Brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Thao Ty (sometimes confused with Colonel
Thao Ly, a fighter-bomber pilot of the
Royal Lao Air Force
The Royal Lao Air Force (french: Aviation Royale Laotiènne – AVRL), best known to the Americans by its English acronym RLAF, was the air force component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Royal Lao Government and ...
) was a
Laotian Paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...
officer and commander of the
Airborne Forces
Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ai ...
and the
Special Forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
of the
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army (french: Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasio ...
(
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Armée Royale du Laos'' – ARL), the
Land Component of the
Royal Lao Armed Forces
The Royal Lao Armed Forces (french: Forces Armées du Royaume), best known by its French acronym FAR, were the official armed defense forces of the Kingdom of Laos, a state that existed from 1949 to 1975 in what is now the Laos, Lao People's Dem ...
(
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Forces Armées du Royaume'' – FAR), the official military of the
Kingdom of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was a landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula. It was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
during the 1960s and 1970s.
Career
Lt. Col. Thao Ty rose to prominence in 1963 when he replaced
Brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Siho Lamphouthacoul as the commander of 1st Special Mobile Group (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Groupement Mobile Speciale 1'' – GMS 1), the para-commando regiment of the
Directorate of National Coordination
The Directorate of National Coordination or DNC (french: Direction de Coordination Nationale – DCN) was the airborne-qualified paramilitary Security Agency and élite field force of the Royal Lao Police ( – PRL). Closely modelled after the R ...
(
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Direction de Coordination Nationale'' – DCN) Security Agency. After the DNC's disbandment in
February 1965, Thao Ty was transferred to the
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army (french: Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasio ...
(RLA) and given command of the RLA's second airborne regiment, Mobile Group 21 (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Groupement Mobile 21 Aeroportée'' – GM 21). In 1970, he transferred again to the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
-run guerrilla programme in
Savannakhet
Savannakhet (ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane ( lo, ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ; th, ไกสอน พมวิหาน) since 2005 and previously known as ''Khanthaboury'' (ຄັນທະ ...
and was posted in charge of all irregular
Special Guerrilla Units
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
(SGU) forces in the
Military Region 3. During the following year he was promoted to
Brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
after its participation in retaking the town of
Paksong
Paksong is a city in Laos on the Bolaven Plateau. The city is known for its coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily ...
in
December 1972. He then transferred back to the regular Army in order to head both the newly formed 2nd Strike Division (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''2éme Division d'Intervention'') and the new elite Special Commando Company (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Compagnie Commando Speciale'' – CCS) or
SPECOM
SPECOM was the English acronym for Special Commando or in French, the commando unit of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (commonly known by its French acronym FAR), which operated during the final phase of the Laotian Civil War from 1972 to 1975.
O ...
for short.
Death
In
May 1975
The following events occurred in May 1975:
May 1, 1975 (Thursday)
*Under pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange dropped the requirement of a fixed commission for stock transactions. Free to ...
Brig. Gen. Thao Ty was quickly arrested and executed by the
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao ( lo, ປະເທດລາວ, translit=Pa thēt Lāo, translation=Lao Nation), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The gro ...
.
[Conboy and McCouaig, ''The War in Laos 1960-75'' (1989), p. 46.]
See also
*
Brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Thao Ma
Brigadier-General Thao Ma (1931–1973) was a Laotian military and political figure of the Laotian Civil War and the Vietnam War (aka Second Indochina War). Thao Ma began his military career as a paratrooper in the French Union Army, when Fran ...
*Colonel
Bounleuth Saycocie
*
Directorate of National Coordination
The Directorate of National Coordination or DNC (french: Direction de Coordination Nationale – DCN) was the airborne-qualified paramilitary Security Agency and élite field force of the Royal Lao Police ( – PRL). Closely modelled after the R ...
*
Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) was a civil war in Laos which was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. It is associated with the Cambodian Civil War and the Vietnam War ...
*Major general
Ouane Rattikone
Major-General Ouane Rattikone (Ouan Rathikoun), a Laotian senior military officer, was the commander-in-chief of the Royal Lao Armed Forces ( French: ''Forces Armées du Royaume'' – FAR), the official military of the Royal Lao Government and ...
*Major general
Phoumi Nosavan Major General Phoumi Nosavan ( lo, ພູມີ ຫນໍ່ສວັນ; 27 January 1920 – 1985)Stuart-Fox, pp. 258–259. was a military strongman who was prominent in the history of the Kingdom of Laos; at times, he dominated its political life ...
*
SPECOM
SPECOM was the English acronym for Special Commando or in French, the commando unit of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (commonly known by its French acronym FAR), which operated during the final phase of the Laotian Civil War from 1972 to 1975.
O ...
*
Royal Lao Armed Forces
The Royal Lao Armed Forces (french: Forces Armées du Royaume), best known by its French acronym FAR, were the official armed defense forces of the Kingdom of Laos, a state that existed from 1949 to 1975 in what is now the Laos, Lao People's Dem ...
*
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army (french: Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasio ...
*
Royal Lao Army Airborne
*
Royal Lao Police
The Royal Lao Police ( French: ''Police Royale Laotiènne'' – PRL), was the official national police force of the Kingdom of Laos from 1949 to 1975, operating closely with the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR) during the Laotian Civil War between 196 ...
Notes
References
*Kenneth Conboy and Don Greer, ''War in Laos 1954–1975'', Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1994.
*Kenneth Conboy and Simon McCouaig, ''The War in Laos 1960-75'', Men-at-arms series 217, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1989.
*Kenneth Conboy and Simon McCouaig, ''South-East Asian Special Forces'', Elite series 33, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1991.
Year of birth missing
Laotian military leaders
Year of death missing
Laotian anti-communists
Executed military leaders
People of the Laotian Civil War
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