Sog: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam

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Summary: Truth IS Stranger Than Fiction!
Review: MACV Studies and Observation Group (SOG) was the OSS of the Viet Nam conflict. John Plaster's book is not fictional. As incredible as his dramatic accounts of SOG operations may seem, John Plaster tells the truth about this Top Secret organization, and about the Men who battled tremendous odds in some of the most dangerous combat operations in US history. Truly "the stuff of legend". I know, I was there

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Summary: A Well-written, interesting book
Review: This is a book about some incredible, yet strange fighting men. John L. Plaster draws a realistic, picture about these forgotten soldiers, who put their dearest at risk, to accomplish one goal: complete their suicidal missions, even against overwhelming odds... I can heartly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Nam era...

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Summary: it was a excellent book.
Review: I thought the book was well written and told with great sincerity. It brought me to a place where great men fought, not for glory or pay, but for their country. I,being in the military identified with them, even wishing i could have been there with them. Not to say that war is a great place to be, but to say that i would gladly serve with those caliber of men. The book was very riveting, and i found myself unable to put it down once i began.

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Summary: An amazing book
Review: An incredible account of military heroism against seemingly insurmountable odds. A must read for those who truly want to understand the meaning of service and dedication. A heartfelt thanks to John Plaster and his fellow SOG members.

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Summary: Great historical reference on US power vs the NVA
Review: This is a spectacular book. It tells a story of the courage and resourcefulness of a small unique group of men; willing to give it all for their fellow warriors. At the end of the book, without judgement, Maj Plaster points out that it was the U.S. Government that lost the Vietnam war and NOT the men in the field of battle. While the NVA snubbed their noses at our troops in Cambodia the IV ID was restricted to only an 18 mile insertion into Cambodia. The NVA had only to stay beyond their reach and ... they won. Had the Americans been turned loose Vietnam would be free today and the "killing fields" of 1975 Cambodia would never have happened. Thank you Mr. LBJ and Mr. RMN. I hope the blood on their hands is now cooking off in a place far warmer than July in Vietnam.

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Summary: A Foxhole View of Covert War in Vietnam
Review: Former Green Beret John Plaster was a recon team member of the Studies and Observations Group (SOG). This highly secretive unit was tasked with waging covert war against North Vietnam. Although it was far from a smashing success, it did manage to cause North Vietnam to commit many troops to defending the Ho Chi Minh Trail (rather than sending them into the Republic of Vietnam), ratcheted up the Paranoia in North Vietnam proper with hints of coups and anti-communist guerillas and provided America's senior leadership with quality intelligence. In the proccess, its members won more valor awards per capita than troops in any other unit in Vietnam (and probably more than those in any unit in any American war!).

Plaster tells the story primarily from the prospective of the individual soldier. He takes you into the jungles of Laos and Cambodia where you get to see amazing acts of heroism and daring do. He has excellent recounts of every event that lead to a SOG member being awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor. Plaster also shows us some of the more unusual activities such as the first HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) parachute insertion, prisoner snatches, POW rescue attempts, etc.

I shorted this book one star for two reasons. First there is very little analysis for most SOG operations. The author quantifies SOG recon teams' success in Cambodia pretty well but doesnt delve too far into how the psychological ops section performed. Next, Plaster short sheets the SOG naval component tasked with raiding the North Vietnamese coast. To some extent this is understandable given that US servicemembers did not directly participate in these operations. Still, it would have been nice if he could have dug up a RVN Sea Commando to get some stories. Despite this analysis shortage, Plaster does give us some anecdotal evidence that SOG hurt the Communists. Examples include a SOG team inspecting a section of Cambodia it had just called air strikes in and discovering numerous dead Viet Cong attached to the COSVN (the primary communist headquarters) and the North Vietnamese conditioning peace talks on America shutting down SOG psyop's fake guerilla movement.

As I hinted in a previous review, you can get the SOG analysis in Richard Schultz's "The Secret War Against Hanoi". Read them in tandem. The story of these brave men will blown your socks off!

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Summary: One of the best of the best.
Review: This is an unusually good book. It is the true account of the Studies and Observations Group that operated in Viet Nam from the mid sixties until the end of the war. I have not read a better book about war. John Plaster's book documents the operations and assignments of various teams within the group. It is a hair raising tale of heroism and death in the tall grass and jungles of Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos. The story ends when the war ends.

