On CSM Pat Tadina Ranger God RIP May 29, 2020

Command Sergeant Major Patrick “Tad” Gavin Tadina, 77, died on Friday, May 29, 2020. 

Bummer. I have known Pat for a long time, late 1990s, and we met occasionally in LA. I always thought his life would make a great film. We met with actor Mark Dacascos (Iron Chef, John Wick 3), similar ethnic background, but were never able to get anyone interested. That’s Hollywood. But the dude is a legend. You look at the films that have been made since GWOT, like Lone Survivor and American Sniper, and he puts those guys in their place by a gazillion miles. Pat was a genuine goddamned war hero. You’ll see why.

Pat was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and from what I remember him telling me, he was of Filipino-Chinese-German-Irish-Hawaiian decent or some exotic cocktail mix like that. He said he was a young drug runner of sorts always bordering on jail time. Supposedly he was offered prison or the military. Thirty years later Tad retired as a Command Sergeant Major.

Pat was about five foot five and probably weighed less than one of my Akitas – figure maybe 125 or so. The man was tiny but Jesus Christ did he scare the crap out of me when we first met at Benning or Bragg – I cannot recall. I am still laughing about that. Pat had those hard-core killer eyes people get once they have been in the shit. Rambo he wasn’t, nope, he was the real deal – someone - American war lore ought to hold in its highest esteem. The man was a bona fide warrior-hero.

He forged his reputation on the battlefields of Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP), 74th Infantry Detachment Long Range Patrol (LRP) and November Company, 75th Rangers for over 5 years straight, as a team leader. You know, small four to six-man teams operating behind enemy lines with hundreds of patrols under his belt. He personally killed around 130 men – he did not like the killing but… - and probably was responsible for the deaths of maybe high hundreds if not thousands more by calling in arty and air strikes on enemy forces they had bumped into. Legendary stuff. Think about it – small teams deep in enemy territory depending on a few true Rangers. 

BUT WHAT SET HIM APART was that he served five consecutive years in combat and never had one of his Rangers get killed! Think about that. Sixty months of continuous service. He was wounded three times. Not one comrade killed. He is loved by those who served with him. I mean loved.

His brother died in Nam in a mech unit I think. He returned home for the funeral and was arrested as he tried to get back to the war because he was the sole male survivor of the family, and mom wanted him to stay at home. He escaped to rejoin his men facing combat. Hahaha.

“His small stature and dark complexion helped him pass for a Viet Cong soldier on patrols deep into the Central Highlands, during which he preferred to be in the point position. His citations describe him walking to within feet of enemies he knew to be lying in wait for him and leading a pursuing enemy patrol into an ambush set by his team.”

Copyright: Catherine Poeschl

Another story I was told by his comrade and good friend Roy Boatman (also deceased, also Ranger/SF in Nam) was that Tad infiltrated an enemy hospital to free a POW. He killed a guard with a silenced .22 but found the hospital deserted. Talk about balls and trade craft. 

He is rightly a legend within the Ranger community.

Tadina joined the Army in 1962 and served in the Dominican Republic before going to Southeast Asia. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983, and with the 1stInfantry Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. He retired in 1992 as a CSM and worked as a private contractor and trainer for Air Marshalls, and had deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

Two Nam vets and former comrades doing their thing…

1995 Pat Tadina was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. 

Tad holds the distinction of being the longest continuously serving Ranger during the Vietnam War. His 22 awards (probably the most decorated soldier in Nam) include two Silver Stars, 10 Bronze Stars with seven Valor devices, three Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry, four Army Commendation Medals including two for valor, and three Purple Hearts. 

A true Ranger, a true warrior. A friend.

 For Vietnam-era Ranger history: https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/vietnam-war#unit-histories

For unit history from https://www.75thrra.org/history/n75_hx.html

LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE PATROL DETACHMENT
173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE (SEPARATE)

The 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) deployed to the Republic of Vietnam on 5 May 1965 on Temporary Duty (TDY) status, the first army "combat" maneuver element to arrive in Vietnam. On 5 August 1965 the TDY status was changed to Permanent Change of Station (PCS). It quickly became apparent to Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson that a reconnaissance element was needed to supplement Troop E, 17th Cavalry who were mounted troops and had the mission of providing road security and were ill equipped or trained to perform dismounted reconnaissance missions.

General Williamson tasked the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 503rd Infantry to ask for "Volunteers" to form the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) detachment. The volunteers would not be permanently assigned to the LRRP detachment as there was no Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E). The LRRP (Provisional) was formed from volunteers from the Infantry Battalions and placed on Special Duty status. Team makeup consisted of one lieutenant (team leader), one staff sergeant (asst. team leader), and two enlisted personnel (scouts). Training was given to the LRRP's by the 1st Royal Australian Regiment who were familiar with jungle operations and were veterans of combat operations in Malaysia. The LRRP detachment could not be maintained at full strength (4 teams / 16 personnel) due to combat losses of the infantry battalions who requested that their (SD) personnel be returned.

The first Long Range Patrol operation was in support of operation NEW LIFE in the La Nga River valley north of Vo Dat on 21 November 1965. The teams had to twice swim rivers to get into their Area of Operations (AO). Many of the operational techniques learned during actual combat patrols became Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the personnel who became replacements for the troops who returned to stateside assignments after their one year tour of duty. Lieutenants were no longer assigned as team members and the patrol leaders were the experienced Noncommissioned Officers of the LRRP detachment. The LRRP detachment became a permanent part of Troop E, 17th Cavalry in June 1966.

