Jason_Hardy Posted June 27, 2020 Share #1 Posted June 27, 2020 I purchased this from the widow of Richard Meadows several months back. These were manufactured at Eglin Air Force Base specifically for the Son Tay Raid. There is very few references to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctorofwar Posted June 27, 2020 Share #2 Posted June 27, 2020 Very cool that you got it from Meadow’s widow. You say this is specially made for the mission- how does this axe differ from the USAF issue crash axe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted June 27, 2020 Share #3 Posted June 27, 2020 Looks like an aviation crash rescue axe to me. I have had a few of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted June 27, 2020 Share #4 Posted June 27, 2020 Looks like your axe has had the saw tooth serrations ground down to a smooth profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason_Hardy Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share #5 Posted June 27, 2020 To be honest I had never considered it to be a USAF crash axe and went online to view them last night. It does appear to that it may be a USAF axe that had the cleats ground off. In the years since the Raid the veterans mistook modified for manufactured. I will post part of the theists later that was written I believe in the 1990's sometime that references them and later was incorporated into a book. I appreciate your insight. Jason Hardy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason_Hardy Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted June 27, 2020 Here are copies of the Thesis written by William H. McRaven who later became the JSOC Commander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted June 27, 2020 Share #7 Posted June 27, 2020 I wonder if the “Eglin machine shop” modified existing rescue axes by removing the sawteeth serrations and putting an edge on the axe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason_Hardy Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share #8 Posted June 27, 2020 According to the written thesis it was the machine shop at Eglin. Jason Hardy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctorofwar Posted June 27, 2020 Share #9 Posted June 27, 2020 3 hours ago, Jason_Hardy said: Here are copies of the Thesis written by William H. McRaven who later became the JSOC Commander. Doesn’t this passage refer to a “machete” not a hatchet/axe/tomahawk? The famous picture of Bull Simons briefing the raiders prior to the raid shows him with a short CISO type machete on his web gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason_Hardy Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted June 28, 2020 I know the Bull Simmons picture you are referring to as it is also depicted on his statue on Fort Bragg. For some reason I think I read somewhere that it is was made for him in the PI. The author of the thesis was not on the raid and gathered his information through interviews and after action reports, We can discuss the meaning of all the words in the paragraph as it states: a heavy blade and a sharp point so is the word AND meaning a separate piece other then the blade or can we infer that some people call an axe a machete. I do not understand how you could pry on a door with no back leverage leverage. Jason Hardy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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