In 1996 to late 1997, I was living in Cambodia conducting volunteer relief projects, teaching music, helping the long-suffering Khmers in villages, hospitals and so forth.

Covertly, I was handling communications for an intelligence team led by Major Mark A. Smith reporting on crimes against humanity, death squads, military developments leading up to, during and after the 1997 overthrow of the legally elected Government.

I think it wonderfully ironic that I, a man of peace, should have as his lifelong friend, a great warrior like Major Mark.

BIOGRAPHY July 3, 1997
MAJOR MARK SMITH UNITED STATES ARMY SPECIAL FORCES, RETIRED
Mark A. Smith Sr. was born in Lima, Ohio, USA on 26 April 1945. Prior to joining the U.S. Army, Major Smith lived in Indiana, New Mexico and California. The following is a chronology of Major Smith's military career and his activities since retirement.

DATES	ACTIVITY	AREA
1963-64	Training	Fort Ord CA
1964	Parachute Infantryman	Germany
1964-65	Special Forces Weaponsman	Germany
1965	Special Forces Medical Specialist	Fort Bragg N.C.*
1965-66	Special Forces Medical Specialist	Vietnam
1966-68	Infantry Platoon Sergeant	Vietnam
1968	Infantry Platoon Leader	Vietnam
1969	Team Leader Phoenix Program	Vietnam
1969	Vietnamese Ranger Battalion Advisor	Vietnam
1970	Company Commander 101st Airborne Division	Vietnam
1971	Instructor Ranger Department	Fort Benning GA
1971-72	Senior Battalion Advisor	Vietnam
1972	Prisoner of War	Cambodia
1973	Hospital	San Francisco CA
1973-74	Battalion Operations Officer	Korea
1975	Refugee Coordinator	California
1976-79	Company Commander Special Forces	Fort Bragg N.C.**
1979-81	Evaluator Reserve Special Forces	California
1981-84	Special Forces Detachment Commander	Korea ***
1985	Retired from Active Service	Fort Bragg N.C.
1986-present	Military/Intelligence Advisor	ASIA ****

*	Included combat operations in Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Laos.
**	Included training missions to Lebanon, Korea, Liberia.
***	Responsibility for all U.S. Army Special Operations in Asia.
****	Including training and combat operations in Thailand, Laos, Burma and Cambodia.

AWARDS and DECORATIONS (USA):

Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star (eight awards), Air Medal (3 awards), Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), Army Commendation Medal (three awards), Purple Heart (4 awards), Humanitarian Service Medal, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, Master Parachutist Badge.

AWARDS and DECORATIONS (FOREIGN):

King's Medal from Thailand, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (with two palms and two Silver Stars), Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Korean, Philippine and Indonesian Master Parachute Badges. Thailand Army and Police Master Parachute Badge with HALO Award.

SYNOPSIS:

Major Mark A. Smith joined the US Army at age seventeen in 1963 and by 1966 was the youngest Staff Sergeant in the Army. In 1968 while leading an Infantry Platoon in Vietnam, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant by General William Westmoreland. In early 1969 he led a special unit operating throughout Vietnam and the border areas of Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam, answering directly to William Colby, the Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam. Later that year he advised two different Ranger Battalions in combat. In 1970 he commanded an Infantry Company in the 101st Airborne Division in Northern South Vietnam. In 1971 he was the Principal Instructor for patrolling techniques in the US Army Ranger School.

Upon his return to Vietnam he took command in the battle of Loc Ninh during early April 1972. While battle raged he was wounded on twelve separate occasions (six bullets and thirty two major shrapnel wounds). He was credited with personally destroying a number of enemy tanks and calling US air strikes on his own position a number of times, to drive off the overwhelming enemy force. In interviews with General Tran Van Tra, Peoples Army of Vietnam, he admitted to losing nearly ten thousand men at Loc Ninh.

After escaping from the camp after it was overrun, he was sighted by US aircraft and bombed by friendly fire. While trying to evade enemy forces he was knocked unconscious by a rocket propelled grenade and captured.

During his time in a jungle prison in Cambodia he was kept chained in a cage and later in a hole in the ground after attempting to escape. Upon his release, he was honored by the US Army by being selected to be the first US Army POW returned to the USA on 14 February 1973.

After six months in hospital he returned to duty. The rest of his career was spent in Special Operations. Upon his retirement he sued President Reagan for failing to take action on intelligence indicating the continuing survival of American POW's in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

He has worked with various resistance groups and Governments in Asia in an attempt to bring democratic change. He has seen combat with resistance groups in Burma, Laos and Cambodia. He also served as a personal bodyguard for Princess Kethy Tioloung, Deputy Director of UNESCO, during her stay in Cambodia.

He is consulted by numerous members of the US Congress and foreign Governments on the political and security situation in Southeast Asia.

He has tracked the activities of Mr. Hun Sen, the Second Prime Minister of Cambodia for twenty five years. In 1972 Hun Sen was a young member of the Vietnamese Security Unit at the prison in Kratie Province, Cambodia where Major Mark was held.

At one time Major Smith felt Hun Sen was the only leader with enough charisma to lead his people. But as detailed in this article, his investigation discovered a terrible reality that may return Cambodia to open warfare and a reoccupation by Vietnam.

Major Smith is a member of the American Press Association and contributes articles to various publications.

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