Welcome back to American Heroes. I’m Nathan Weiss.

Major Eugene Jackson Wyles. wasn't just a leader; he was a specialist in the most dangerous ways to fight. He was a Master Parachutist, a Green Beret, and a world-class sniper who operated in the shadows before leading in the sun.

In the Korean War, Wyles served with the 82nd Airborne. While many know the 82nd for their jumps into Normandy, their role in Korea was often on the ground, holding the line against human-wave attacks in sub-zero temperatures.

Wyles distinguished himself as a scout and a marksman. He was part of the generation that refined the art of long-range sniping in mountainous terrain. He learned how to lead men through the "Frozen Chosin" environment—not by shouting from the back, but by being the first one to crest the ridge. His deeds there earned him the respect of the "All-Americans" and set the stage for his transition into the elite.

By the 1960s, Wyles had donned the **Green Beret**. As a member of the **5th Special Forces Group**, he was sent to **Vietnam**. This is where the legend of the "Sniper Major" truly took hold.

Wyles didn't just command; he taught. He was instrumental in developing the sniper programs that would become the backbone of modern special operations. But he was also a man of action. While serving with the **173rd Airborne Brigade**—the legendary "Sky Soldiers"—Major Wyles led "Alpha" Company into the teeth of the Central Highlands.

In 1966, during Operation Attleboro, Wyles and his men were inserted into a hornet's nest of Viet Cong and NVA forces. This wasn't a clean fight. It was a close-quarters struggle in triple-canopy jungle. Wyles was cited for his "extraordinary heroism," moving through intense fire to direct his platoons. He was hit—multiple times—during his tours, earning the Purple Heart, but he refused to leave his men until the objective was secure.

One specific deed often whispered about in veteran circles was a long-range engagement where Wyles, acting as both commander and marksman, neutralized an NVA machine-gun nest that had pinned down an entire platoon. He didn't wait for air support. He adjusted his scope, held his breath, and cleared the way himself.

Major Eugene Jackson Wyles was the embodiment of the Special Forces motto: *De Oppresso Liber*. To liberate the oppressed. He did it with a parachute on his back, a beret on his head, and a rifle that never missed its mark.

He was the real deal. A warrior-philosopher who left a trail of excellence from the Yalu River to the Mekong Delta. I’m Nathan Weiss, and this has been *American Heroes*.

Oh, Major Wyles...

Master of the jump and sniper’s grace,

Left his mark on every frozen place.

From the eighty-second to the Sky Soldier’s call,

He was the one they'd follow through it all.

In the green hell, he zeroed in the fight,

A Green Beret who owned the darkest night.

Led from the front, that's how the legend grew,

A true American, red, white, and blue.