PublishedCasemate, August 2022 |
ISBN9781636240848 |
FormatHardcover, 456 pages |
Dimensions25.4cm × 20.3cm |
A fully comprehensive and illustrated history of the operations and operatives of MACV-SOG in the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, the Special Forces men of the top-secret Studies and Observations Group ran covert operations deep behind enemy lines - along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, into the enemy's secret Cambodian sanctuaries, even striking into the heartland of North Vietnam.
In 1972 the U.S. military destroying all known photos of the top-secret Studies and Observations Group, with the intention that details could never be made public. But unknown to those in charge, SOG veterans brought back with them hundreds of photographs of SOG in action and kept them secret for more than three decades. This new edition brings together an amazing collection of more than 700 irreplaceable photos bring to life the stories of SOG legends Larry Thorne, Bob Howard, Dick Meadows, George Sisler, "Q" and others, and documents what really happened deep inside enemy territory: Operation Tailwind, the Son Tay raid, SOG's defense of Khe Sanh, Hatchet Force operations, Bright Light rescues, HALO insertions, string extractions, SOG's darkest programs and much more. This book captures some of the most dramatic combat photos to emerge from the war, creating a stunning mosaic telling SOG's entire story. AUTHOR: Major John L. Plaster, USAR (ret.), served three 1-year tours in Southeast Asia with the top secret Special Forces covert operations unit, MACV-SOG. Qualified as a paratrooper and a Green Beret weapons and communications NCO, he led intelligence-gathering recon teams deep behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Leaving Vietnam as a staff sergeant, due to his extensive combat experience he received a direct commission as a reserve officer. Under the GI Bill he attended the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. In 1983 he co-founded the National Guard Sniper School which quickly became a major national training program, instructing hundreds of students from all military services and many law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the U.S. Customs Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Spanish Foreign Legion. After retirement he continued to instruct for police agencies. He twice served as the Chief of Competition for the U.S. and European Military and Police Sniping Championships, personally designing the targets and running the matches. In addition to guest lecturing at various Special Operations schools and the U.S. Army's Command & General Staff College, he has authored a number of books. 700 photographs
