Jerry Shriver

Jerry Michael Tate Shriver (24 September 1941 – 10 June 1974), also known by his nickname "Mad Dog", was a Master Sergeant in the United States Army who served in MACV-SOG in the Vietnam War. He took part in operations along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Cambodia, and Laos from 1966 to 1969. He also served in West Germany as part of a long-range patrol unit and in Taiwan. He participated in classified special operations missions in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, leading Montagnard soldiers and conducting reconnaissance tasks.

Early life Jerry Michael Tate Shriver was born to Dale Leroy Shriver and Dorothy Madelyn Shriver on 24 September 1941 in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. He had three sisters and two brothers. His family moved to Sacramento, California, while he was still in school. Shriver while serving in the 101st Airborne Division. circa 1963.

Military career 1962–1966

In 1962, at the age of 21, Shriver enlisted in the United States Army. After finishing basic training, he attended the United States Army Airborne School. After briefly serving in the 101st Airborne Division, he joined the 7th Army's Long Range Patrol Company and was sent to West Germany to serve near the border with East Germany. He was also deployed in Taiwan and Vietnam in 1964 and 1966, respectively, as part of the 5th Special Forces Group.

First and second tours in Vietnam (1966–1967)

Shriver initially served with Project Omega (Detachment B-50), a Special Forces reconnaissance unit created to provide I Field Force, Vietnam with a long-range patrol capability similar to Project DELTA. Although transferred to MACV-SOG in November 1967, Project Omega was originally independent of that organization. By then, Shriver had become a team leader (1-0 in SOG) commanding Recon Team (RT) Brace. On one occasion, his platoon was surrounded by the Viet Cong. In a now-famous radio transmission to his base, he coolly remarked, “No, no… I’ve got ’em right where I want ’em—surrounded from the inside.”

On October 8, 1966, while operating in the jungle, Shriver heard two nearby rifle shots and immediately alerted a supporting aircraft and his team’s base, warning that the mission might be compromised. Discovering a trail intersection, he posted two men to guard it while leading the rest of his team down an alternate path. Shortly afterward, the security team spotted a Viet Cong unit following them and opened fire, wounding one enemy fighter and driving the others away. Shriver quickly pursued the injured soldier, leading his men back into the forest. When he spotted the wounded combatant attempting to escape, Shriver made a full 360-degree turn and seized him without firing a shot. He then maneuvered his team toward a landing zone, but two sizable enemy groups advanced from opposite directions. Although the prisoner initially escaped, Shriver chased him down once more, ultimately stopping him with a precise gunshot. Attack helicopters soon arrived, driving off the remaining Viet Cong. His reputation grew to the point that Radio Hanoi mentioned him in propaganda broadcasts, providing battle details and even announcing a $10,000 bounty on his head (equivalent to approximately $85,000 today). By the end of 1967, reports credited him with a kill count exceeding one hundred enemy soldiers.

Disappearance and presumed death

On April 24, 1969, Shriver and a team of U.S. and Montagnard troops were inserted by helicopter into Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia, and immediately came under heavy fire near their initial rallying point. During the firefight, Shriver was last seen moving toward a tree line before radio contact was lost. The team was forced to evacuate without him. He was declared missing in action and later promoted in absentia to the rank of master sergeant. Despite subsequent search efforts, no trace of Shriver was found, and the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of his death in 1974. His remains have not been recovered as of April, 2026.

Medals and decorations

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1st rowBeret flash of the 5th Special Forces GroupShoulder insignia of Special ForcesUnofficial insignia of MACV-SOG2nd rowCombat Infantryman BadgeParachutist BadgeRibbonsSilver StarSoldier's MedalBronze Star MedalPurple HeartAir MedalCommendation MedalArmy Commendation Medal with "V" device National Defense Service MedalVietnam Service MedalVietnam Campaign MedalPresidential Unit CitationGallantry Cross (South Vietnam) BadgesSharpshooter Marksman badgeExpert Marksman badge for rifle and machine gun.