SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in VietnamSOG was the most secret elite U.S. military unit to serve in the war in Vietnam, so secret it was "black" - meaning its very existence was carefully concealed, even denied by the government. Innocuously code-named the Studies and Observations Group, SOG contained only volunteers from such elite units as the Army Green Berets, USAF Air Commandos, and Navy SEALs, and answered directly to the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs, with some missions requiring approval from the White House. Inside Vietnam, only General William Westmoreland and a few senior non-SOG officers were briefed on SOG activities. Now the never-before-revealed exploits of this top-secret commando unit are vividly recounted by Major John L. Plaster, a three-tour SOG veteran. SOG took on the most dangerous assignments, going behind enemy lines to penetrate North Vietnamese military facilities in Laos and Cambodia and along the heavily defended Ho Chi Minh Trail, where only air support - and sometimes no support at all - was available. |
Contents
SOGS THEATER OF OPERATIONS | 12 |
COLBYS SECRET WAR | 17 |
SHINING BRASS | 29 |
Copyright | |
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A-1 Skyraiders aboard agent Air Force air strikes aircraft Allen ambush American ARVN Billy Waugh bombs bunker Cambodia camp Captain captured Cavaiani Cavanaugh Chief SOG chopper commander COSVN Covey crater Danang enemy extracted fire Green Beret Green Hornet grenades ground gunships HALO Hanoi Hatchet Force headquarters helicopter Highway Howard Huey inserted intelligence Jaks jump jungle Khe Sanh killed Kingbee Kontum landed Laos Laotian later machine guns MACV Master Sergeant Medal of Honor miles Minh Trail mission Montagnards night North Vietnamese numbers Nungs NVA soldiers officer One-One One-Zero operations parachute pilot platoon radio raid recon teams rescue rockets Saigon Sergeant First Class Sergeant Major Shining Brass shot Singlaub snatch SOG recon SOG teams SOG's South Special Forces Staff Sergeant target trackers troops truck U.S. Army USA ret USAF Viet Vietnam weapon who'd Wilklow wounded yards Zabitosky