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Summary: Flesh and blood heroism in our service
Review: This book is full of stories that would you would criticize as unbelievable if you saw them in a movie. Like most folks, I had never heard of SOG. I became aware of it because a friend of mine told me the name because he fought with the group during his three tours in Vietnam. He has never said very much about his experiences because they are still classified. He responded to my many questions by pointing me to this book. This is an amazing book. Every page is full of bravery, loyalty, and heroism beyond understanding. Well, there are a few shameful pages of cowardice and treachery and those few pages will anger and sicken you as much as the deeds of the heroes will amaze and fill you with awe. SOG is the acronym for the Studies and Observations Group, which was a euphemism for a very secret and elite special operations team that was the forerunner of groups such as today's Delta Force. They gathered intelligence about enemy activities and slowed enemy advances through Cambodia and Laos down the Ho Chi Minh trail and other places the NVA denied being. I certainly can't do justice to the history of all this activity, but if you pick up this book you will have a very hard time putting it down. You will be reading about actual flesh and blood men who are very extraordinary people and who did unbelievable things in service to America. The writing is captures the events very effectively and moves quickly. For me, it was more exciting than any fiction. John Plaster has done a service in taking us through the history of this group. He shows us the formation of the group and its early development. He covers its history through its most effective years to the way it was handicapped by policies that really ended up allowing the North Vietnamese to strengthen their position rather than bringing them to serious negotiations. Finally, we suffer with them through the last days of the group as the war wound down. Whatever your position on the war, you shouldn't diminish the nobility of these soldiers. When I think about these stories I am profoundly moved by their sacrifice and feel a deep gratitude to each of them and all soldiers who put everything on the line for me and mine. Thanks to Mr. Plaster for this vital and amazing book.
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Summary: Can't wait for the movie!
Review: I know the movie won't be as good as the book, but even if it's close- what action! There are about 150 pages in the middle section that are as continually tense and suspenseful as I've ever read. I thank John Plaster for bringing the valor and service these men did for the country into the public realm. The men in these stories have my utmost respect and honor I can give them. After reading their story, I know I will need to get the photo version soon. ...
Rating:
Summary: Vietnam Heroes
Review: SOG is a compelling book about U.S. special forces in Cambodia and Laos during the Vietnam war. The true stories of bravery and heroism in battle compiled by Mr. Plaster are simply amazing and inspiring. They are also sad and humorous, but never boring. After reading this book you will be so proud of the men that served in the Vietnam conflict, you will want to thank them personally for their sacrifice.
Rating:
Summary: A remarkable story of heroism
Review: I picked up a signed copy of Plaster's book at my local bookstore, not thinking much of the book at the time, but after I started reading it, I could not put it down. The individual stories, many of which had never seen the light of of day, are told in a very readable manner. The individual heroics of the SOG RT personnel and their "Yard" cohorts are stories Hollywood certainly missed the boat on.
Moreover the number of Medal of Honor winners from this unit is remarkable. But many could argue after reading their stories, that a number of these brave men could have been submitted (and some were) for multiple citations of the nation's highest honor.
While the stories are highly anecdotal, and without footnotes, the storyline overcomes these issues.
Anyone who is interested in military special operations should include this book in their library.
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Summary: Tremendous heroism
Review: The Green Berets controlled SOG and did so with simply amazing valor, skill and determination. This book tells a small part of their story. The casualty rate among the men of SOG was terrible, in many cases as a result of pin-heads at the top making political and cheast-beating decisions. Nothing has changed in that regard (read Blackhawk Down for another example). The author was an active participant and has detail in abundance on several dozen missions, some tragic, many heroic, and all of them very scary. If you read this book you will get an idea of what it was like to see combat up close and personal. The men of SOG were truly warriors and this book goes some way towards giving them some of the enormous recognition that they deserve. So many did not come back... remember always the men MIA...
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Summary: Welcome to Reality
Review: This book is a terrific piece of work that needed to be written. It clearly conveys a sense of how rare and special a breed covert operations people are and why. The commitment to accomplishing the mission and to one another within special operations units throughout all branches of the military service is a model we would do well to emulate within all of our institutions beginning with family and community. The politicizing of many of these operations has denied our nation's very real need, and dependence upon, a warrior class willing to do what most people cannot and will not do, despite the need, because of the enormous costs of engaging the world at this level. It has also denied many brave American soldiers and allies of the honor and respect that is properly their due for the sacrifices made for the freedom and liberty we enjoy. In these times...these rare and special people are more relevant than ever. Applaud and celebrate them. They embody the best in you.
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Summary: Now I know why I joined the Navy.....
Review: After reading John's book, I came to the conclusion that the piddly amount of combat I experienced in Vietnam was kind of like going to the grocery store for a loaf of bread. There are some real heroes out there, and John has chronicled some of them extremely well. Steve Waterman, author of JUST A SAILOR
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Summary: Secret Facts Revealed...
Review: An excellent summary of our clandestine activities in Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia. Take it from one who's been there, done that, and got the tiger-striped fatigues.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This was a an amazing book,there is not a waisted word in it.so much infomation that it took me a while to read it.I am 41 and learned more about that war than I ever knew and some of the REAL heros of our time that was pushed under the rug as in "never happened". you are not forgot!!!
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Summary: AWE INSPIRING!
Review: RIVETING and an absolute MUST HAVE for the Vietnam War "junkie". A book you will read again and again. Ex-SOG'er and author Plaster richly describes the unbelievable, often tragic, yet awe-inspiring combat experiences of the low key, super-high risk SOG commandos - known to their self-depreciating SOG brothers as simply "good in the woods". I would also highly recommend John Plaster's complementary "SOG: A Photo History of the Secret Wars". This will add many more "thirst quenching" pictures to the best book I have read to date on behind-the-scenes "Special Ops" Vietnam.
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