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CSM (Retired) Francis J. Ruddy died on Feb 13, 1985 at home following a long bout with cancer at the age of 61. Fran will be long remembered by his many friends and members of the Special Warfare community for the time he removed his Green Beret and placed it on the grave of President John F. Kennedy on 25 November 1963. Fran was, at the time, the Command Sergeant Major of the Special Warfare Center.
Fran had served in the United States Army for over 30 years upon his retirement at Fort Hamilton, New York where he was the Command Sergeant Major of HQ EAMTMC on 31 August 1975. His service included combat action with the 517th PIR during WWII, the 187th AIRCT in Korea, 1st Special Forces Group in Vietnam, and with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. He also served with the 82nd Airborne Division prior to joining Special Forces in 1954. His service with Special Forces included duty with the 77th SFG(A), Ft. Bragg, NC, the 14th SF Det, Hawaii, moving to Okinawa with the 14th Det and joining ASOD from Japan to form the 1st Special Forces Group, Abn. While serving with the 1st SFG(A), he served on many MTTs to include Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, and as an SF Advisor in Vietnam in 1957. Upon returning to the US from Okinawa, he was assigned to the 5th SFG(A) for a short time prior to being assigned to Headquarters Special Warfare Center as the Command Sergeant Major during the period 1962 to 1965. In late 1965, he returned to Vietnam as the Command Sergeant Major of a unit of the 101st Airborne Division. Upon his return to the US from RVN, he was assigned as the Command Sergeant Major of HQ, EAMTMC, Bayonne NJ, with duty station at Fort Hamilton, NY, until his retirement.
Fran was one of the original charter members of the Special Forces Association.
His awards and decorations include: the American Campaign Ribbon; Good Conduct Medal, 8 awards; European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal; National Defense Service Medal w/star; Combat Infantryman�??s Badge , 3rd award; Master Parachutist Badge w/2 combat jump stars; Thai, Taiwan, and Vietnamese jump wings; Glider Badge; Thai Forrigere; Korean Service Medal; United Nations Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal w/3 OLC; Presidential Unit Citation w/1 OLC; Valorous Unit Citation; VN Cross of Gallantry w/Palm; Bronze Star Medal w/V Device and 2 OLCs; Air Medal w/Medal Pendant; WWII Victory Medal; and Army Occupation Medal. He served in the following campaigns: Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; UN Offensive 50; Korea Summer-Fall 53; RVN Defensive; RVN Counteroffensive; RNV Counteroffensive Phase II; Consolidation I and Consolidation II>
Fran was born in Scranton PA on 6 April 1924. Survivors include his wife Rilla, of the home; Roxanne Weller of Wilton, NY; a brother, a sister, and four grandchildren.
A memorial service for CSM Ruddy was conducted at 2 PM on 18 Feb 1985 in Rockledge, FL with family members, friends, and members of the John Wayne Chapter XXI of the SFA.
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase II Campaign (1966-67)
From Month/Year
July / 1966
To Month/Year
May / 1967
Description This campaign was from 1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967. United States operations after 1 July 1966 were a continuation of the earlier counteroffensive campaign. Recognizing the interdependence of political, economic, sociological, and military factors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared that American military objectives should be to cause North Vietnam to cease its control and support of the insurgency in South Vietnam and Laos, to assist South Vietnam in defeating Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam, and to assist South Vietnam in pacification extending governmental control over its territory.
North Vietnam continued to build its own forces inside South Vietnam. At first this was done by continued infiltration by sea and along the Ho Chi Minh trail and then, in early 1966, through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). U.S. air elements received permission to conduct reconnaissance bombing raids, and tactical air strikes into North Vietnam just north of the DMZ, but ground forces were denied authority to conduct reconnaissance patrols in the northern portion of the DMZ and inside North Vietnam. Confined to South Vietnamese territory U.S. ground forces fought a war of attrition against the enemy, relying for a time on body counts as one standard indicator for measuring successful progress for winning the war.
During 1966 there were eighteen major operations, the most successful of these being Operation WHITE WING (MASHER). During this operation, the 1st Cavalry Division, Korean units, and ARVN forces cleared the northern half of Binh Dinh Province on the central coast. In the process they decimated a division, later designated the North Vietnamese 3d Division. The U.S. 3d Marine Division was moved into the area of the two northern provinces and in concert with South Vietnamese Army and other Marine Corps units, conducted Operation HASTINGS against enemy infiltrators across the DMZ.
The largest sweep of 1966 took place northwest of Saigon in Operation ATTLEBORO, involving 22,000 American and South Vietnamese troops pitted against the VC 9th Division and a NVA regiment. The Allies defeated the enemy and, in what became a frequent occurrence, forced him back to his havens in Cambodia or Laos.
By 31 December 1966, U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam numbered 385,300. Enemy forces also increased substantially, so that for the same period, total enemy strength was in excess of 282,000 in addition to an estimated 80,000 political cadres. By 30 June 1967, total U.S. forces in SVN had risen to 448,800, but enemy strength had increased as well.
On 8 January U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched separate drives against two major VC strongholds in South Vietnam-in the so-called "Iron Triangle" about 25 miles northwest of Saigon. For years this area had been under development as a VC logistics base and headquarters to control enemy activity in and around Saigon. The Allies captured huge caches of rice and other foodstuffs, destroyed a mammoth system of tunnels, and seized documents of considerable intelligence value.
In February, the same U.S. forces that had cleared the "Iron Triangle", were committed with other units in the largest allied operation of the war to date, JUNCTION CITY. Over 22 U.S. and four ARVN battalions engaged the enemy, killing 2,728. After clearing this area, the Allies constructed three airfields; erected a bridge and fortified two camps in which CIDG garrisons remained as the other allied forces withdrew.
