These Soldiers Were Insane - The Most Secret Unit of the Vietnam War - MACV-SOG
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
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The most top-secret unit of the United States Army in the Vietnam War was established in January of 1964 and was called the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group, but it was mostly referred to as MACV-SOG.
Only the best of the best were recruited for the high-risk, high-reward missions that the unit carried out in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Force Recon, Air Force, and CIA personnel were among the bravest men that filled its ranks.
MACV missions involved sabotage, strategic reconnaissance, personnel recovery, counterintelligence, and psychological operations, all behind enemy lines. And stories of 10-man units that held off against thousands of Communists were common.
However, more than half of those who enrolled did not return from their missions. But this did not stop MACV-SOG from becoming the unit with the highest kill/death ratio in American history.
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I like how none of the footage is from sog its mostly marines lol
t get
There is a church next door to my place... preacher is an unassuming and kind old man. One day he came over to ask if we minded if he held a party with music on a friday night as he didn't want to bother us so he was asking if it was alright. After talking a bit I mentioned I was home on leave from the USAF and he started talking about his time in the service having retired as an O-6. We got to discussing the differences in warfare as he openly stated he was in Vietnam as a younger man and wanted to compare it to Iraq/Afghanistan. He pulls a picture out of his wallet and it was of 6 guys in 'Nam - him and his buddies. Turns out they were a MACV-SOG team.
Explains why hes unassuming. The things he experienced and survived must have been humbling. All warriors are amazing in their own right, but MACV-SOG was a special kind of beast
Awesome!!
My father was drafted for the Korean War 53', he didn't speak much about his service. Although he raised me well, and loved me stoicly. R.I.P., M.C.Williams Sr.
Hi. What does “MACV-SOG” mean?
@@1b4101 SOG = Special operation group, unsure what MACV means.
The Jocko Podcasts with retired SOG members are fantastic references to truly understand what these men went through. Highly Recommended
Been listening to these myself incredible story’s!! Great podcast as well
Jocko unravelling??
I'm trying to find nd the podcast
@@jakelandry5645 Check Jocko Podcast ep 180-182 to start
The main guy he interviewed started his own podcast too, he is pretty healthy for his age too I think. Look up John Stryker Meyer. They are trying to round the rest of the members and related support personnel to document their amazing stories before they die.
My dad was in 3rd recon, he said they used to leave American food inside of Vietnamese bases and then leave without touching anyone. Then they would know there were American soldiers in their base and no one noticed. He's 1 of 4 survivors out of 144 in his graduating class. Can't imagine the stuff he's seen, he still has nightmares to this day
My father was a WWII vet who fought the Germans in Europe
He was in the largest bloodiest single land battle in WWII the battle of the Buldge he was only one of three men in his platoon to emerge from the war not having been wounded or awarded a purple heart
He had nightmares about the war until he died. I remember hearing my dad calling out names of his fellow soldiers in his sleep so often I lost count from when I was only 6 or 7 until the year he passed away. When zi was about 12 I started asking him who "Duck", "Guss", Scotty, Duffy or other guys names were he called out in his sleep often saying to look out, incoming or get down but he would only say they were his friends from long ago.
I know a usmc recon Vietnam vet. Dude is one of the greatest men I've ever known. Lied about his age to sign up at 17 to escape a West Virginia orphanage, ended up on missions he generally wasn't expected to return from, but he did. I fucking love that guy.
You didn't have to lie about your age to enlist at . age 17. All you had to do was get your parents or parent/legal guardian to sign a consent form. That's what I did on my 17th birthday.
@@lazaruslong6382 did you not read the part where he said he did it to avoid an orphanage? Meaning he had no parents and was in between guardians
@@lazaruslong6382 and my apologies for responding so harsh. Semper fi
@@billymadison8036 No problem. I was going to reply that if he was in an orphange they were his legal guardians and could sign for him to enlist,but even that doesn't mean he didn't "choose his own path to enlistment". I personally knew a guy that got wounded bad enough running recon with the 1st Cav in VN that he got medi-evaced to Japan,and then once he healed,transfered to the 1st SFG on Okinawa because it was the only Airborne outfit in Asia and he would be able to draw jump pay while continuing to heal. He had been awarded at least one BS for Valor before being medi-evaced,which ended up being his undoing because the Stars and Stripes wrote about him,and someone in his hometown that knew him read the Stars and Stripes and notified the authorities. Come to find out he was only 13 years old when he enlisted in the US Army. He conned his grandmother who was his leagal guardian and who couldn't read or write into signing papers saying he was 17 so he could enlist. I have always been curious about what happened to him later in life. Did he enlist again once he became old enough,or was he barred due to the earlier fraudulent enlistment. He actually looked so young he always wore his uniform out to the bars so he could drink and get laid.
