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The secret US soldiers who trained for WWIII by free-falling with a NUKE between their legs
It was a warm, clear night in 1983 when about a dozen elite Green Berets jumped down from the back of a two-and a-half-ton truck at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.
They were met by two mysterious men in black flight suits. No patches or insignia indicated what branch of the military they represented, but they were clearly in charge
‘This is a classified operation,’ one of them told the special ops team. ‘From this point forward, we have command and control.’
As they finished briefing the group, another vehicle pulled up, containing a box the men were more than familiar with.
They had been training for one like it for many hours; or at least, an inert version of it. This time, however, they were about to use the real thing.
The SADM (Special Atomic Demolition Munition) was a top secret nuclear weapon no different from the one dropped on Hiroshima, but with one crucial difference: it was small enough to fit inside a rucksack.
In his new book We Defy, about the lost chapters of Special Forces history, Jack Murphy reveals the US military's special nuclear program - called Green Light - was developed in 1962, in preparation for World War III, and remained an active part of its training until 1986.
Three hours into their flight, the Green Berets were informed of their target: one of the largest hydroelectric dams in Cuba. Its destruction was intended to disrupt the country’s power supply, cripple the economy and cause widespread chaos.
Soldiers may have played it down as a mere ‘backpack nuke’ but, after various iterations, it weighed close to 70 pounds and was extremely unwieldy
The weapon was no different from the one dropped on Hiroshima, but with one crucial difference: it was small enough to fit inside a rucksack
Only once they had parachuted to the target and were preparing to detonate the bomb were they suddenly informed this was just a training exercise.
It turned out they were on a drop zone somewhere in New Mexico, more than a thousand miles from Cuba.
‘The Green Berets were still reeling, their adrenaline pumping,’ writes Murphy. ‘They had assumed they were deep behind enemy lines until moments previously.
‘“It was absolutely real,” a team member said.’
Jumping with the SADM was no easy task. Its operators may have played it down as a mere ‘backpack nuke’ but, after various iterations, it weighed in at close to 70 pounds and was extremely unwieldy.
‘Really experienced jumpers had a really hard time flying that bomb properly,’ said Tommy Shook, a team sergeant in the mid-1970s.
‘You didn't jump the bomb; it jumped you.’
Murphy writes: ‘In about 90 percent of his team’s freefall jumps with the weapon, [Shook] and his teammates missed the drop zone and ended up in the woods.’
Add to that the complicated logistics and it was not a mission for the faint hearted.
‘When infiltrating the SADM by parachute, one man jumped in with the bomb and another jumped in with the planewave generator that would detonate it,’ writes Murphy.
‘A third team member carried a conventional shaped explosive charge to destroy the SADM to prevent it from falling into enemy hands if the team were compromised.
The freefall team's patch (left) and dark humor from the Green Light scuba unit
‘Each Green Light team also had to carry a 23-pound shaped charge to destroy the SADM before it could fall into enemy hands,’ he writes.
‘Using the emergency destruction charge would spread uranium and plutonium across the environment, causing a far greater ecological disaster than a low-yield nuclear detonation.’
Don Alexander, who spent a decade training on the program, told Murphy: ‘It was so in-extremis, that their concern was more the destruction of the technology than the localized contamination that would happen.’
Many of those involved also believed they were being trained for a one-way mission - they saw no plans for their escape to safety after detonating the bomb and, as one member said: ‘You were under the impression that you were expendable.’
One conspiracy theory had it that the timer didn't work, and at the moment it was detonated, it would wipe out the Special Forces team with it.
Some even joked, darkly, that, when they unlocked the SADM to arm it for real, along with the bomb they would find 12 Medals of Honor and a bottle of Jack Daniels inside.
‘The rationale for this theory was that the US government would not want a handful of operators who could be captured running around behind enemy lines with knowledge about a nuclear bomb that was ticking down.’
If they survived, their orders were to ‘remain behind enemy lines, attempt to recruit Soviet military deserters, raise a guerrilla army and wage unconventional warfare.’
The SADM went into development in 1960, writes Murphy, ‘but the specifications were amended the following year to include a waterproof pressure case so that the device could be emplaced by frogmen.'
It entered military service in April 1963 with the Army eventually stockpiling nearly 300 by the mid 1960s.
Highly trained soldiers practiced swimming, kayaking and skiing with the nuke.
The most dreaded training exercises were those that combined both parachuting and scuba - requiring the soldier to jump not just with the weapon but also carrying two oxygen tanks.
