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They were men who frequently operated in complete isolation from their countrymen or military service branches. Many were combat-experienced officers who had previously lead Army Special Forces Marine Recon or other combat infantry line commands in Vietnam. Some had volunteered for third and fourth tours of duty. A few, like Navy Cross Marine Colonel John Ripley and Medal of Honor Army Captain John Jacobs, made military history, set new standards with their acts of courage, facing impossible odds as they lead South Vietnam's Army (ARVN) combat units. Others, like Brig. General Philip Bolte, advised entire Provinces of Vietnam, working closely with both military and civilian leaders, directing security, infrastructure, commercial and political operations in Vietnam's vast rural regions.
From 1961 until America's withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975, tens of thousands of MACV Military Advisors served as the backbone the U.S. military operations in Vietnam dispensing billions of dollars in aide. Even today, the ubiquitous, myriad Military Advisors programs that evolved during the Vietnam War are considered among the most successful of all military operations, creating a template that would be duplicated for decades to come in other countries where America's security interests were at stake.
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