marriage 211

17 The Last Patrol 215

Epilogue 223

Acknowledgments 227

Appendix: Research Notes on the Use and Effects of Agent Orange 229

Notes 233

Suggested Readings 239

Index 241

Editorial Reviews

"A book about one of the greatest legends in the world of U.S. Army special forces, Major Richard Meadows"—Military Heritage

Military

"A great read about a great American warrior, The Quiet Professional captures the essence of this humble but extraordinary Special Forces legend, Major Dick Meadows. From the back alleys of Tehran to the jungles of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the terror-stricken villages of Peru, this Green Beret set the standard that we all aspired to achieve but rarely met."—Major John L. Plaster, USA (Ret.), author of SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commanders in Vietnam" —

"Alan Hoe has written another very good book about an unforgettable man and SF soldier who our founder would have approved of and liked. He presents the reader with a rounded portrait of an exceptional officer who found his true metier in service with SF in testing times, a modest man of honour who was contect to be 'The Quiet Professional'... His book uncovers the very essence of Dick Meadows, for he is writing with clarity about a close friend, never an easy task for a biographer." — Mars & Minerva" —

"A book about one of the greatest legends in the world of U.S. Army special forces, Major Richard Meadows"— Military Heritage" — Military

"This is a well written biography of the extraordinary life of a complex man. It should be on the suggested reading list of the Chief of Staff of the Army for Army leaders at every level and should be found in every soldier's professional library."— Army" —

"This book provides insight into the military career of one of the most courageous soldiers of modern times, and examines the operations of the Special Forces in the Korean and Vietnam wars in addition to hostage crises through the 1980s."— Tucson Citizen" —

"There is very little public knowledge of how special-operations forces carry out their work or of the half-century effort to develop a joint doctrine of special-operations tactics and techniques. It is an important story, and few men loom as large in it as Maj. Richard J. Meadows."— Wall Street Journal" —

The reader does not receive so much as a lull in the action-seeking adventures... Military

"Every Special Forces soldier should be handed a copy upon becoming an "A-Team" member and told, "This is what it's all about." — Military

From the Publisher