COL McArthur was successful at convincing the US Army, and Wash DC officials, the US Army Reserve program should have a Special Forces unit within its structure. Under the sponsorship and support of the 77th SFG(A)5; the 300th SFOD(FD) was formed in Fayetteville, NC on 31 Mar 1955 with 4 officers and 1 enlisted, COL McArthur, MAJ West, CPT Rutan, CPT Marshall and CPL Richard Caldwell. The 300th SFOD was designated as an early-ready unit, a reserve unit that the Army could activate and send anywhere on 24-hour notice. Other troops quickly joined the 300th SFOD; CPT George Thomason, CPT James D Devane, (94th WW2), 1LT K.W.F Atkins, 1LT Ludwing Ladas, SGT James L Smith, SGT Roger Goetsch, CPL Jack Riel, CPL Richard Culberson, PVT LeVaughn D Bullis, bringing the unit to its full TO&E strength of 6 officers and 18 enlisted, by Nov 1955.
Following the 10th SFG(A) and the 77th SFG(A), the 300th SFOD(FD) adopted the “unauthorized” Green beret as the unit head gear. On page 7 of the 15 November 1955 edition of the Sanford Herald pictured are CPT Jack Marshall, SGT Roger Goetsch and PVT LeVaughn Bullis wearing berets and the 21 October 1955 edition of the Red Springs Citizen mentioned the Green Beret wearing 300th SFOD, marching in the local festival parade. Whe asked about the Green Beret, SGT Gotsch replied, Most people thought we were foreign troops training at Fort Bragg, because we were wearing the Green berets and didn’t have any insignia on our uniforms.”
The 300th SFOD(FD) was the first reserve unit in the history of the US Army Special Forces. The unit was organized, led and manned from men from the Carolinas, many of them from the Fayetteville area, during the unit’s existence from 1955-1960.
The unit’s founder was Colonel William S, McArthur, an Artillery officer in Europe during WW2, a local farmer, a graduate of UNC, and lifetime resident of the region. COL McArthur had read about the Special Forces, which was organized in 1952 at FT Bragg. Their mission-to operate behind enemy lines, training guerillas forces and organizing resistance movements was drawn from the OSS of WW2. COL McArthur and his Executive Officer Major Frank West, a WW2 vet with 11th ABN in the Pacific, attended the Special Forces Officers Orientation Course at Ft Bragg and both became convinced the concept was feasible and beneficial to the defense of the US and to the US Army Reserve program. With help from his staff, and the encouragement from his friend COL Edson Raff, then Commander of the Psychological Warfare Center and School, COL McArthur undertook this tremendous task.
COL Raff, was a famous Paratrooper officer from WW2. As a Captain, he was on the first US combat parachute assault in North Africa and the final into Germany. COL Raff, was one the first SF Group commanders, he would command the 77th SFG(A), from Nov 52-Dec 54. After which, he assumed Command of the Psychological Warfare Center and School until 1956. COL Raff was heavily involved in adopting the Green Beret by the Special Forces. COL Raff was relieved of command, in April 1956, by LTG Adams (18th ABN corps CDR) after continuing to wear the unauthorized green beret.
300th Special Forces Operational Detachment (FD)
After serving 3 years with the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in the 82nd Airborne Div, SGT Roger Goetsch joined the 300th SFOD in the summer of 1955. SGT Goetsch was approached by his neighbor CPT Jack Marshall, WW2 veteran with 11th ABN, who told him they were looking for volunteers for Special Forces and asked him to join. SGT Goetsch said the unit was officer heavy; 6 officers out of the 24-man team. SGT Goetsch said most of the officers were WW2 guys and were a bit older. “Those officers were gung-ho and they really got after it. When we trained, we trained hard .”
During the year, the weekly training events consisted of common Army tasks. The 2-week annual training consisted of Special Forces oriented training. This training involved small boat and underwater training at Camp Lejeune, mountain training in Pisgah National Forest, and survival courses at Camp Mackall. With airborne operations, medical, communications, weapons, intel, and demolitions training conducted at Ft Bragg. The Special Forces training was conducted by the 77th SFG(A). The 300th SFOD(FD) adopted the 77th SFG(A)’s motto as the own “Anything, Anyplace, Anytime , Anyhow”.
