George Bacon George Washington Bacon III | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 4, 1946 North Carolina, United States |
| Died | February 14, 1976 (aged 29) Angola |
| Allegiance |  United States FNLA |
| Branch | United States Army Special Forces Central Intelligence Agency |
| Years of service | 1966–1970 (Army) 1970–1975 (CIA) |
| Unit | MACV-SOG |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War (WIA) Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Angolan Civil War † |
| Awards | Intelligence Star |
George Washington Bacon III (August 4, 1946 – 14 February 14, 1976) was an American soldier and intelligence officer. He served as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army, Paramilitary Officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and finally as a mercenary soldier.
Bacon is remembered as a talented eccentric whose hatred of communism was so great he disobeyed orders to refrain from combat while he served in Vietnam as a member of MACV-SOG. Although trained as a combat medic, he joined raids into Cambodia during Operation Menu.
Following discharge from the U.S. Army, Bacon spent time as a civilian before joining the Central Intelligence Agency. He worked as a case officer for them during the Secret War in Laos through 1975. After supposedly leaving the CIA, he became an anti-communist mercenary in the Angolan Civil War, though he may have been working undercover. He was killed in action while attempting to demolish a crucial highway bridge to block an enemy advance.