Billy Waugh was a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who served in Korea and Vietnam before going on to a career in the CIA.
- Died: April 4, 2023 (Who else died on April 4?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 93.
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Billy Waugh’s legacy
Waugh was a legend of the U.S. Special Forces, a career soldier who had dreamed of fighting for his country long before he was old enough. A frequently repeated part of his life story was the time when, at 15, he tried to hitchhike from his home in Texas to California, believing he’d be allowed to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps at 16 and fight in World War II. Though Waugh was too young to fight that war, he joined the U.S. Army in 1948, and quickly became airborne qualified. He fought in the Korean War, after which he transferred to the U.S. Army Special Forces and served in Vietnam. Waugh trained Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers and fought in the Battle of Bong Son, where he earned a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. Waugh also participated in the first ever High Altitude, Low Opening (HALO) combat jump into enemy territory while in Vietnam.
Waugh retired from the Army in 1972, but he was not yet done serving his country. After a short period working for the U.S. Postal Service, he was recruited to the CIA. He initially worked in Libya, where he trained special forces. Waugh went on to work as a spy in places such as the Marshall Islands and Sudan, as well as in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. He participated in searches for notorious people, including Carlos the Jackal and Osama Bin Laden. Waugh’s career in the military and the CIA lasted more than 50 years.
Notable quote
“I am especially proud and moved by viewing the US Flag flying high, whether at Fort Bragg, NC or, on the Embassy grounds in Iraq or Afghanistan, Korea or Bangkok; the PI or Dakka, Bangladesh, Khartoum, Sudan or Sa’na, Yemen.” —from an interview for Modern Forces
Tributes to Billy Waugh
Full obituary: Task & Purpose
