A weekend reading review! Because Pastors also need a break from heavily theological reading! Actually this weekend I’m preaching at a retreat!
John L. Plaster. SOG: The Secret Wars of America’s Commandos in Vietnam. New York, NY: Simon Schuster, January 1st 2019. 368 pp.
5 out of 5
Purchase: Amazon
Have you ever heard of a Special Operations group called MACV SOG? If not, it might be because this is one of the most secretive group during the Vietname War since it operatives had to agree not to talk about their experience for twenty years. Yet much of today’s Special operations group and capabilities in the modern US military owe its tactics and capabilities to this covert group. If you are interested in US special operations forces, military history and also the military side to the Vietnam War this book is a must-read.
The author John Plaster himself is a three tour veteran of MACV SOG which stands for Miliary Assistance Command Vietnam, Studies and Observation Group. Often it was called SOG. This book isn’t really a war memoir or a biography but a fascinating history book of the US’ special operations history in Vietnam and into Vietnam’s neighboring countries (although the author at times gives his personal account when it is appropriate). I was blown away at the amount of details the book provide especially with the early days in the 1950s and early 1960s of US military effort and assistance to anti-Communists. In addition the book tells us of the men who were instrumental in leading that effort whether in the early days or towards the end of the Vietnam War. And these leading men weren’t just high ranking officials but the author gives important operators their credit too. Much of SOG’s secret war didn’t take place in Vietnam but in neighboring Laos and Cambodia where they fought the North Vietnamese who supposedly weren’t suppose to there either but they were secretly sneaking into South Vietnam using the Ho Chi Minh trail.
I read this book and couldn’t put it down. There’s books on the conventional military which already fascinates me enough. Then there’s books on special operations unit and elite outfit and those are especially of interests to me. But this unit SOG and their stories is at a totally different level in terms of what these guys accomplished and the terrible situation they faced where often in small groups of two or three Americans and a few ethnic minority tribal soldiers they fought against hundreds of regular North Vietnamese forces. Outnumbered and outgun these men were daring and ferocious. It might sound cheesy but these guys were like real life Rambo and Jason Borne all roll into one. But this book isn’t just telling exaggerated stories in case some might be doubtful; some of these stories and heroism of men in the unit have received the Medal of Honor and there’s official citation of what happened.
Even for those who are familiar with other military reading when it comes to SOG there’s a totally different lingo and even method of operations. The author does a good job describing that to the readers for their understanding. The seventeen chapters in the book is a rich survey of various types of operations SOG conduced but also various point in their history and also accomplishments. For instance there’s a chapter titled “Bloody ’68” which tells us the difficulties the group faced that year. The group’s casualties exceeded 100 percent the highest rate since the Civil War. Every single operator was wounded at least once and half of the men died. Overall over three hundred SOG operators were lost and 57 of them as MIAs. Yet the causality ratio to enemies killed were astounding and unprecedented.
This is the first book I read about MACV SOG but it definitely won’t be my last.
Sounds very interesting! Thanks for the good review! It’s always interesting to read about these special units that few know about. Your reviews of books about the military motivate me to go to the library and pick out some good books on the American Revolutionary War but there’s already too many other books in my queue!
You’re welcome! Thanks for your prayers it helps a lot here. Hope to read more book reviews that’s historical! Will read your blog later is that ok?? How’s your day going?
👋🏻 Nice to break from job search today (and insurance red tape). Really wintry here in the Rust Belt today. Snow blowed the driveway and worked on the powder room. Whipped. Couch duty until bedtime. How’s the retreat going?
Retreat is going well! Our guys are really worshipping God with the awe of the Trinity and the discussion, applications and questions! Does the wintery weather affect your knees?
Glad the retreat went well! I’m wondering if you have to return back home for Sunday service or if someone is going to sub for you? The cold weather could be aggravating my knee issue, but I think it’s an increasing problem with my right leg – that hip has been bothering me for 25 years – and my weird walking gate has now affected my knee. Just my theory but I’ll mention it to my doctor next month. The knee problem is really taking a toll on my walking.
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I teach history to college students, and when we reach the Vietnam War, I must supplement the textbook with additional information, including the Ho Chi Minh trail in Cambodia and Laos. People who blame President Nixon for “widening the war” forget that the enemy already occupied the territory we had to attack to win the war and to provide greater security for our troops in South Vietnam. This sounds like a very useful book. J.
The Left laugh at Domino theory but it was already ongoing during the Vietnam War with Ho Chi Minh Trail
That’s right. Another fake news from the Left
I want to read this
Thanks for the review Jim! Always good to read about Vietnam from the guys who were actually there!
That was your generation’s war and if my memory is correct you served till ‘62. This book mentioned special operations and Air Force operations going on in Vietnam as early as the 50s and early 60s. When you were in the service did you already heard of Vietnam? Also concerning your other comments about being tired, feel free to let me know when to pray for your tiredness
I was in the AF from 1982 until 1990, but there were still plenty of men who had served in Vietnam. As I listened to the veterans of that war, I noticed a strange surrealistic quality to the stories of their experiences. It was certainly unique among America’s wars in that aspect, but I also noticed that most of the military men’s reaction to that was more one of adaptation than the liberal civilian’s. Many of the veterans were certain they could have won the war if they were allowed to.
I’ve had a problem with my stamina since the year 2000. I was diagnosed to have Multiple Sclerosis that year and since then I’ve had some days that are more difficult than others. I pray daily to get better, and indeed I have in some ways (not bedridden for many years). According to the last MRI I had, the spots on my brain have all but vanished. Still, there is the agoraphobia and fatigue which I consider my ‘thorn’ that reminds me how much I depend on The Lord.
[…] review! Because Pastors also need a break from heavily theological reading! Last week I reviewed SOG: The Secret Wars of America’s Commandos in Vietnam and this week is also another history book. If you know me you will know that outside of theology […]
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