George Bacon (CIA officer)

George Bacon George Washington Bacon III
Born	(1946-08-04)August 4, 1946 North Carolina, United States
Died	February 14, 1976(1976-02-14) (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.