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Leghorn Relay Site

Located at YB 604-356 in southeastern Laos. The site was discovered by SOG Lieutenant George K. Sisler. What Sisler had found was a 1,000 meter peak with almost vertical sides, easy to defend. Sisler stated that the site could be used as a SOG radio relay site that would enable recon teams to maintain radio contact with their departing airsupport if an immediate extraction was needed. Sisler said "I am absolutey certain that I could stay on that rock indefinitely". Indeed, the SOG-NSA people managed to hold Leghorn for five years. SOG teams and NSA radio intercept people could monitor a tremendous amount of NVA radio traffic. From their perch on top of Leghorn they could hear NVA truck traffic moving down route 96, some six miles west of Leghorn and a major part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail network.

Sammy H. Cathey, a former SGT with MACV/SOG stationed at Leghorn, graciously provided the following photos.

Leghorn seen from chopper© Sammy H. Cathey.

Closer view from chopper© Sammy H. Cathey.

Helicopter Pad© Sammy H. Cathey.

Bunkers© Sammy H. Cathey.

Bunkers and antennas© Sammy H. Cathey.

Bunker with overhead cover© Sammy H. Cathey.

Bunker with 90mm recoiless rifle© Sammy H. Cathey.

Multiple Radio Antennas© Sammy H. Cathey.

View an attacker would get© Sammy H. Cathey.

SGT Sammy Cathey with his pet monkey© Sammy H. Cathey.

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Creation Date: Monday, November 10, 1997
Last Modified: Sunday, July 18, 1999
Copyright © Ray Smith, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003
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