Many of the original members of the LRRP platoon were trained at the 101st Airborne Division RECONDO school at Ft. Campbell, KY. Additional training of the volunteers was On the Job Training (OJT) and at the RECONDO school at Nha Trang. Many of these volunteers never had the chance to attend any formal training as the 173rd Airborne Brigade was constantly on operations throughout the III Corps and II Corps areas of the Republic of Vietnam, however, infiltration and extraction techniques were refined and were SOP for the duration of the LRRP's operations in Vietnam. One misnomer that was in the mission statement for LRRP's was the word "Reconnaissance". Many of the missions given to the LRRP's were of a combat nature. The major unit commander had a highly trained and motivated force on the ground which had located an enemy force of various sizes and had the opportunity to inflict casualties upon an elusive enemy. The commander frequently utilized this option. Teams were typically briefed that when their mission of surveillance was completed they would ambush or capture a prisoner on the last day of their mission. Occasionally the LRRP's would receive an ambush or snatch mission as their primary mission.

74TH INFANTRY DETACHMENT (AIRBORNE, LONG RANGE PATROL), 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE (SEPARATE)

The Department of the Army officially authorized the formation of the 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP) on 20 December 1967 and all personnel of the LRRP platoon were absorbed in to the 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP). The 173rd Airborne Brigade had moved to Dak To in the II Corps area of Vietnam. The 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP) was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the Dak To battles in November 1967, however this was in error as the 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP) did not exist at the time. The award should have been presented to the 173rd Airborne Brigade (LRRP) (Provisional).

The 74th Infantry (LRP) continued to perform missions as directed by the 173rd commander through out the II Corp region of Vietnam and eventually established a base camp at An Khe. Team leaders and potential team leaders were now able to attend the Recondo school conducted by the Special Forces at Nha Trang on a rotating basis while continuing to be the :"Eyes and Ears of the Commander". Staff Sergeant Laszlo Rabel, 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP) was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on 12 November 1968. He was the only LRP member to be awarded the medal during the Vietnam war. Much credit needs to be given to the personnel of the LRRP platoon and the 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP) for establishing the doctrine that would become SOP for Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry which absorbed the personnel of the 74th Infantry Detachment (LRP) on 1 February 1969.

N COMPANY (RANGER), 75TH INFANTRY (AIRBORNE), 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE (SEPARATE)

Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry established a base camp at Landing Zone (LZ) English, Bong Son, RVN from which to launch their deep penetration missions behind or within enemy controlled areas. The173rd Abn Brigade had assumed the mission of "pacification" of the Bong Son plains Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry would become a Ranger screen while the Brigade was on pacification. The TO&E specified that the November Rangers would consist of 3 officers and 72 enlisted personnel. The assigned officers served as the Commander, Executive Officer and Operations Officer. Twelve operational teams of six men each composed entirely of enlisted personnel. The remaining enlisted personnel had the duties of platoon sergeant, Tactical Operations Center (TOC), supply and administration.

Missions for the Ranger company were typically 3 -5 days with a 2 day break in between for debriefing, rest and preparation for the next mission. The Rangers were operating in the mountainous terrain of the An Lao , An Do, Suoi Ca, Crows Foot valleys; the Highland Fishhook; and Nui Ba and Tiger Mountains of northern Binh Dinh province which bordered the I Corps area. This area of responsibility was to remain the domain of N company for the remainder of the war. The brigade Tet-69 campaign lasted from 9 February to 26 March 1969 and marked the first independent employment of a Ranger company in screening operations of the Vietnam war. During this period which was typical of Ranger operations, N Company conducted over 100 Long Range Patrols that resulted in 134 sightings of enemy personnel and 63 enemy killed by direct action, 5 prisoners and a much larger number of enemy killed by Ranger-sponsored indirect fire and reaction elements. The Rangers casualties for this period was 1 KIA, 20 WIA and none captured or missing.

In November 1969 the brigade permanently increased the size of the company to full company strength of 128 Rangers. Acceptance into the Rangers was based upon factors of a GT score of 100 or higher, no physical or mental impairments and voluntary request for the Ranger company. All prospective personnel were interviewed prior to acceptance and full acceptance was not granted until the volunteer had completed a period of individual training conducted by the company and had participated in a few patrols to prove his abilities. Training was a combat mission for volunteers and a high speed approach to training. Company N, (Ranger), 75th Infantry received numerous experimental systems to maximize performance. Nine (9) millimeter pistols with silencers were sent to the company from civilian firms in the United States, they were used to take out the NVA/VC sentries that guarded base camps and weigh stations. An experimental system for firing electronically detonated claymores that were daisy chained (Widow Makers) became a staple of Ranger ambushes.

November company personnel were called upon to conduct special contingency missions such as the BRIGHT LIGHT mission of prisoner rescue and the destruction of the VC infrastructure throughout Binh Dinh province. During April 1971 the Brigade Commander finally put the unofficial black beret on a Ranger's head during a ceremony that honored the men of the Ranger company for an earlier action. The beret had been denied the Rangers primarily because of senior officer opposition to further distinctions between unit paratroopers. On 25 August 1971, Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry was solemnly deactivated. The Rangers of Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry performed with exceptional courage and valor throughout their existence and service in Vietnam, two years and 6 months. Today, the modern Rangers of the 75th Ranger Regiment continue the traditions of being the premier fighting element of the active army. The traditions and dedication to their fellow RANGERS continues!!