This is also a sad book about the death of brave men, and MIA's most of whom never returned. If you keep a timeline in your head as you read the book you begin to sense a sort of smoky dread that our troops are fighting a war that cannot be won within the rules of engagement, limits on operations, and political road blocks put up by our own government. Despite the best efforts of our fighting men and the military of South Viet Nam, North Viet Nam's army continues to dominate more and more terrain until the dissappointing and inglorious end of the war. I know about the concern of our political leaders in Washington who worried that broadening the scope of the war enough to allow US Forces to use their superior power and technology toward a victory over North Viet Nam might bring China or the USSR openly into the war. However, if that was a major concern, what the hell were we doing there in the first place?

If this book teaches any lesson it is that we should never get involved in a limited war.

Now we need a book of this scope and range about CIA operations in Viet Nam.



Rating:
Summary: Great Perspective on Our Elite Special Forces - Thanks
Review: As a close friend of one of the Covey Fac Pilots highlighted in John's book, this is a tremendously powerful accounting of the bravery and honor of these fighting men. The attention to detail and historical accuracy is greatly appreciated. John allows us to have a peek inside the ranks of SOG as if we were there with them.
An easy to read and follow book that holds your attention. I enjoyed this book and Hhighly Recommend it. A big Thanks to John for his efforts in preserving this rich and powerful history. You will learn from this book and enjoy it at the same time.
Thanks
Ray Harrison

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Summary: My Take on John Plaster's SOG
Review: This is an excellent book, from cover to cover. John Plaster's accounts of the assignments of the code-named Studies and Observations Group (SOG) in Vietnam are drawn from personal experience and numerous interviews with other members of SOG. They are always interestingly written about and sometimes even humorous. One of the most interesting chapters is "SOG's Dark Arts," about some of the psychological warfare tactics employed by SOG. SOG experiences are professionally recounted, with respect for each man who participated. We also get "by reading between the lines" a glimpse of why the United States' Vietnam military experience was doomed from the beginning. This only heightens the respect with which we hold the men of SOG. The book also contains a nice bibliography and an index for detailed reference. I will re-read this authoritative and insightful book.

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Summary: A Great Book about a Great Story
Review: I am now reading this book for the second time, having just recently discovered it. I cannot recommend this book enough. In October 1970, as a young wet-behind-the-ears 1LT, I arrived at CCC, Kontum. Within two months I was serving under CPT Bob Howard as the XO of his Recon Company. When Bob left to go to DC to recieve his Medal of Honor, I then served under CPT Jim Storter. As XO, I had the opportunity to join an RT from time to time on a mission as a "straphanger," or extra US. I identify most strongly with RT Montana, whose One-Zero was SSG Mike Sheppard, One-One was SGT Mike Bently, and One-Two was MSG Charles Behler. What an amazing group of soldiers I served with. I remember John Plaster, Fred Krupa, David Mixter, Walter Shumate, and many more. There is no exageration in this book, these soldiers performed extremely hairy recon missions in the face of unbelievable odds, again and again. What really astounded me was reading stories about guys I had served with that I did not know, they themselves did not brag about their exploits at all. Neither McCarley (of Operation Tailwind fame), nor Miller, nor Howard, nor Plaster ever bragged about one mission. They were the consumate professional soldiers who "marched to the sound of the guns." Some were new to Special Forces, like Miller, and some were ex-SF NCO "old hands" with years of SF tours under their belts, like Howard, McCarley and Storter. John Plaster has done an excellent job of giving both the "big picture" along with so many individual stories. I had no idea how comprehensive and effective (and costly in soldiers lives) the SOG mission was overall. I am recommending this book to everyone I know. Regarding the "mole" in Saigon, I have always suspected treachery in the deaths of SSG Mixter and Dai-uy (CPT) Krupa. The NVA were waiting in force when Mixter's RT and Krupa's Hatchet Force company were inserted. The NVA knew exactly when and where to expect them! Shame on the higher-ups at SOG for not withholding the teams/companies exact map grid coordinates from our ARVN "allies." This book is a literate, exciting and highly informatvie account of one of the most incredible groups of solders, ever. Well done, John!