Ode to Detachment “A”

Written by: Dr. Christopher V. “Vinnie” Feudo
Served in Detachment “A” from early 1979-1981.
Team leader for Team 5 for two years, and S3 for one year

These are the men of the Green Beret, 
And more so, Detachment “A”. 
America’s best, the chosen band, 
The epitome of the fighting man.

A hundred strong in Berlin’s divide, 
Cold War shadows where they’d hide.
Masters of craft, unseen by sight,
Prepared to strike with lethal might.

One of six most covert known,
Their deeds in silence, seldom shown.
They spoke the tongue, they wore the guise,
Yet carried steel behind their eyes.

They wrote the book on terror’s fight,
Training by day, rehearsing by night.
Through Desert One to missions untold,
Their courage fierce, their spirit bold.

They did what others could not dare,
Beyond the limits few could bear.
Mind and body, heart and soul,
Commitment deep, “A” timeless role.

Men of honor, bound by trust,
Integrity pure, their cause was just.
Brothers in arms, their bond secure,
A way of life, steadfast and sure.

Since ’56 they watched the Wall,
A hundred men defying all.
The Stasi feared “A” phantom host, 
Ten thousand strong - or so they supposed.

Deactivated in ’84,
Their colors cased, their name no more.
Yet missions hidden still remain,
Unwritten lines in history’s chain.

Caches lay where shadows bend,
From western streets to eastern end.
Across the city, kept out of sight,
In East Berlin, prepared by night.

Some survived, while others rest,
In Arlington among the blessed. 
On granite walls, in sacred ground,
Their legacy forever found.

Alive in heart, in soul, in flame,
Detachment “A” endures in name.
For freedom’s price is never free,
It must be fought for - eternally.

So let us honor them, both night and day,
For unseen deeds that lit the way.
They stood in silence, yet made us secure,
Their sacrifice lasting, their memory pure.

Link to Dr. Chris Feudo Interview