Wilbur "Will" Green

Wilbur "Will" Green

Call sign BLACK LION.

A former Army Special Forces Sergeant from a small rural town in South Carolina, African-American Will Green went to the Kingdom of Laos as a Central Intelligence Agency Paramilitary Case Officer in the 1960s and served with distinction in the Laotian Civil War. Known by his call sign "Black Lion," Green remained in the most dangerous forward Hmong outposts even when ordered to evacuate. From there he directed Hmong troops in heavy combat and was wounded more than once. Ironically, while visiting his home in South Carolina on home-leave, Green became seriously ill and succumbed to a liver fluke contracted while serving multiple tours in Laos. "Black Lion" was a highly respected Special Activities Division officer, known for his quiet leadership and personal bravery under fire. In 2008, Green was recognized for his outstanding leadership as a Paramilitary Case Officer by the officers of the Special Activities Division during a ceremony at CIA Headquarters as part of a Black History Month commemoration.