And, while no SADM was ever activated, almost all of those involved said that, at times, they fully believed their training exercises were genuine.
Former NCO Mike Taylor recalled one particular episode that occurred during the Reagan administration.
‘His team got called in and put into an isolation facility to begin planning for a mission to Europe, parachuting in straight from a flight from the United States,’ writes Murphy.
‘They were not told what country they were going to. The entire team thought it was the real deal, but after four days the team was sent home with no explanation.’
A Green Light swimmer suits up for SADM delivery
'I always thought that this was a psychological tool... to let the Russkies know that they had weird dudes and Green Berets running around with a nuke in their pocket'
The most dreaded training exercises were those that combined both parachuting and scuba - requiring the soldier to jump not just with the weapon but also carrying two oxygen tanks
Did the DoD ever really intend to use nuclear weapons on key targets during the Cold War?
At least one person close to the program was convinced he would never see active combat.
‘I always thought that this was a psychological tool that was used at much higher levels just to let the Russkies know that they had weird dudes and Green Berets running around with a nuke in their pocket,’ said Captain Bill Flavin.
Others, though, were not so sure, pointing to the detailed targets outside Europe as evidence that the US was targeting enemies closer to home than Russia.
One veteran said his team would regularly review slide decks and aerial photography of targets in Latin America.
‘I can tell you where every intersection on the Cuba highway, where every military base, where every naval port was, where every dam was,’ he told Murphy.
Another suggested that the Panama Canal had been in their sights.
‘I'm just glad we never had to do it for real,’ said Scott Wimberley, who swam the bomb into position during an exercise in the mid-1970s. ‘It was going to be a suicide mission.’
Decades on, some of those who served on Green Light are still convinced that was the case.
Mike Adams, who was a young sergeant when he took part in a mission in 1985, retired as a Sergeant Major and was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 50.
He believes he was exposed to radiological material during his service, and filed a claim with Veterans Affairs only to have it denied.
‘My doctor at Yale wrote a letter [to Veteran's Affairs] stating that there is no reason on planet Earth why a person as young and healthy as you are,’ should have certain types of cancer, Adams told Murphy.
‘He was adamant that we should have known to tie that to [Green Light].’
After a decade long fight with cancer, Mike Adams died on August 18, 2024.
Edited from We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History by Jack Murphy
The 'T' symbol was first used by Hassan Nasrallah, the late chief of terrorist group Hezbollah, during a speech in 2020 to denote soldiers will enter Lebanon standing - but will leave lying down (the flat part of the 'T')
From the upside down red triangle to a T shaped hand gesture, the secret symbols of hate being used in protests on Britain's streets
For more than a year, hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched through the streets of Britain to decry Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
Demonstrators have repeatedly called for a ceasefire to the action, which began just weeks after Hamas' brutal terror attacks of October 7, 2023.
But among the throngs of protesters calling for peace, some are displaying secret signs that equate to 'symbols of hate.'
An upside down red triangle, a green headband and a hand gesture denoting the letter 'T' might seem innocuous at first glance.
But the meaning behind these signs could be far more sinister.
According to antisemitism charity Community Security Trust (CST), these subtle symbols are being widely used to indicate support for Hamas - a terrorist organisation proscribed in the UK - right here on the streets of Britain.
The signs are so ambiguous protesters can argue they are simply showing solidarity with Palestine, leaving authorities powerless to act.
But as MailOnline reveals, their origin, popularity and use means these symbols are far more pernicious than they first appear...
Antisemitism campaigners say among the throngs of protesters calling for peace, some are displaying secret signs that equate to 'symbols of hate' - right here on the streets of Britain
The inverted red triangle
One of the most widespread symbols spotted at pro-Palestinian marches in the UK is the inverted red triangle.
Those who display it on banners, bags, T-shirts and elsewhere, argue that the red triangle is a symbol of resistance and support for the Palestinian cause.
It also echoes the red triangle that features, not inverted, on the left-hand side of the Palestinian flag.
However, antisemitism experts believe the symbol now being widely displayed has very different origins.
Some point to the use of the red triangle in Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War, when political opponents were forced to wear the symbol on their jackets.
They included socialists, communists, trade unionists, liberals, anarchists, freemasons and non-Jews who helped Jewish people.
Wearing an inverted red triangle at protests, they say, amounts to an inversion of Holocaust history.
But analysts at CST believe the current use of the inverted red triangle has much more modern origins.
