Non the ground the secret war in vietnam book

For eight years, far beyond the battlefields of vietnam and the glare of media distortions, american green berets fought a deadly secret war in laos and cambodia under the aegis of the top secret military assistance command vietnam studies and observations group, or sog. Rather, its the story of the men who fought the war, often with the help of the bru, members of the montagnard tribe, whom meyer described as just four months out of the jungle and loincloths. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. War, dr mrozek plans a booklength essay on us defense policy after world war ii. The vietnam center and archive at the texas tech university in. The map above displays the locations of 2 of those countries. This book was written by a vietnam combat veteran with d1st502nd infantry, 101st aibrone division, mike m60 kelley, who is also an accomplished artist, producing exquisite images of the vietnam war.

The book came out that summer, he said of robin moores the green. Composed entirely of volunteers from such ace fighting units as the army green berets, air force air commandos, and navy seals, sog took on the most dangerous. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. Why was the ground war in vietnam so difficult to fight. The 14 best military nonfiction books of alltime americas. A signal intelligence spy base so secret few had the need to know that it even existed. John stryker meyer a former special forces soldier who earned a green beret is also the author of another great book.

The sapper attack on fob 4 on august 23, 1968 is covered in detail, more so than any other book i have read thus far, including john plasters secret commandos. Some of these studies were not declassified until august 2008. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading on the ground. Special air warfare and the secret war in laos department of. The second indochina war, 19541975, grew out of the long conflict between france and vietnam.

Boots on the ground isnt war as its presented in history textbooks. The secret war in vietnam kindle edition by meyer, john, peters, john. The second war was a civil war between the two zones created at geneva. The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it. John e peters hidden from the media and the public, hundreds of us elite soldiers under the wraps of top secret were on missions carried out across the fence in laos, cambodia and north vietnam. They fought a secret war flying light aircraft and they made a daily affair at flying these aircraft into the enemy bullets on a daily basis without any real weaponry for protection. Now in its fourth updated edition, based on new declassified information, its known to vietnam scholars. It went by many names over the years including practice nine, muscle shoals, illinois city and dye marker. The book is not a historical perspective of why america crossed the vietnam border for a secret war. Once on the ground, their sole support was provided by air force tactical air and helicopter units, u. The utm grid coordinates are listed for every ground installation listed in vietnam, laos, and cambodia. Meyer resides in california, since 1985, and has published two works of nonfiction related to his experiences in the vietnam war.

Highly publicized and highly controlled from washington, it had all the media trappings associated with major military operations. The overeducated troops of ramasun were sloppy on the parade ground and hopeless in drills, but when it came to the mission nothing could beat them. John meyers nononsense and direct style is what is missing in much of the. A general inspects army green beret john meyer, right, during the vietnam war. In july 1954, after one hundred years of colonial rule, a. On the ground the secret war in vietnam by john stryker meyer and. Fields of fire is a brilliant book about the vietnam war. S special operations groups or sog for short where dropped.

The united states and vietnam, 19501975 by george herring 1979. Army and marine helicopter aviation personnel and aircrews, and from the south vietnam air forces 219th. The american pilots involved wear midnightblack flight suits and fly camouflaged twinengine a26 bombers without identifying insignia. North vietnam, governed by vietnamese communists, and south vietnam, backed by american aid and, eventually, by american troops. How the vietnam war brought hightech border surveillance. Unfolding in chronological order from 1962 to the fall of saigon in 1975, their stories are straightforward, deeply personal, and spare. Cyber command and director, nsa chief, css hosted the nsacss cryptologic memorial wall observance in honor of ssg donald d. The secret war in vietnam expanded edition, and coauthored on the ground. The secret war in laos began with a few occasional hill tribe employees but by the late 1970s had turned into a multiu. Back then, the hmong were fighterssecret fighters in a 15year covert us operation backed by the cia. The book includes some great observations and agonizing. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners.

Sogs hidden from the media and the public, hundreds of us elite soldiers under the wraps of top secret were on missions carried out across the fence in laos. Stryker meyer served two tours of duty with special forces during the secret war in southeast asia and has written two non fiction books about s. Vietnam era military cia operations in laos published by user, 21 years ago in an era when the nixon administration was denying any military operations in neutral laos, air force forward air controllers were not only directing fire missions but training laotian hillspeople, the hmong, to fly ground combat. Americas elite troops were deployed to 149 nations in 2017, according to u.

During the vietnam war, a secret war was fought across the fence in. And since the secret bombing of cambodia was no secret either. Army special forces combat veteran of service in covert reconnaissance with the studies and observations group, also known as macvsog. During the vietnam war, a secret war was fought across the fence in laos, cambodia and north vietnam, unknown to the media or the public, under the aegis of the military assistance command vietnams top secret studies and observation group. I have a different kind of vietnam war story to tell. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of journalism that traded monotonous details for. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read.

The area was a major theatre in the 19641973 secret war between the us and hmong against the pathet lao and vietnamese communists. This book is a close and personal look at the guys that were known as ravens. How the vietnam war brought hightech border surveillance to. Today, a lot of people dont know about the vietnam war, and especially the secret. Most people arent even aware of the secret war fought behind enemy lines and in cambodia. Mission authority was carried out under the aegis of the military assistance command, vietnams top secret studies and observations group. Sogs hidden from the media and the public, hundreds of us elite soldiers under the wraps of top secret were on missions carried out across the fence in laos, cambodia and north vietnam. One of my favourites from this list is the beauty of humanity movement, it might be an oldie but it is a great book that tells an interesting story about key characters and their lives in old vietnam.

