36 Facts About Richard Secord

Major General Richard Vernon Secord was a United States Air Force officer who worked in covert operations.

Richard Secord then served on staff duty in the Department of Defense from June 1972 through September 1975.

Richard Secord's next posting returned him to Iran, this time managing all US military assistance to the Iranians.

Richard Secord went into business in the private sector after his retirement from the USAF.

Richard Vernon Secord was born to Wahnetta and Lowell Secord in LaRue, Ohio, on July 6,1932.

Laura Richard Secord was one of the ancestors in their family tree.

Lowell Richard Secord was envious of a childhood friend who had graduated from West Point.

Richard Secord fought, with limited success, on the academy's varsity boxing team for three years; on his coach's advice, he gave up the sport to evade possible damage to his eyesight.

Richard Secord graduated from West Point in 1955 and was then commissioned in the USAF, completing pilot training in August 1956.

Richard Secord later obtained an MSc in international affairs from the George Washington University in 1972, as well as graduating from the Air Command and Staff College in 1966 and the Naval War College in June 1972.

Richard Secord served as a flight instructor from 1956 to 1959 at Laredo Air Force Base, and from 1959 to 1961 as an instructor and operations officer at Tinker Air Force Base.

Richard Secord flew over 200 combat missions between March 1962 to January 1963, flying AT-28s.

Also during this time, Richard Secord was temporarily assigned to the Imperial Iranian Air Force as an adviser.

Richard Secord worked for, and knew, Ted Shackley and Thomas Clines; he worked directly with the CIA officers supplying the Secret War in Laos, James William Lair and Lloyd C "Pat" Landry.

On January 7,1967, in what is still a heavily classified operation, Richard Secord directed the only successful prisoner of war rescue of the Vietnam War, the Ban Naden raid.

Lair and Richard Secord were tasked with defense of the site.

However, Richard Secord insubordinately issued small arms to the onsite technicians for self-defense.

Richard Secord served at Eglin Air Force Base from September 1968 to November 1969, as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations for the Tactical Air Command, in what would later become the US Air Force Special Operations Force.

Richard Secord moved on, to attend the Naval War College in August 1971.

Richard Secord graduated from the Naval War College in June 1972.

Richard Secord then moved to Washington, DC, serving in various capacities in the United States Department of Defense.

Richard Secord then was the USAF Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Iran from September 1975 to July 1978.

However, in his autobiography, Richard Secord denies involvement with Eagle Claw.

Richard Secord does give some details of his involvement with Operation Credible Sport, the planned second rescue raid to rescue the American hostages in Iran that was aborted by the hostages' release.

Richard Secord was instrumental in the controversial sale of early warning aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

Richard Secord noted that the Reagan administration did not supply him with legal help when he was accused of shady dealings with Wilson.

An unindicted Richard Secord went $22,000 in debt for legal representation in conjunction with the Wilson matter, despite serving as a government witness in court against Wilson.

Pentagon service being unhealthy for Richard Secord was another factor in his retirement; he had recently survived three cases of pneumonia in as many years.

On November 8,1989, Richard Secord pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress as part of a plea agreement.

Richard Secord was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to one count in a plea agreement.

The court then ordered summary judgment on behalf of the defendants Leslie Cockburn and Andrew Cockburn, indicating that Richard Secord was unable to show the defendants had malicious intent.

In 1989, Richard Secord was charged and convicted of drunk driving in Fairfax County, VA.

Richard Secord reportedly offered to Azerbaijani leaders to train its special operations forces for $10 million.

In 2002, retired General Richard Secord was named CEO and Chairman of the Board at Computerized Thermal Imaging, Inc.

Richard Secord lived in an assisted-living facility in the Daytona Beach area.

Richard Secord died in Port Orange, Florida on October 15,2024, at the age of 92.