One of the most widespread symbols seen at pro-Palestinian marches in Britain is that of the inverted red triangle - but experts argue its use and origins are more sinister than appears
Some argue the upside down red triangle simply echoes the red triangle seen lying on its side to the left of the Palestinian flag. Pictured: A demonstrator in London in February, 2024
Those who display it on banners, bags, T-shirts and elsewhere, argue that the red triangle is simply a symbol of resistance and support for the Palestinian cause. Pictured: A protester in London in September 2024
As far as experts can tell, the symbol only really emerged as a protest sign in the weeks after October 7, 2023.
This coincided with the widespread sharing of Hamas propaganda videos, which show an upside-down red triangle to highlight Israeli military targets, such as buildings, tanks and soldiers.
MailOnline has seen videos where this symbol hovers above the target for a few seconds, before Hamas terrorists take aim and discharge their weapons.
According to CST, there are no examples of the red triangle being used on social media accounts, on placards or at demonstrations before October 7, leading experts to conclude the symbol became popular solely through Hamas propaganda.
On the surface, the red triangle seems harmless - it lacks ideological, religious or political relevance and is a symbol without words.
But experts say it's use in Hamas propaganda to denote a 'target' means it has become a very subversive - and ambiguous - way of indicating support for a proscribed group on the streets of the UK.
They add that it's so subtle not all those who display it are even aware what it means, while police are reticent to take action.
But that position should change, say campaigners, because the inverted red triangle has also become a symbol of intimidation.
An inverted red triangle was worn by political opponents in Nazi concentration camps
Antisemitism campaigners argue that an inverted red triangle at protests amounts to an inversion of Holocaust history. Pictured: Political prisoners at Sachsenhausen, Germany, 1938
CST has recorded several incidents over the last year of the symbol being spray-painted in Jewish areas, as well as being used in antisemitic content online.
There is a feeling for many within the British-Jewish community that the inverted red triangle - already synonymous with Hamas videos as a 'target' symbol - is a literal sign that they too are being 'targeted'.
In June, a red triangle was painted on a bus shelter in Golders Green, north London, home to one of the capital's largest Jewish communities.
Another appeared in October on a bus stop in Brighton, East Sussex, opposite the location of a memorial to October 7 victims, which has been repeatedly vandalised in recent months.
In some instances, protesters have been photographed making the triangle sign with their hands below images of the Israeli flag or towards counter-demonstrators at marches.
The inverted red triangle has also been used to target Jewish communities around the world, with incidents recorded in the United States, Europe and Australia.
Chillingly, following the recent antisemitic assaults on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam, those responsible for the violence released a video showing scenes from the attacks.
Throughout the footage, which has been seen by MailOnline, inverted red triangles are used above the heads of Israeli fans to denote their 'targets'.
Analysts believe the current use of the inverted red triangle stems from its use as a 'target' symbol in Hamas propaganda videos
These videos only began surfacing weeks after the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023 when Israel launched a large-scale invasion into Gaza - with experts saying the red triangle has become a subversive way of showing support for the proscribed organisation
According to analysts, the red triangle has become a very subversive - and subtle - way of indicating support for a proscribed group on the streets of the UK. Pictured: A protest in London in November 2024
In July, Berlin - which has the largest Palestinian population in Europe - passed a motion to ban the symbol in Germany.
It had been used to target pro-Israel academics and politicians, including the city's mayor Kai Wegner, who had previously ordered the police to evict pro-Palestine protesters from the city's Free University.
'Kai will pay' was subsequently graffitied on the wall of a university under a red triangle.
An inverted red triangle was painted on a bus stop in Golders Green, north London, home to a large Jewish community, in June 2024
Chillingly, following the recent anti-Semitic assaults on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam, those responsible for the violence released a video showing scenes from the attacks - with red triangles used above the heads of their 'targets'
In some instances, protesters have been photographed making the triangle sign with their hands below images of the flag of Israel
Nasrallah's 'T' symbol
One of the more subversive symbols appearing on Britain's streets is the 'T' hand gesture, which denotes 'revenge' and 'death'.
The symbol was first used by Hassan Nasrallah, the late chief of terrorist group Hezbollah, who was killed by Israeli airstrikes in September.
In 2020 he delivered a now-infamous speech in which he threatened death to Western forces, following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike that year.
Nasrallah said: 'When the coffins of the American soldiers and officers – people who came here in vertical position and returned in horizontal position – start arriving in the United States, Trump and his administration will understand that they have lost the region and will lose the elections as well.'
