Douglas DILLARD was born 14 September 1925, in Atlanta, Georgia.
He volunter for parachute training and was attached to A company of the famous 551st parachute infantry batallion under command of colonel Wood JOERG. After receiving a direct commission as an Infantry Officer while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II, he went on to see combat again in Korea. During the Korean War, Doug DILLARD developed the concept of air delivery, resupply, and radio intercept for indigenous agents operating behind enemy lines, as well as testing and executing the air recovery by line-pickup of downed pilots and agents.
For these actions he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After attending the US Army Intelligence School at Fort Holabird, Maryland, in 1955, he was assigned as an Area Intelligence Officer with the 513th MI Group in Europe. He developed, executed, and taught ground infiltration/exfiltration operations for penetration of priority targets in the European Command. In 1960, Doug DILLARD returned to the United States as an instructor at the Intelligence School. In that capacity, he developed and expanded air/ground/water infiltration programs that later became the Army standard. Returning to Germany in 1963, COL Dillard joined the Collection Division of US Army Europe (USAREUR), where he developed and expanded the operational concept of collection management of radio operations to support combat intelligence collection activities. Later, as Operations Officer for the 513th MI Group in Berlin, on three occasions he supplied the Command with Communist plans and actions, thus preventing enemy damage to the American forces.
In 1966, Colonel DILLARD became the Executive Officer of the Continental Army Command Tactical Intelligence Command (CONTIC) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he was charged with the preparation of all MI units deploying for Vietnam. He then served as Commander of the 14th MI Battalion and then the 48th MI Group, at Fort Bragg. In 1968, Doug DILLARD went to Vietnam and was reassigned as the PHOENIX Coordinator in IV Corps, Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Advisory Team in the Mekong Delta. In that position, he instituted a comprehensive intelligence collection and exploitation program, as well as coordination of conventional operations, including the destruction of an entire Viet Cong guerrilla battalion in Cambodia. Upon his return to the United States in 1969, Colonel DILLARD served as Chief, Security Division, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
After retired, Doug DILLARD became a very active member and supporter of the 551st parachute infantry association. He came back several time in France, where we had the privilege to met him several time since 1994 til is last trip.
Thankyou Cheryl for your help writting this article
