Praire Fire Emergency
 

I was browsing around this site and came across some audio clips. At this time, they aren't available, but might be something to check in on later when they get them up and running.

The eighth one in the list is a Praire Fire Emergency. Thought some QPs here might be interested in hearing that.

http://www.abtriplec.com/site_pages/history.html

As I recall it, "Prarie Fire" meant Americans in Distress. Get to them, and get them out at all costs!

But it's been a long time, someone else should chip in.

RE: ABCCC and Emergency Calls
 

Memory Lane here 73-74. :)

HILLSBORO during the daytime; MOONBEAM during the night w/SPECTRE (or RLAF marking SPOOKYs flown by tall, blue-eyed guys from NKP or Ubon). Didn't know any ABCCCs were CRICKETs; the CRICKETs and FATCAPPERs were FACs flying OV-10s in 73.

I need help requests (in ascending order of priority at that time IIRC) to FAC/ABCCC were Team-E, TAC-E, Frostbite, and Prairie Fire. It was slightly different at earlier times when the various projects were fully operational.

COMPASS CALL EC-130s for NATO, A-10s, and MH-53s were at Sembach when I was last there; have no idea where they are now.

Richard

It was a SOG code phrase for Team in trouble in the Prarie Fire AO = Laos!! It was only used by Teams that were over the Fence!!

Compass Call moved out of Sembach and are now at Davis Monthan in AZ. We always seem to be colocated with them (and knocking heads) when we deploy. I think the 53's went to one of the bases in England.

Mildenhall, IIRC.

TR

Cactus Jack
 

This should help. The following is my email to an SF friend of mine, who was in Vietnam and Laos, and his reply. His call sign is/was "Cactus Jack". He is an interesting character!

Jack, do you happen to remember the code "Prairie Fire" from your time in
Laos?

Scott




Know the term (s)VERY well. There were two meanings of the term.

Before 1967, at SOG RVN it was called Shiny Brass....Mostly run by 1st Gp Okinawa. SOG recce missions in a narrow box area cross border in Laos.

During mid-1967, the name changed (same mission) from Shiny Brass to Prairie Fire. Since the missions were in Laos they had to have approval of the U.S. Ambassador, Laos who was anti-military. He only approved two small "boxes" cross border into Laos.

The second meaning was for extreme emergencies...When a SOG team called "Prairie Fire" It called for an IMMEDIATE extraction. The extraction was run by Moonbean (an orbiting USAF C130) during the night and Hillsborough (same C130)during the day. All available support Tac-air,helo, fac,etc was direct to the extraction site. Saved a lot of lives.

There were many Prairie Fire extractions.

If anyone was left on the ground it caused a "Bright Light" Insertion of another team to find the rest of the team and/or body recovery.

The single best book about SOG is written by Major John Plaster, a SOG team leader. I will bring it back with me.

Jack

OA,

If you would check my Profile and many of the Posts that I have made in here, you would find that I have, with authority, already answered the question!!! You see, I ran Recon out of CCC and if you look in the good Major's Picture book, you'll find not only my avatar, but my Team Picture plus others.

Edited to add: Your buddy's memory is slipping a bit, it was Shining Brass, not Shiny!!

Later
Martin

Cheers!
 

AM,

I checked your profile a long time ago and am very appreciative. I guess I worded my reply wrong. I was not really answering a question, but simply providing more info. No offense intended! I do hope the additional info was of interest especially the part about the ambassador.

Cheers!

That's it! I couldn't remember if it was there or Upper Heyford.

Anyone read the book, "The Dying Place"? It's written by David A. Maurer. I read it years ago when I was stationed in Germany, and still have my copy. It's fiction, but some of the QPs here might recognize his name. He ran Praire Fire missions during the war. It was the first time I ever heard of SOG and the cross border operations.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974361852

I believe that the cover of this edition of the book is of David Maurer and his team.

Excuse me gentlemen, I was looking for the thread that had a recording of a Prarie Fire where John Plaster was directing two at once. When I did my searches this is all I could find. I was hoping someone could direct me to that thread if it still exists. Thank you.

Try here:

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...ad.php?t=15653

Thank you, AM. I was missing the " " in my search. Much appreciated.