In recent months, the symbol has resurged to mean Israeli soldiers will enter Lebanon 'standing' - the upright part of the 'T' - but will leave 'lying down' - the top part of the 'T'.
According to CST, the symbol has not been used extensively, but there have been examples reported since October 7 at pro-Palestinian protests in the UK.
The 'T' symbol was first used by Hassan Nasrallah, the late chief of terrorist group Hezbollah, during a speech in 2020 to denote soldiers will enter Lebanon standing - but will leave lying down (the flat part of the 'T')
A protester was spotted making the gesture to counter-protesters in London in November
Green headbands
Marchers have been wearing green headbands that closely resemble those worn by Hamas terrorists, CST has revealed.
Featuring white Arabic writing on a green background, the accessory bears a striking resemblance to those worn by the militants who carried out the barbaric atrocities of the October 7 attacks.
However, because it lacks the group's two crossed swords logo and the writing pertains to a segment from the Quran rather than anything directly linked to Hamas, protesters argue they are simply wearing a green headband.
Antisemitism campaigners say the headbands are a tacit way for demonstrators to 'cosplay' Hamas fighters and show their support for a proscribed terrorist organisation.
There has been at least one prosecution of a protester wearing a green headband, which resulted in a conviction earlier this year.
Khaled Hajsaad, 25, a Palestinian-born asylum seeker from Tunisia, wore a green headband as 45,000 protestors marched through London on November 25, 2023.
He later denied the charge against him and claimed that his green headband with a 'Shahada' on it was an Islamic oath and expression of faith which had been coopted by Hamas.
Hajsaad was however found guilty of wearing an article supporting a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act, 2000 and was handed a conditional discharge for three months.
Marchers have also been wearing green headbands that closely resemble those worn by Hamas terrorists, CST has revealed
Two men were sought by police after they were spotted in London wearing Hamas-style headbands during a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day in 2023
Swastikas and the Star of David
The swastika is widely regarded as a Nazi symbol of hate, anti-Semitism and white supremacy.
While it has not been banned in the UK, displaying one in such a way that it could incite racial hatred is.
CST says it has recorded several incidents over the last year where images of swastikas are entwined with the flag of Israel or the Star of David - and they are being seen not at far-right marches, but pro-Palestinian protests.
Some demonstrators have been spotted with placards equating Israel with the Nazis, or Zionism with Nazism, while graffitti and stickers sporting similar messages have appeared around the UK.
Drawing comparisons between Israeli policy to the Nazis constitutes anti-Semitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of the word.
Given the connotations of the swastika with the Second World War, the symbol is considered particularly hurtful to the Jewish community and an inversion of Holocaust history.
CST says police have not always taken action, but there is currently at least one case going through the courts.
Former Labour activist Kate Varnfield, 67, who has been charged with a public order offence, was pictured last year attending a pro-Palestine Armistice Day march with a placard allegedly showing the Star of David enmeshed with the Nazi swastika.
Former Labour activist Kate Varnfield, 67, was pictured attending a pro-Palestine Armistice Day march with a placard showing the Star of David enmeshed with the Nazi swastika
The relative of an SNP minister posted this image onto their Facebook page in April - but Police Scotland did not bring any charges and dropped the investigation
A swastika inside a flag of Israel was spotted close to Brick Lane, East London in October
The placard also featured the words: 'No British politician should be a 'friend of Israel'.'
But critics say there is inconsistency in police action.
In another instance from April, Police Scotland decided not to press charges against the relative of an SNP minister who posted a Nazi swastika within a Star of David on their Facebook page.
The woman, who alerted officers but did not wish to be identified for fear of reprisals, said she was told her complaint was being discarded because she herself is not Jewish.
Police Scotland announced in July that it intended to close the investigation without any charges brought.
Sammy Stein, chairman of the Glasgow Friends of Israel, said told The Times: 'Many people in our community are afraid to even go into the city centre as they are afraid of being harassed and abused for being Jewish.
'With this decision, Police Scotland is saying that it is not prepared to stand up and protect them.'
The woman who made the complaint said: 'It suggests some sections of society are protected while others are seen as fair game.'
A swastika appears inside a Star of David with the slogan, 'NaZionism', on a sticker reported to CST in recent months
More recently in November, police refused to prosecute a man who sent an image of the Star of David intertwined with a Nazi swastika to Jewish students and activists because it was not deemed 'offensive' enough.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary decided that the image, which was sent to the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and Alex Hearn, a leading campaigner against anti-Semitism, was not 'grossly offensive' and therefore not a crime.
