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'{{short description|United States Army soldier}} {{Orphan|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = | name = Richard J. Flaherty | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | caption = | birth_date = November 28, 1945 | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|5|9|1945|11|28}} | birth_place = [[Stamford, Connecticut]], U.S. | death_place = [[Aventura, Florida]], U.S. | placeofburial = Forest Memorial Park | placeofburial_label = | placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> | nickname = "The Giant Killer" | birth_name = | allegiance = {{flag|United States|23px}} | branch = {{army|United States|23px}} | serviceyears = 1967 – 1971 | rank = [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]] | servicenumber = | unit = [[101st Airborne Division]]<br/>[[3rd Special Forces Group (United States)|3rd Special Forces Group]]<br/>[[10th Special Forces Group (United States)|10th Special Forces Group]] | battles = [[Tet Offensive]] | battles_label = [[Vietnam War]] | awards = [[Silver Star]]<br/>[[Bronze Star]] (2)<br/>[[Purple Heart]] (2) | relations = Joseph Patrick Flaherty (grandfather)<br/>Bridget Smythe (grandmother) | laterwork = *Informant for [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] *[[Central Intelligence Agency]] | signature = | website = https://www.facebook.com/TheGiantKIllerDocumentary/ }} '''Richard James Flaherty''' (November 28, 1945 — May 9, 2015) a historically notable [[United States Army]] [[Captain (United States O-6)|captain]] in [[Vietnam War]] service. As once the smallest serviceman in USA history (standing at {{convert|4|ft|9|in|m}}) and inspired to undermine size-prejudice, investing his [[Special Forces|military leadership]] with insight and skills to survive bravery - Capt. Flaherty is today renown as "The Giant Killer".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-19|title=Giant Killer: Richard James Flaherty’s life|url=https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/giant-killer-richard-james-flahertys-life|access-date=2021-03-30|website=IrishCentral.com|language=en}}</ref> == Early life == Flaherty inherited Irish ancestry from a grandmother born in [[Feakle]], one Bridget Smythe; and from a grandfather, Joseph Patrick Flaherty, born in the [[Aran Islands]]. Flaherty himself was born November 28, 1945, in [[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford]], [[Connecticut]], where his maternal lineage would eventually contribute to a dwarfism diagnosis. As his mother was unfamiliar with her own [[Rh-negative]] blood-type, the attending [[Stamford Hospital|Stamford Connecticut Regional Hospital]] staff were at some disadvantage to provide a [[Rh disease|blue-baby]] birth protocol. Cap't Flaherty's growth was affected.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-08|title=Height-waiver Green Beret: Captain James Flaherty was a Special Forces legend|url=https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/height-waiver-green-beret-captain-james-flaherty-was-a-special-forces-legend/|access-date=2021-03-30|website=We Are The Mighty|language=en-US}}</ref> Facing life as a vulnerable outlier, Flaherty would eventually develop both confidence and athleticism through martial arts' practice. == Service career == Flaherty was promoted to [[2nd lieutenant|2nd Lieutenant]] after attending [[Officer Candidate School (United States Army)|Infantry Officer Candidate School]] on August 31, 1967.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-07|title=Height-waiver Green Beret: Captain James Flaherty was a Special Forces legend|url=https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/height-waiver-green-beret-captain-james-flaherty-was-a-special-forces-legend/|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Sandboxx|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1968, in support of the [[Vietnam War]] Lieutenant Flaherty was assigned to the [[101st Airborne Division]], his initial tour to Vietnam where he served as a [[Platoon Leaders Class|Platoon Leader]] and [[United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions|Recon Platoon Leader]] with companies B, C, D, & E. During the January, 1968 [[Tet Offensive]] Flaherty participated in the fierce defense of Hue City, earning a [[Silver Star]], two [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Stars]], and two [[Purple Heart]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-22|title=Vietnam Vet Richard Flaherty Was 'The Giant Killer'|url=https://www.military.com/undertheradar/2018/02/22/vietnam-vet-richard-flaherty-was-giant-killer.html|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Military.com|language=en}}</ref> After this tour Lt. Flaherty returned to the USA to attend [[United States Army Special Forces selection and training|Special Forces Officer Course]] at [[Fort Bragg]]. Upon graduation he was assigned to the [[3rd Special Forces Group (United States)|3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)]] as a [https://www.goarmy.com/special-forces/team-members.html Special Forces Operations Detachment A (SFODA) Commander] in Company A of the 3rd SFG in [[Thailand]]. Later that year, he was reassigned to the [[10th Special Forces Group (United States)|10th Special Forces Group]] at [[Fort Devens]]. He served as an SFODA Commander in companies A and B. Its also reported he served in Thailand as a Green Beret In 1971, having attained the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]], Flaherty left the Army, an act of service to his country and its conflicting agendas in the Viet Nam theater. == Later life == After being discharged, Flaherty did private and military contract work in [[Rhodesia]] and [[Angola]] in [[Africa]]. The [[Central Intelligence Agency]] recruited him in the late 1970s due to his knowledge of [[military intelligence]]. The primary focus of his time in the CIA was supplying the [[Contras|Nicaraguan Contras]] in [[Nicaragua]]. His stint with the CIA came to an end when he was arrested for possessing [[Silencer (firearm)|silencers]]. After being removed from the CIA, Flaherty helped catch a smuggling ring at [[Fort Bragg]], [[North Carolina]], and worked undercover for the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] as an informant. Flaherty was killed on May 9, 2015, in a [[hit and run]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Clary|first=Mike|title=Decorated Vietnam War veteran killed by hit-and-run driver|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-veteran-killed-hit-run-20150510-story.html|access-date=2021-03-30|website=sun-sentinel.com}}</ref> Fifteen years before Flaherty's death, he was befriended by [[Miami Police Department|Miami Police]] officer David Yuzuk after Flaherty became homeless. Just ten days before Flaherty's death, Flaherty told Yuzuk his story.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Police Identify Aventura Hit-and-Run Victim as Decorated War Veteran|url=https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/hit-and-run-driver-kills-elderly-pedestrian-in-aventura-police/109864/|access-date=2021-03-30|website=NBC 6 South Florida|language=en-US}}</ref> After Flaherty's death, Yuzuk went to look into his history and uncovered troves of information from Flaherty's storage unit, such as his passport with stamps from [[Cambodia]], [[Venezuela]], [[Iraq]] and [[Jordan]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-19|title="The Giant Killer" a Fascinating Look At the US’ Smallest Green Beret|url=https://sofrep.com/news/the-giant-killer-a-fascinating-look-at-the-smallest-green-beret-in-history/|access-date=2021-03-30|website=SOFREP|language=en}}</ref> Flaherty was buried at Forest Memorial Park in Milton. ==Documentary film== David Yuzuk directed, co-produced and co-wrote a biographical documentary film about the life of Flaherty, ''The Giant Killer'', which was released in 2017. It has a rating of 7.4 on IMDb.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7291412/ |title=''The Giant Killer'' |website=IMDb |date=April 16, 2022 |access-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref> ==Awards and decorations== {| style="width=100%;" |- |valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;" | colspan=2 |'''Personal decorations''' |- |[[File:Silver Star ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Silver Star]] |- |[[File:Bronze Star ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Bronze Star Medal]] |- |[[File:Purple Heart ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Purple Heart]] |- |[[File:Air Medal ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Air Medal]] |- |[[File:National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[National Defense Service Medal]] |- |[[File:Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Vietnam Service Medal]] |- |[[File:Vietnamese Gallantry Cross ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Vietnamese Gallantry Cross]] |- |[[File:Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|80px]] |[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]] |- |} |valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;" | colspan=2 |'''Other accoutrements''' |- |[[File:Combat Infantry Badge.svg|130px]] |[[Combat Infantryman Badge]] |- |[[File:US Army Airborne master parachutist badge.gif|80px]] |[[Parachutist Badge (United States)|Master Parachutist Badge]] |} |} == References == <references /> ==External links== * https://blog.theveteranssite.greatergood.com/smallest-beret-vet/ {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Flaherty, Richard}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:2015 deaths]] [[Category:United States Army officers]] [[Category:People from Stamford, Connecticut]] [[Category:Military personnel from Connecticut]] [[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]'