This memorial was written by
Bill’s family, who continue to share a deep sense of emotional pride and love
of Special Forces, SOG and the men of the Assault Helicopter Companies (AHC). To
the families of our fallen comrades in arms and brothers, who share the deeper
losses of this war, we, the soldiers of SOG and AHC, hope this in some small way
helps to fill the emptiness imposed on those left behind. We extend to these
families the knowledge we did our best and only as a last resort were we forced
to abandon our friends and wish to share with these families who have produced
some of America’s best, the knowledge we have not forgotten! Cpt Robert L.
Noe, Ret.
If you knew Bill and would like
to get in touch with his sister Cathy, you are invited to do so by contacting
Robert Noe at SOG1RLNOE@AOL.Com . He will pass your message
directly on to Cathy.
Specialist Fourth Class (SP/4) William Michael
Copley, was known as "Mike" to his family and "Bill" to the
rest of the world. Bill was only 19 years old when he gave up his life for his
country. To some, that is too young to understand honor and dedication, but he
did understand, and he loved freedom. Some would call that idealism, perhaps so,
but he was willing to go to war to defend it. He had great honor, intelligence,
humor, and pride. He knew what he was doing when he chose to join the group that
was to him, "the best of the best," the Green Beret, and he knew the
odds against ever coming home again.
Bill was born in Ohio, but spent his life in
Southern California. In 1967, after graduating from Chatsworth High School in
the San Fernando Valley, he enlisted. His training took him to Fort Ord, Ca.,
and Fort Benning, Ga., where he specialized in intelligence and communications.
He finished in the top 5% of his class.
In Vietnam, he was with MACV-SOG, assigned to
what is known as SLAM missions. They were one, or a combination of
"Search-Locate-Annihilate-Monitor" missions operating deep behind
enemy lines. Their missions entailed "unconventional methods" for the
purpose to delay, frustrate, demoralize and eliminate the enemy and supplies
before reaching South Vietnam as well as to force the enemy to commit large
numbers of troops to defend against SOG operations, thus, preventing these
soldiers from being used against American Forces. They gathered reports of troop
movements, supplies, and communication systems on the enemy, forwarding them
back to Saigon.
Bill was on a CCC recon mission out of Kontum
having being inserted into an area 15 to 20 miles deep behind enemy lines in
Laos. He was with SSG Robert Loe and six Montagnards. They were ambushed just
before setting up for the night (RON). Bill was shot in the upper left shoulder,
it exited his back. Loe carried Bill for some distance and delivered 1st aid.
The enemy was in hot pursuit of the team, Loe disregarded his own safety and
continued administrating 1st aid until "Bill’s face showed
signs of death. The situation became extremely dangerous, and there being
nothing more that could be done for Bill, Loe and the team were forced to
abandon their comrade in arms, reluctantly, fighting their way backwards, away
from their advancing opponents.
An extraction team was inserted late in the
evening to extract survivors. The extraction team worked their way back to where
the team was ambushed and where Bill had been left; however, no remains were
found. The search was continued through the 15th of November with the
extraction team coming into constant contact with the enemy during their search
efforts and were finally forced to withdraw. Since Bill was still alive when
last seen, he was listed as Missing in Action.
Because of the efficiency and bravery of SOG
soldiers, the North Vietnamese placed a high price on the heads of any SOG
members. In 1968, there was more than just the reward that made survival more
difficult for the men. SOG Teams had made a crushing blow against the post Tet
NAV movement in their "sanctuaries" in Cambodia and Laos. The damage
inflicted by SOG was effective, to the point the enemy created "Special
Counter-Recon Hunter Teams," which were trained by the Chinese in Martial
Arts and covert operations to seek out SOG - they even used dogs for tracking.
SOG members were considered as criminals of the highest order---Not Soldiers. No
SOG member who was lost over the fence has ever been recovered, nor has any
information ever been released by the North Vietnamese as to their fate, even to
this date.
My family and I cannot express the extent of
our gratitude to Robert Loe. He endangered his own life to help my brother and
gave up only when hope was gone and the alternative would have been to forfeit
his own life as well. We have nothing but the greatest respect and appreciation
for SSG Loe. I can not imagine anything more difficult for any man than to have
to make such a painful decision. The men of MACV-SOG, are without a doubt, some
of the most courageous and heroic men ever to wear a uniform.
We have only just learned this information
about Bill and SOG. The bravery of these men made such a difference in bringing
the war to an early end. We, like most Americans, had no concept of the
terrifying magnitude of their focus. We have also recently learned that it if
weren’t for the incredible men of the 57th, 361st, 170th
Assault Helicopter Companies as well as the 219th Vietnamese CH-34
pilots, many more SOG men of CCC would have been lost. Any memorial to SOG must
also include a very special salute to those men that regularly risked and gave
their lives to bring the recon teams home.
We miss "Mike" very much. When we
think of him, we are filled with overwhelming pride. Like so many enthusiastic,
passionate young men, he chose to go to war to make this world a better place.
He chose to be one of the "BEST" because he had the unselfish heart of
a hero. But then, to us, he has always been a hero!