By May 1956, 3 additional units were activated, 301st (FC) (Boise, ID) 302nd (FC) (Chicago, IL) 303rd (FC) (Kearny, NJ). The 300th (FD) would be the HQs unit for these new units. The 300th SFOD (FD) along with the subordinate SFODs, considered themselves part of the 77th SFG (A). During the times of war, these units would be the replacements for and the expansion of 10th SFG(A) and 77th SFG(A). The summer of 1958, 19 July - 23 Aug, the 300th, 301st, 302nd and 303rd SFODs conducted the first field exercise as a unit at Ft Bragg, under the guidance and support of the 77th SFG(A).
In 1957 LT Douglas Horne returned to Seattle, WA after serving in the 82nd Airborne Div. LT Horne was still obligated to 4 more years of active reserve service and was assigned to the USAR 104th Infantry Div, at the Sand Point Naval Air Station. With the expansion of the Special Forces in the USAR, the 301st SFOD(FC) was activated at Sand Point NAS, which LT Horne quickly joined. In 1959 CPT Douglas Horne moved his family to help manage a family business in Fayetteville, NC. He joined the 300th SFOD(FD) in Fayetteville, the 300th SFOD(FD) was doing some serious training at the time. The North Carolina State Department of Highways offered the Special Forces at Ft Bragg the task of conducting a demolition of four-span steel bridge, approximately 800 feet in length, as part of the Lake Norman Dam project. The contractor was behind on the project. CPT Horne’s team was tasked with the mission and with support of a 7th SFG (A) Advisor, they conducted a successful destruction of the bridge.
When the U.S. Army was reorganized under the short-lived Pentatomic structure in 1957, The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) concept, as devised by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, was designed to provide a flexible regimental structure that would permit perpetuation of unit history and tradition in the new tactical organization of divisions, without restricting the organizational trends of the future. The 1st Special Forces regiment was created as the “parent regiment” for Special Forces. The 1st Special Forces became the sole “parent” with elements from all three US Army components (AC, NG, USAR). The assignment of an active Army CARS organization for the Special Forces units marks the first such assignment for Army National Guard and Reserve units. The Adjutants General in the states concerned agreed to this assignment due to lack of appropriate National Guard regiments which could provide historical continuity for SF organizations, set up in 1959.
On 15 April 1960, the entire SF establishment was formally brought under the Army’s new Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS). This paper scheme initially provided for a maximum of 24 SF Groups, initially all in the Active Component (AC). Even with continued presidential backing, it seemed clear the AC could not support that many Special Forces units. So, on 14 December 1960, seven Groups (2nd, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th and 24th) were reallocated from AC to USAR.
After nearly five years in existence, the 300th SFOD(FD) was deactivated in Dec 1960 and then reactivated as B co 13th SFG(A). The 13th SFG(A), would be in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, with the HQs located in Jacksonville, FL
Due to a promotion, COL Mcarthur would leave the unit in 1961 and be replaced by his XO LTC Frank West. Aug 1961, Col McArthur was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as assistant Division CDR 108th Division, Charlotte, NC. Brigadier General William McArthur passed away in 1965.
With the McArthur family in attendance, on 25 June, 1981 the US Army Reserve Center on Ft Bragg was dedictated to BD William S McArthur.
MAJ West, COL McArthur, CPT Rutan and CPT Marshall
Another unique aspect of the 300th SFOD is their Distinctive Unit Insignia-DUI. Like the 10th SFG(A) and 77th SFG(A), the 300th SFOD developed their own DUI, that was never authorized. The unit’s DUI is characterized by the reference to the local region’s history, the Fayetteville Market house, Liberty Point, an old Gaelic motto, Scottish Tartan and date. The Market House was a market house and town hall in the center of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina. Fayetteville was the capital of North Carolina from 1789 to 1794. The Liberty Point and the date June 20, 1775, refers to the place and date a group of 55 patriots signed an early Declaration of Independence, commonly called the Cumberland Association or Liberty Point Resolves. The Tartan is a “Art Neuvo” version of the McArthur Scottish Tartan. The Gaelic motto “Buaidh no Bas” (Victory or Death) is a traditional Scottish War cry. The originator of the DUI is unknown, LTC Frank West suspected it was COL McArthur who designed or influenced the design.