After Mr Hearn complained, an officer from Cambridgeshire Constabulary responded that the message had to be 'grossly offensive' and pass 'a very high legal threshold' for it to be an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.
The officer added that he did 'not believe that they [the messages] are grossly offensive as per the legislation, and as such no criminal offence has taken place'.
Mr Hearn said: 'If posting a swastika, the symbol of evil and the Holocaust, at Jews is not grossly offensive, then nothing is.'
Blood Libel returns
Depictions of Jews as the 'killers' of Christ or murdering Christian children to drink their blood in religious rituals were first used in medieval times to spread hate against Jewish communities in Britain and Europe.
Now this centuries-old antisemitic canard has been revived, campaigners say.
Since last October, several placards have been spotted at protests that invoke the centuries-old 'blood libel'.
Depictions of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer sporting vampire-like fangs have begun to appear at protests in chilling echoes of the antisemitic 'blood libel'
Depictions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer sporting vampire-like fangs and blood around their mouths have appeared, while more overtly, one demonstrator was seen at a protest holding a placard with a Starbucks cup labelled, 'New Genocide Drink!'
The side of the cup showed the drink contained 'Palestinian blood', 'Children [sic] blood' and 'Terrorism'.
Another sign at a march through the capital showed three children with the caption: 'Is our blood so sweet?'
Elsewhere, a protester had a picture of Jesus (labelled as 'Palestinians') holding a crucifix, with the slogan 'Do not let them do the same thing again'.
CST has described the widespread presence of protest signs which invoke the blood libel as 'concerning'.
A protester in the capital was spotted holding up a sign that said 'New Genocide Drink' which contains 'Palestinian Blood, Children Blood and Terrorism'
Another sign at a march through the capital showed three children with the caption: 'Is our blood so sweet?'
The centuries-old antisemitic canard of Jewish people as the 'killers' of Christ has been revived, campaigners say
'A challenging environment'
When approached by MailOnline, Met Police said officers had taken action against protesters 'inciting racial hatred', with more than 600 arrests taking place since October 2023.
It added that the protests had provided 'a challenging environment' for officers to work within.
Thirty-six arrests were made for offences under the Terrorism Act related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and more latterly, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Twenty-eight of those arrests were specified as offences including 'wearing clothing or displaying symbols that indicated support for proscribed organisations.'
Met Police said that in some cases it was 'immediately obvious' that the displaying of an image or symbol could cause offence, but in others 'the meaning of an image or symbol might be disputed depending on which group is asked'.
A spokesperson said: 'In total there have been more than 600 arrests at these protests, a significant number of which were for the use of imagery or language on placards or banners, or in chants, that was racially or religiously offensive or seen as inciting racial hatred.
'In some cases it will be immediately obvious that the displaying of an image or symbol is likely to be an offence – for example the use of a recognised insignia of a proscribed terrorist group.
'In other cases, the meaning of an image or symbol might be disputed depending on which group is asked and in those cases officers must investigate and form a view, on a case by case basis, as to whether they can prove the motivation of the person displaying it.
Met Police said in a statement that the protests had provided 'a challenging environment' for officers to work within. Pictured: Marchers and counter-protesters at a demonstration in London in May
Met Police said more than 600 arrests have taken place at protests since October 2023
'As this period of sustained protest has progressed, we have seen the use of particular symbols or imagery increase and decrease over time, with new symbols emerging and debates about their meanings taking place online.
'This uncertainty creates a challenging environment for officers to police in, particularly given they could be policing a protest on this issue one week and on an entirely different issue the next week.
'We have officers who specialise in public order policing who work hard to provide their colleagues with the most appropriate and up to date guidance.'
CST agrees the task for police officers to crack down on extremist symbols has been made harder in instances where those symbols are ambiguous - a red triangle, a green headband and a 'T' symbol are harmless signs on the surface.
But analysts maintain there is evidence pointing to them being hate symbols and signs of support for Hamas.
A CST spokesperson said: 'We recognise the challenges the police face in keeping up with how antisemitism manifests itself and evolves over time and the Red Triangle is an example of that.
'We work closely with the police, advising them on hate symbols, and it's important they remain up to date and continue making arrests when individuals actively display antisemitic symbols or show support for proscribed organisations.'
