ADVISORY ELEMENT 68

CHAPTER 11

ADVISORY ELEMENT 68

GENERAL

(TS) Throughout the period May 1972 - February 1973, Advisory Element 68 was responsible

for implementing the Earth Angel and Pike Hill programs. In addition, a Group 68 AE assisted

STD in establishing the Thang Long Project. During this period, STDAT was tasked with several classified contingency missions which involved Group 68 Advisory personnel. Group 68 AE is collocated with Group 68 at Camp Nguyen Cao Vi, and at Camp Long Thanh. Group 68

agent personnel were billeted and trained at the Camp Long Thanh Isolation facility. Because of manpower ceiling reductions, Group 68 AE was reduced to one officer and one NCO on 25

November 1972.

ACTIVITIES

(TS) Earth Angel. The Earth Angels program was a low-level intelligence collection effort

which used three or four man teams made up of NVA ralliers. All Team members were airborne qualified and were capable of insertion by parachute, helicopter, or walk-in. Selected individuals were HALO qualified. Typical Earth Angel missions included roadwatch, riverwatch, area, point, and linear reconnaissance. On occasion, teams were also given bomb damage assessment missions in support of ARCLIGHT operations.

(TS) Pike Hill. The Pike Hill program used ethnic Khmer and South Vietnamese citizens of

Cambodian descent to establish low-level agent nets among the civilian population of Northeast

Cambodia. The teams normally consisted of three to four personnel and were programmed to

operate for periods of up to six months in duration. In addition, selected Pike Hill teams were

inserted into target areas to perform area reconnaissance and bomb damage assessment.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

(TS) Earth Angel. Throughout the cited period, Earth Angel teams took specialized training in

demolition, aerial resupply, and CW radio communications in order to refine their capability to

operate for extended periods of time in enemy-held territory with minimal outside support. Two cross-border missions into Cambodia were conducted during the period with mixed results. Information reported by teams and overflight aircraft indicated that large concentration of combat service support troops and support facilities were located in the assigned target areas. Follow up actions included ARCLIGHT strikes and subsequent bomb damage assessment missions by Pike Hill teams.

(TS) Pike Hill. The Pike Hill program continued to be strengthened by additional airborne,

communications, and aerial resupply training. The objective of this additional training was to enhance operational security and to enable the teams to remain in target areas for extended periods of time. Nine Pike Hill reconnaissance and bomb damage assessment team missions were conducted in Cambodia during the period. Information reported during these missions was used to select targets for ARCLIGHT strikes against the large enemy build-up in Cambodia. Selected Pike Hill agents were being trained for possible future long range reconnaissance operations in Northeastern Cambodia at the time of Group 68’s deactivation. It was envisioned that, the agents would have remained in the enemy’s combat service support/logistics rear areas for periods of up to 60 days. Information derived from these missions would have been used to develop ARCLIGHT targets.