He has written two nonfiction books on sog secret wars. John stryker tilt meyer born january 19, 1946 is an american author and u. The book even has its own brand of comic relief, in the form of g. Americas war in vietnam is the war seen through the eyes of five young american soldiers, an infantry medic, an army nurse, and a teenage vietnamese refugee. New book exposes inner workings of the us secret war in laos. What it is like to go to war is a courageous, noble and intelligent grapple with myth, history, and spirituality that beautifully elevates the cultural conversation on the role of the military in todays world. The american pilots involved wear midnightblack flight suits and fly.

Meyer is currently an associate director for veterans affairs at interfaith community services, a nonprofit in san diego county, calif. A fair portion of this book, a followup to meyers excellent book across the fence, contains the stories of others such as eldon bargewell and jim lamotte. The kind of war story you may not have heard before. This book happens to be one of the best novels about vietnam and will give you some great insight into what it was like to be in this war. The secret vietnam war minnesota remembers vietnam.

This book, and the stories contained within, are incredible. Meyers first book was a nonfiction memoir, first published in 2003, titled across the fence. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. It is an emotional, honest, and affecting primer for all americans on war and the national psyche, and we ignore this book at our. Rather than dates, significant battles, and famous generals, it focuses on what daily life was like for the hundreds of thousands of enlisted men who fought in country, the medical teams who worked under fire and in hospitals to save their lives, and the thousands of refugees created by the fall of saigon to the north. Critically acclaimed since its release in 1977, dispatches was one of the first books which offered an insiders account of the vietnam war to the general public. John plasters riveting account of his covert activities as a member of a special operations team during the vietnam war is a true insiders account, this eyeopening report will leave readers feeling as if theyve been given a hot scoop on a highly classified project publishers weekly. Indeed, these people have been largely cut off from the outside world since the vietnam war. In july 1954, after one hundred years of colonial rule, a defeated france was forced to leave vietnam. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Codenamed the studies and observations group, sog was the most. Uncommon valor is a look into the formation and operation of an advanced special forces recon company during the vietnam war.

But today its most commonly known as operation igloo white. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. Apr 16, 2020 he has written two non fiction books on sog secret wars. Young gis dragged unwillingly from civilian jobs, college campuses, or fresh from high school, to fight a strange shadow war in a remote outpost 300 miles northeast of bangkok known as ramasun station. Feb 05, 2008 a rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Most dangerous presents a concise and gripping account of the vietnam war and offers detailed portraits of some of the most influential men of the later 20th century, from jack kennedy and lyndon johnson to richard nixon and henry kissinger. Dec, 2017 this book is a great read if you enjoy reading books about the vietnam war. Vietnam was 40 years ago, and today, theres a lot of people who dont know where vietnam is, meyer said. The blue book studies examined a wide range of united states air force plans, policies, and operations in southeast asia. The secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam by. Daugherty, us army security agency 20 february 1937 to april 1966, who lost his life in.

For eight years, far beyond the battlefields of vietnam and the glare of media distortions, american green berets fought a deadly secret war in laos and cambodia under the aegis of the top secret military assistance. John e peters hidden from the media and the public, hundreds of us elite soldiers under the wraps of top secret were on missions carried out across the fence in. Homecoming for a veteran of the secret war in southeast. The secret war in vietnam paperback july 2, 2018 by john stryker meyer author. Swift boats at war in vietnam audiobook by guy gugliotta. For eight years, far beyond the battlefields of vietnam and the glare of media distortions, american green berets fought a deadly secret war in laos and cambodia under the aegis of the top secret military assistance command vietnam. Parents need to know that elizabeth partridges boots on the ground. Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of enlightening works, we pick ten of the best texts offering illuminating perspectives on the war, its context and the effects it had on vietnam. The weapons and gear special forces recon teams carried in. Marcivetmp97318589 shipping list no 20030238p this history represents a small down payment on the efforts by army security agency historical officers in the field and the historians at arlington hall station to document the signals intelligence story in vietnam. Air force top secret blue book studies 1962 to 1980.

However, this book is not just filled with yet more incredible tails of. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Air force is waging a secret and unconventional phase of the air war in southeast asia from this base across the mekong river from laos. Usaf air commandos, the secret war in laosa gap in written.

On the ground the secret war in vietnam john stryker. They were wounded or killed in places where they never went. During the vietnam war, a secret war was fought across the fence in laos, cambodia and north vietnam, unknown to the media or the public, under the aegis of the. On 28 may 2019, gen paul nakasone, usa, commander, u. Stryker meyer served two tours of duty with special forces during the secret war in southeast asia and has written two nonfiction books about s. Meyers first book was a nonfiction memoir, first published in 2003, titled.

A secret warriors secret war in laos news sarasota herald. Codenamed the studies and observations group, sog was the most covert us military unit in its time and contained only volunteers from such elite units as the armys green berets, navy seals, and air force air commandos. In all, at least 45,000 vietnamese men and women are said to have died defending the cu chi tunnels over the course of the vietnam war. Codenamed the studies and observations group, sog was the most secret elite us military unit to serve in the vietnam warso secret its very existence was denied by the government. Meyer resides in california, since 1985, and has published two works of nonfiction related to his experiences in the vietnam war meyers first book was a.