page_title: 17th Special Operations Squadron
section_title: Vietnam War
hierarchical_section_title: 17th Special Operations Squadron / History / Vietnam War
caption_attribution_description: English: Emblem of the 17th Special Operations Squadron in Vietnam Color version
context_page_description: The 17th Special Operations Squadron is part of the United States Air Force 353d Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates MC-130J Commando II aircraft providing special operations capability. Air crews are specially trained in day and night, low-level delivery of troops and equipment via airdrop or airland operations and flying using night vision goggles.
  The squadron traces its lineage back to the 17th Observation Squadron, constituted and activated in 1942 during World War II. After being redesignated as the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, the squadron flew North American B-25 Mitchells in the New Guinea campaign, the Philippines Campaign, and over Japan on armed reconnaissance missions. The 17th was inactivated after the end of the war. It was reactivated and inactivated unmanned as the 17th Liaison Squadron in the early 1950s. The 17th Special Operations Squadron was activated in 1969 to provide AC-119G Shadow gunship air support during the Vietnam War. It was inactivated in 1971 with the drawdown of United States forces in Vietnam.
context_section_description: The 17th Special Operations Squadron (17 SOS) was constituted on 11 April 1969 and activated on 1 June, at Nha Trang Air Base during the Vietnam War with the 14th Special Operations Wing. It was equipped with Fairchild AC-119G Shadow gunships and replaced the 71st Special Operations Squadron, which relocated to the United States for inactivation. The 17 SOS absorbed around two-thirds of the 71st SOS' personnel, with the remainder being reservists who were transferred to inactive status days after their return to the United States. By the end of June, the squadron, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Knie, had trained replacements and begun routine operations. At the end of the year, it was divided into three flights, operating from different bases: A Flight with four aircraft at Tuy Hoa Air Base, B Flight with seven at Phan Rang Air Base, and C Flight at Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
  AC-119 crews from the squadron provided airbase defense, close air support, and armed reconnaissance.  Four gunships were damaged in combat and on 6 August another was hit by .50 caliber rounds in the fuselage and an engine, causing an engine fire and extensive damage. The 17th's main support base was relocated to Phan Rang Air Base on 15 August. Due to the pressure on aircraft maintenance, the squadron put in relief from at least one Shadow mission per night in the last half of August. The maintenance situation was aggravated by corrosion-control work, maintenance inspections, and part supply disruptions due to unit movements. On 11 October, Shadow 76 was destroyed and six crewmembers killed when it crashed upon takeoff for a mission from Tan Son Nhut, the squadron's first aircraft loss. Another gunship was severely damaged on 10 November when its right landing gear collapsed on landing at Chu Lai Air Base.
  A decrease in the number of missions, a decline in enemy activity, and worsening weather slightly changed the "seek and destroy" gunship concept of the first half of the year to a "combat air patrol" role. By mid-December most of the problems of the squadron had been eased, improving the squadron's situation. During its first six months of operations, the squadron's crews flew 2,000 sorties and 8,000 combat hours, fired 20 million rounds of ammunition, expended 12,000 flares, killed 800 enemy, destroyed 150 sampans, and recorded 800 secondary explosions despite aircraft corrosion and equipment issues, reorganization, and retraining of aircrew and support personnel. No outpost was overrun while it was being supported by the gunships.
  In early 1970, enemy action declined so much that more mission were directed to border areas with more interdiction targets. The gunships conducted nighttime armed reconnaissance in specific strike zones known as Shadow boxes, flying a TACAN radial to a location in the box, then dropping position markers and locating targets. Between 1 April and 22 May, the 17 SOS provided nighttime cover for the besieged CIDG camps at Dak Seang and Dak Pek. With the assistance of AC-119K Stingers from the 18th Special Operations Squadron, the Shadows flew one to two sorties a night. During the siege of the camps, the squadrons flew 147 sorties and expended 2,380,161 7.62mm rounds and 21,796 20mm rounds. They also illuminated drop zones for C-7A Caribous resupplying the camps. From 3 April to 31 May, the AC-119Gs based at Tan Son Nhut tested a portable UHF receiver for signals transmitted by ground sensors. On 18 April, Shadow 77 picked up signals in a sensor field, firing nearly 6,000 7.62mm rounds that night and 28,500 rounds on the next night after again detecting movement, as well as assisting an airstrike in the area. 150 enemy bodies were discovered and 17 prisoners captured along with nine crew-served weapons and 67 individual weapons in a subsequent ground sweep. After the conclusion of the testing period, the final assessment recommended that the receivers be permanently placed in the AC-119.
  A Flight was relocated to Phù Cát Air Base on 12 April, taking over the 18 SOS facilities there. On 28 April, an AC-119G from 
caption: Unofficial squadron emblem painted on squadron headquarters at Phan Rang