Now I know why I joined the Navy.....

books:


	• SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam John L. Plaster Simon & Schuster, 1997 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 104 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Tremendous heroism

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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Pulling back the veil of secrecy

Major John Plaster reveals the truth behind some of the most gallant episodes and valliant soldiers in America's history. Kept quiet by rules of secrecy, death of participants and frank disinterest on the part of many Americans, Plaster allows us to look inside the super-secret unit that carried the war in Vietnam into the enemy's back yard. With his brisk prose Plaster brings to life combat situations that the ordinary reader can not even imagine. The men of SOG and Special Forces have been consistently misrepresented. Now you can find out the truth. In those days 'running recon' was the ultimate challenge and even within the elite of Special Forces only few soldiers accepted the life. In this book Plaster shows the reader just what it was like to be one of the best of the best. This book is extremely valuable for recording a piece of American military history in danger of being lost. In addition it shows the reader who may have been led to believe that the men who fought for this country in Vietnam were somehow unworthy that they deserve every bit of respect and gratitude that we willing bestow on other veterans. Buy this book, read it and believe it.

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Now I know why I joined the Navy.....

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

Welcome to Reality

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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Excellent read

Major John Plaster, usually known as the author of millitary and police sniping manuals, does a good, but not quite masterful job, at recollecting his experiences in the Studies and Observations Group during the Vietnam war. Plaster carries over a style that he has developed in his technical manuals, a style that is oftentimes dry, almost academic at times, though he is certainly capable of creating a thrilling atmosphere. His prose is written in such a way that it seems to project a air of the third person, occasional interjected by instences of the word "I" or "We." But perhaps I am being a bit too harsh. Plaster does accomplish his goal of informing on the various workings and effectiveness of SOG, and brings to light a certain virtuous aura to at least a few select units, which have been slandered as a whole by the anti-war ideals which followed the war. The book is generally well written, with a fair representation of the horrors of war and loss, and not without a bit of humorous flavor. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Psychological Warfare techniques. Overall, the book is comparable to Harry Constance's similar work on SEAL teams in Vietnam, yet with more of a professional air, though far less personal. It can be safely recommended to anyone with an interest in the Vietnam War, or in special forces and operations.

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