The United States Navy Beach Jumpers were units responsible for deceiving and confusing the enemy. The Beach Jumpers were formed during World War II and continued their service through the Vietnam War. In our collections, we have a number of artifacts, letters, documents and photographs donated by Ben Yasgar formerly of Little Falls, MN, who served for the Beach Jumpers during the Vietnam War.
Ben’s unit, Beach Jumper Unit One, Team 13 was responsible for conducting psychological operations used to confuse the enemy and, on a number of occasions, they were subjected to enemy fire. Team 13 also participated in civic action projects that assisted Vietnamese citizens. Due to the importance of their work and the risks they took while performing their work, Team 13 received several commendations, including the U.S. Navy Unit Commendation and the U.S. Navy Combat V medal.
For more information concerning the Beach Jumpers, please visit The US Navy Beach Jumpers Association at https://beachjumpers.com/
Sources:
The US Navy Beach Jumpers Association, https://beachjumpers.com/
“Seaborne Deception – The History of U.S. Navy Beach Jumpers” by John B. Dwyer (Praeger Publish. 1992)