Colonel Maggie Raye

**Roguish Lawyer** · 07-26-2006, 12:24

This thread is for stories about a great friend of SF.

Trip_Wire (RIP) · 07-26-2006, 12:43

I had the pleasure, of meeting COL Maggie in person, at an SFA Reunion in Fayettville, NC. She was a great Lady and a special friend of the Special Forces!

CPTAUSRET · 07-26-2006, 13:02

The first time I saw maggie, I was helping to carry a wounded GI into the SocTrang dispensary circa 1965, or 66, I don't remember the circumstances re the wounded GI. It may have been the rescue attempt for Nick Rowe, and we had wounded everywhere. Most had been medevacced to other medical facilities.

Anyway, the dispensary was a real f-ing mess, blood, cut off uniforms everywhere, weapons thrown into corners, guys moaning and groaning, guys dying! I was directed into the operating room with the wounded GI, there was blood EVERYWHERE, so I am trying my best to get out of there and back into a gunship where I know what I am doing. I then noticed an individual in one corner with a bucket, and rags, trying her level best to clean up some of the gore. I knew she looked familiar, but didn't put it all together for a minute...It was maggie, and she had been doing everything in her power to help the situation, at that moment it was to mop some of the blood off the floor and walls. she was so covered in other peoples blood that she was almost unrecognizable!

That evening I saw her at the Soctrang SF club, drinking with the boys. Her "beloved boys"!

I loved that LADY!

Firebeef · 07-26-2006, 13:21

Never had the pleasure of meeting her, but your story, CPTAUSRET caused my eyes to cloud up for a second.

CPTAUSRET · 07-26-2006, 13:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firebeef

Never had the pleasure of meeting her, but your story, CPTAUSRET caused my eyes to cloud up for a second.

Firebeef:

Understood!

I had been in contact with a good friend of hers for a long time, and had been invited to visit her (Maggie) in Ca, but didn't go. Wish I had, now!

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 07-26-2006, 14:19

The detachment commanders got called in to the B-Team in Kontum for our monthly command & staff meeting. I hated these things for a couple of reasons, one of which was my place was with the lads and not the B-Team. At this particular time I had an operation way out at the extremes of my AO that needed a resupply. The chopper was not available to make the run because Maggie was being ferried around to each of the A-teams that I was supposed to use to resupply my troops. When she flared into the helipad at Kontum I told her that I needed the chopper because it had been diverted for her visits. When she found out why she stormed into the B-Team and ripped the B-Team commander up and down for diverting a chopper for her visits. I boarded the chopper and didn't think much about it. Several months later when I was leaving my A-Team to PCS home in flares a chopper. On board only one person, a sack of mail and a pallet full of stuff for the team. The one person on board was Maggie. I asked if she was getting off and she said no. Then she smiled and said that she thought she owed me a ride seeing as how she had ripped off my chopper a couple of months back. Well you could have floored me. I was amazed that she had remembered that incident. We both got off the chopper at Pleiku and before she left she signed the padding on the back of the chopper with a black magic marker.

Sigaba · 02-14-2009, 23:45

FWIW, this is one of my favorite threads anywhere.

Reading it is like walking down the corridors of history.

My thanks to its contributors.

longrange1947 · 02-15-2009, 12:23

Somehow I missed this thread.

In 1972 Maggie visited Okinawa and our team daddy was asked for as her escort due to previous contact. He went to a formal ball with her in his Blues, she in a formal gown. We went to the Brown Derby at Kadena Circle for a few. About 2000 in walks Woody and Maggie in all their splendor. After the obligatory hand shakes at the formal, Maggie asked "Where are my boys?" and Woodie started the rounds. He had hit Tommy's and a few others and finished at the Brown Derby.

Not sure what the Command thought of that, but we thought it was great!

Richard · 02-15-2009, 12:48

I met Maggie in Reynolds Army Hospital at Fort Sill, OK. Six of us were there doing our rotations when Maggie showed up and found out there were some SF Medics around. She came looking for each of us personally and found me working the dental clinic. We wore hospital whites with our jump wings, wing background, and the SF DUI on the pocket. Ten minutes and a big hug later, she was gone and I was left alone with a bunch of legs staring like a deer caught in the headlights.

I'll never forget her.

Richard's $.02