Plaster's "Secret Commandos" - Page 5

QRQ 30 · 08-06-2004, 09:25

I can't remember where I posted the other pictures. This is the beach at Danang.

Is that Smokin Joe we see? It looks like his old avatar.

**Roguish Lawyer** · 08-06-2004, 10:16

That's a really cool pic, QRQ. Thanks.

Sacamuelas · 10-20-2004, 12:21

Stayed up until 02:30 last night entrenched in reading this book. I spent my entire lunch break today scouring its pages again... what an OUTSTANDING BOOK.

Anyone who doesn't have it, should get it. Truly remarkable men and gripping accounts of the missions they performed as fun loving/free spirited yet always "Quiet Professionals".

Thank you Ambush Master, Toby T, QRQ30, BMT, RWT bkk, Lurch, and all the other warriors of SOG for your courage.

rwt_bkk · 10-25-2004, 04:36

John is a really good writer who keeps the story going from begginng to end. More importantly, for me anyway, he has done a great service to the SOG vets by telling a bit of what it was like. He broke the ice on SOG books and you will see some others coming out soon.

One thing I think it is impossible to capture the tension of the mission in words. A friend of mine (George Pointon) who was a 10 at CCC and then went to MF was telling me a story. His first day on the MF he and another ex-Soggie both got wounded. Later they were talking comparing the MF and SOG. The other guy said, "you know this place is Dangerous, but SOG was terrifying!".

Got to agree with John though, I was damn glad to get off the choppers! I actually went to WO flight before SF. (washed out for "Lack of Military Development... duh!). Later I reflected on how happy I was that I wasn't a chopper pilot (esp slicks).

Looking forward to getting his Pictorial History of SOG, I lost almost every pic from CCN.

bberkley · 12-20-2004, 13:17

I just finished reading "Secret Commandos" and am halfway through "SOG" and I've got to say I'm very impressed by Maj. Plaster's writing, and even more impressed at what you men in SOG have done.

Thank you all for your service.

12-20-2004, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwt_bkk

One thing I think it is impossible to capture the tension of the mission in words. A friend of mine (George Pointon) who was a 10 at CCC and then went to MF was telling me a story. His first day on the MF he and another ex-Soggie both got wounded. Later they were talking comparing the MF and SOG. The other guy said, "you know this place is Dangerous, but SOG was terrifying!".

Bru,

If we ever can get George using a computer on a consistent basis, we can get him on here telling his stories.

QRQ 30 · 12-20-2004, 19:38

I served with George in Komtum and Thailand.

12-21-2004, 10:26

Apparently Major John Plaster has been deeply involved in the design of a sim/game detailing SOG missions...

http://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=28172

To be honest I was pretty surprised by this. I've read all of Plaster's books and he's a great story teller but I have a hard time imagining these being recreated in a compelling manner virtually. Especially as SOG missions seemed to involve getting in and out with no contact...

If interested, here's the website...though there's not a whole lot here.

http://www.boldgames.com/sog.html

j

**Ambush Master** · 12-21-2004, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by eva05

Especially as SOG missions seemed to involve getting in and out with no contact...
j

If you were LUCKY !!!

CPTAUSRET · 12-21-2004, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwt_bkk

Got to agree with John though, I was damn glad to get off the choppers! I actually went to WO flight before SF. (washed out for "Lack of Military Development... duh!). Later I reflected on how happy I was that I wasn't a chopper pilot (esp slicks).

When did you attend Flight School? I graduated in 65.

I definitely agree on not wanting to fly slicks...you put me in a war zone, and I am going to be offensive!

Terry

NousDefionsDoc · 12-21-2004, 11:36

Quote:

Especially as SOG missions seemed to involve getting in and out with no contact...

Maybe you should read the books again, you seemed to have missed the writing between the lines. Pay particular attention to the parts where it mentions medals, firefights, hugely out numbered, WIA and KIA, ass in a sling, barely got out, running, Praire Fire, shit hit the fan, Holy Mary Mother of God, CAS stacked up to heaven, stacking magazines, dropping rucks, shot out of the LZ and "I know there's a bunch of 'em, that's why I sent six of y'all, now get in there and mix it up!"

12-21-2004, 11:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

If you were LUCKY !!!

I can imagine.

The moment that stands out most in "Secret Commandos" is when the NVA patrol creeps right through their camp and never even sees them...

j

BMT (RIP) · 12-21-2004, 12:07

LUCK had alot to do with getting inserted. The NVA couldnot watch every LZ,but with a MOLE in SOG HQ's they knew where we were inserting. Every afternoon at 1700 an HF radio station came up with lots of power,it was not a freq used by US or SVN. NSA/ASA were not allowed to DF this station!!
This was probably SOG's mole transmitting the next days target list.

BMT

QRQ 30 · 12-21-2004, 12:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc

Maybe you should read the books again, you seemed to have missed the writing between the lines. Pay particular attention to the parts where it mentions medals, firefights, hugely out numbered, WIA and KIA, ass in a sling, barely got out, running, Praire Fire, shit hit the fan, Holy Mary Mother of God, CAS stacked up to heaven, stacking magazines, dropping rucks, shot out of the LZ and "I know there's a bunch of 'em, that's why I sent six of y'all, now get in there and mix it up!"

Actually EVA isn't all that far off base. Things changed later, as they will, but the original missions were recon and "snoop and poop". I once told an eager young lad that if we made contact it was because we screwed up. In 68 I had some very scary moments but never had a mission to make contact. Some did. For every "exciting" mission there were 1/2 dozen "dry holes", but they aren't the thing of which books and video games are made.

I might also add that "SOG" was a much bigger organization than what we see in books about SOG. SOG was a Joint Services Organization. Notice that the USAF Wings and Navy anchor are incorporated into the MACV SOG crest. What we are seeing written about as SOG is really a nich called Command and Control.

I had several operations but most were very forgettable. I really only clearly recall three.

On one extraction the FAC counted an excess of 200 bodies on the LZ. We got out with only one KIA but the reason we got so screwed up was because of a huge tactical mistake on our part. The story is in "Tales from the Teamhouse" entitled "My Longest Day."

Another time I looked down after being lifted out on a McGuire Rig and saw the bad guys over running what was our extraction point. OTOH there are several operations of which I have little recollection. Not book material.

QRQ 30 · 12-21-2004, 12:20

The NVA had pretty sophisticated SIGINT, RDF and Interception. Inserting out of Khe Sahn wasn't that difficult but it was almost a sure thing you would make contact within 30 minutes of breaking radio silence. Talking on the radio in the DMZ area was about as smart as running trails -- suicidal!.