The incredible story of the smallest soldier in history who became a hero of the American special forces
One of the shortest men ever to serve in a professional army was Richard J. Flaherty, an American of Irish descent. Its story is absolutely fabulous and could inspire any movie script or paperback novel, full of adventures and mysterious events.
Richard Flaherty PHOTO Richard Flaherty/facebook
For most of us, when we think of an elite warrior, war hero, decorated with high honors, we usually picture a well-connected man with an impressive stature. In short, with some impressive physical qualities.
Well, an American soldier with Irish origins managed to break all the mold and defy any typology related to the physical appearance of a hero on the battlefield. Richard Flaherty was only 1.45 meters and was one of the shortest soldiers in the military history of the world.
A difficult birth and a child with serious growth problems
Richard Flaherty was born on November 28, 1945, in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. He came from a family with Irish origins and his birth was marked by a dramatic situation. Unbeknownst to them, especially at the time, Richard and his mother, Beatrice Rose, had incompatible blood types (Richard, Rh-positive; Beatrice, Rh-negative), which can lead to serious complications for the fetus or even death. The complications caused a hormonal imbalance that stunted her growth. Basically, Richard would have remained a dwarf. He was only expected to grow to a height of 1.27 m.
Later, passionate about sports, especially martial arts, Richard Flaherty surpassed this height, reaching 1.45 meters tall at the age of 22. What was a real achievement for Richard and the turmoil that marked his birth was a real handicap for others. By the time he reached adolescence, Flaherty was much smaller in stature compared to other youths. Richard was often the target of ironies and mockery. But he continued to fight and fortify his physique. In addition, he had an iron ambition. He always wanted to join the US Army. Impossible because of his stature. The Vietnam War, however, represented a chance for the young Flaherty.
At only 18 years old, he voluntarily enlisted, especially since soldiers were needed on a front where the American army had become somewhat bogged down. Even so it was rejected. Flaherty was undeterred and filed petition after petition. He finally got a waiver after even his home state congressman got involved. Richard Flaherty's dream had come true. He was accepted into the United States Army. He had already gone down in history as the smallest soldier in the history of the US Army. No one even dreamed of what would follow and how the career of the “soldier” of only 1.45 and 44 kilograms would evolve.
It was raining decorations in the hell of Vietnam
Bullied and ridiculed during basic training, Flaherty's career seemed to be going nowhere. Just a whim fulfilled to an American citizen. In reality, Flaherty proved that despite his stature, he was an iron soldier. He served in the 101st Airborne Regiment and the 3rd Special Forces Group. In 1967, Flaherty attended the Army Officer Candidate School (OCS), was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant, and later assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.
He was deployed with the Screaming Eagles to Vietnam and served as a reconnaissance platoon leader. All this because he had shown exceptional physical qualities, extraordinary courage and also military leadership qualities. Due to its size it was used as a tunnel rat during missions, crawling through enemy tunnels to destroy them and kill the enemies hidden inside. Flaherty particularly distinguished himself during the “Tet Offensive” when his unit was ambushed and machine-gunned by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops hidden in a well-camouflaged bunker. Flaherty led the attack and succeeded in pushing the enemy out. He finally neutralized the bunker.
“During the battle, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to better direct his squads' suppressive fire. Lieutenant Flaherty immediately called a team of riflemen with 90-millimeter guns to his position after spotting an enemy bunker position ahead. The enemy was firing automatic weapons at his platoon. Lieutenant Flaherty personally led and assisted the rifle team in an assault on the enemy bunker, braving particularly heavy enemy fire. Under the insightful guidance and leadership of Lieutenant Flaherty, the enemy bunker was quickly destroyed, allowing his platoon to advance and continue its devastating attack on the enemy”it appeared in the campaign diary of April 20, 1968.
He led his men impeccably and performed numerous acts of heroism. After 13 months in Vietnam, Flaherty received the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars for valor, the third and second highest decorations for bravery under fire, and two Purple Hearts. At the same time, Flaherty was wounded three times, but he immediately returned to the front. As bandaged as he was. He was effectively idolized by the men under his command.
PHOTO GALLERY The Vietnam War, as it has never been seen before
From the “Green Berets” to the jungles of South America
After 13 months in the airborne divisions, spent in the hell of Vietnam. Flaherty applied for the Special Forces. He ran into the same problems. He didn't have the required height and was too thin. Flaherty had to gain almost three pounds and get another waiver to be part of the elite structures. After successfully completing the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC), also known as the Q course, Flaherty was assigned to 3 Special Forces Group, the famous “Green Berets”. He returned to Southeast Asia with the 46th Special Forces Company as commander of Special Forces Operational Detachment A (SFODA).
His regiment was tasked with training the Royal Thai Army in counterinsurgency operations and preparing them for a deployment to Vietnam. The ODAs (Operational Detachment Alpha, often known as the “A-Team”, is the core, elite unit of the Green Berets) are the tactical arm of the Special Forces Regiment. Comprised of 12 Special Forces soldiers, an ODA can operate independently behind enemy lines for long periods of time without supervision. In 1970, Flaherty was assigned to 10 Special Forces Group, where he commanded another ODA and then Operational Detachment Bravo (ODB), an element of the headquarters. The following year, 1971, he was released from active duty and transferred to the Army Reserve, where he served until 1983. After being discharged, Flaherty did not bother with the quiet life. More specifically, he allegedly worked as a mercenary throughout Africa, particularly in Rhodesia and Angola. He procured mercenaries and trained troops in various conflicts on the African continent. During these operations, he gained a special reputation, especially for covert missions.
That is precisely why in the late 70s, the CIA recruited him as an undercover man in the conflict zones of South and Central America. He was sent on the trail of arms dealers and all kinds of insurgent armies. Flaherty had a movie-like adventure with jumping out of planes, going undercover in arms-dealing rings, shootings, chases and more. Later, after working with the CIA, Flaherty is hired to work on an undercover investigation with the federal ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) agency. Basically, Flaherty succeeds in stopping a smuggling network that was stealing explosives and classified weapons from Fort Bragg (a major US military base).
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All these undercover collaborations end when he is caught and arrested for possession of gun silencers. Later, this veteran of the “Green Berets” becomes a homeless man. He befriends a policeman, David Yuzuk, but Flaherty won't tell him who he is. After 15 years, the veteran revealed his true identity to the policeman and told him some of his adventures.
After only two weeks, on May 9, 2015, he died, however, following a bizarre car accident. Police officer David Yuzuk wrote a book based on his experiences with Flaherty and the adventures he shared. The story has been verified and confirmed by official documents. The book is called “The Giant Killer”.
