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Pastimes
A Tribute Site to Mike Linnane, our "Unclewest."
An SI Board Since May 2013
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Emcee:  LindyBill Type:  Moderated
This site was conceived by me for Mike, who has been a member of Silicon Investor since 1998, with over 12,000 posts. Mike recently received the highest honor that our Special Forces awards, membership in the Regimental Hall of Fame. He is the 95th member. I consider this honor to be on the level of receiving the Medal of Honor. Here is a picture of Mike in the Hall of Fame May 9th, 2013, next to his picture and citation.


He is featured on The Military Channel in the TANK BATTLE VIETNAM show.

"Mike receiving 2 combat awards SF HQ RVN 1969" they were a Bronze Star for Heroism and a Purple Heart.

The ceremony last month

With his family. His father, on the right, is a WWII vet.

The Hall of Fame


MAJOR MICHAEL D. LINNANE

U.S. Army, Retired

Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment

Inducted May 9, 2013

Michael D. Linnane served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, predominantly in Special Forces assignments. He completed Special Forces Training, earning his Green Beret in 1962.

After attending OCS, he received a commission in the Infantry.

While serving with ODA-244, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Ben Het, Vietnam, Linnane led a small force of Special Forces, indigenous soldiers and a U.S. tank platoon in a 10-day continuous battle against a North Vietnamese Army Battalion, which was reinforced with 10 Soviet PT 76 tanks. They succeeded in destroying two of the PT 76 tanks and a personnel carrier that came within their range as well as most of the enemy attackers. In other SF assignments, he became a subject-matter expert in developing operational concepts for urban Special Forces operations. In Berlin, he further honed his expertise as a staff sergeant with an alpha-detachment and, later, as a team commander serving under then-Major Sidney Shachnow. Fluent in German, he developed training scenarios that included performing unconventional warfare in cities, conducting target reconnaissance, establishing live caches and dead letter drops, setting up safe houses and befriending useful local leaders.



Major Linnane is qualified in military free fall (HALO) and combat-diving concepts, including performing combat-training dives from submarines with SEAL Team II as part of the major expansion of SF organizations and capabilities. He also served in many key assignments in the conventional Army. While a company commander with one unit, he tested a new Advanced Infantry Training concept. He completed a bachelor of arts while on active duty. As a major, he held conventional command and staff positions. Although selected for Command and General Staff College and integration as a regular Army Officer, his combat-related wounds and injuries forced him to accept medical retirement in 1982.

After retirement, Linnane started a highly successful contractor construction company. One of the founders of the Save the Montagnard People Organization, funded initially by individual Special Forces veterans, he served as co-chairman of the Montagnard Scholarship Fund for two years. Since 1986, he has sponsored 13 5th SFG (A) Montagnard families and 30 single Montagnard single Montagnard warriors from Ben Het and Dak To. Additionally, in 2002, Linnane set up the Green Beret Warehouse in Greensboro, N.C., to support the large resettlement of Montagnard Civilian Irregular Defense Group families and soldiers. From this location, SF and civilian volunteers are able to provide fully furnished apartments and clothing for newly arriving families sponsored by Special Forces veterans. Work with the Montagnards, to him, epitomizes living the Special Forces motto “De Oppresso Liber” to the fullest extent possible.

He has been active in the Special Forces community, serving as treasurer, secretary, vice-president and president of a Special Forces Association chapter. In recognition of his many contributions to the SF community, he was awarded the Silver St. Philip Neri Medal. He is currently the treasurer of Purple Heart Chapter 638, and was a founding member and operations officer of Veterans of Special Forces.

Major Linnane’s military awards include: the Bronze Star Medal with one oak-leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal with one oak-leaf cluster, two Purple Heart Medals, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachute Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, Berlin Occupation Medal, Vietnam Parachute Badge, Belgian Parachute Badge, German Parachute Badge and Spanish Parachute Badge.

Here is a recent video about him.


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ReplyMessage PreviewFromRecsPosted
37Miss you Mike Hope you are healthy and enjoying life.SirWalterRalegh142/22/2022
36Hi Mike....I'm back (I think for at least while!!).... And have wondered howKLP39/24/2020
35UncleWest.. a congratulations to you! I hope your day is wellroto33/20/2020
34Happy Veterans Day, Mike. Thank you for your brave and meritorious service.Bill1511/11/2019
33Connecticut becomes first state to give Hmong, Laotian veterans burial rights sTom Clarke56/28/2019
32Glad to hear from you.LindyBill36/13/2019
31Hi LB, I am OK. Will be back in S Cal again on 26 June...but only briefly this unclewest186/13/2019
30[youtube video] Mike hasn't posted in three months. Anybody help?LindyBill36/10/2019
29"Ich bin ein Berliner" - I am a Berlin citizen and I thank you for theElsewhere127/19/2014
28Here is a video about Mike I have added to the header. [youtube video]LindyBill117/16/2014
27[graphic] NOW SHE IS A TEACHER!!! In September of 2005, on the first daSdgla72/21/2014
26Defending West hill... did that have something to do with your nickname? You nunclewest119/30/2013
25UW, Congrats and thanks for your sacrifice. The interviews were fascinating. DClappy39/29/2013
24Sorry for the confusion Mike, and thanks for pointing that out. Some day we'Neeka29/5/2013
23Neeka, I was inducted into the Special Forces Hall of Fame. It is exclusive for unclewest39/5/2013
22Found out today that by being inducted into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame, unclewNeeka49/4/2013
21Delta Airlines employees honor the fallen, along with the military escort. The ManyMoose68/31/2013
20I am so honored to know Mike Linnane, and I consider it a real privilege to haveNeeka117/30/2013
19To all: Thanks for the flowers. Please know this: 1. I would do every day andunclewest187/7/2013
18Mike, Many Congratulations on your the recent recognition of your accomplishmenThehammer77/4/2013
17Welcome to SI! Hope you snoop around, find other boards that might interest youJoe Btfsplk-6/16/2013
16What an incredible honor and so very well deserved. Congratulations to my brotheJoanie526/16/2013
15Congratulations Mike. And thanks for all you've done and continue to do forSmoothSail-6/13/2013
14I'd like to add my congratulations on your induction, Mike. I'm especCF Rebel95/30/2013
13Congratulations Mike! I am grateful for the lessons, tips, ideas, suggestions, Neeka45/30/2013
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