@@lazaruslong6382 wow, that is one heck of a journey of man. Great story, cheers.
SOG missions were like operation Red Wings all the time , loosing multiple recon men and air assets happened frequently.
Whole teams disappeared in LAOS and Cambodia never to be heard from again.
John Plasters book SOG is incredible along with John Stryker Meyer and several others. So glad there stories are being told and we can recognize them for their heroism sacrifice and professionalism in the field.
Now if we could just teach the current generation how to READ
"Whole teams disappeared in LAOS and Cambodia never to be heard from again". Which put to lie what someone said only downed pilots were POWs.
With more than a 100 percent chance of being Killed, it was The Deadliest activity for any American to take part of during The Vietnam Conflict. My dearest Respect and Gratitude for Them.
@@brxtmp106 Lmfao. I Know what You Meant but I think You meant spell.
@@barbaramarrs5113 What does put to lie even mean? Its True. The probability of being Killed if You were apart off S.O.G was over 100 percent. Many of them never made it back. And I'd rather die any day than to be captured by communists. The Vietnamese hated S.O.G so badly that they literally sent entire platoons to go into the jungle and Hunt Them.
The John plaster and John Stryker meyer books about these operations are second to none. Unbelievable reading.
I've only read Stryker/Tilt's book SOG Chronicles. Those guys were absolutely insane and True Warriors! I've also watched Tilt on Jocko Willink's Podcast multiple times and if you haven't watched or listened to those you are absolutely missing out!
ive got all of John Stryker Meyer's books and one from Lynn Black, some of the best books ive read
Thanks for tip. Amazon here we come!
Second to Nick Brockhausens !
Just started reading these after hearing meyer on the jocko podcast (well worth a listen!) incredible story’s, incredible men
The SOG in Laos I worked with were fantastic. I give my eternal gratitude and thanks to each and every one. Vietnam Disabled Combat Veteran.
Salute you.
My step father flew Cobras for MACVSOG CCN to be their gun support for prairie fire emergencies. He has some unbelievable stories about the last stand of RT Kansas. He was also shot down twice. Hard individual.
IMNSHO,the chopper crews and Cobra pilots didn't get anywhere near the recognition they deserved. While we are at it,thrown in the A1E Skyraider pilots that provided us with air support so close you could look up and see the pilot grinning at you as he pulled out from a gun and bomb run.
@@lazaruslong6382 couldn't agree more with your comment. Those Skyraiders impressive lethality enabled SOG to routinely obliterate large masses of NVA troops not to mention strike the fear of god into opposing forces simply by entering the battle space. I might add one other near forgotten group almost completely unique to SOG were their Sikorsky King B choppers notorious for pulling SOG teams under fire from hot LZs countless times while surviving dozens, sometimes hundreds bullet strikes just to turn around and go back in. A true work horse
one of the things I heard speaking to a pilot once is that their job was to support the guy on the ground the knew their life and actions could literally save every single man down there and would go to hell and back to ensure that they saved as many as they could and rain hellfire down on those attacking. Those men knew they were safe if they got shot down as the lengths people would go through for pilot recovery was immense and they knew their job was critical to whatever infantryman was under fire a single cobra on station could rout or at least slow down and onslaught of communists and several was enough for people to break contact truly warfighters. And as much shit as I gave pilots when I was in was thankful for the capability they brought.
I have a recording of RT Kansas battle
@@lazaruslong6382 Amen to that!
10 entire teams simply disappeared on missions; 100% of personnel were awarded the Purple Heart; about 50% were KIA. They racked up a kill ratio that is not only the highest in US history, but likely the highest in world history. In one mission alone it came out to something like 700-1.
Still got there are kick by a load of peasents
@@michaelegan6037 and i guess your liberal ass wasnt there , serving your country huh !
My dad was in MACV SOG CCN also his team did the first HALO jump there. These stories about these heroic men need to be told so that America knows what people of honor and love for their country look like.
Your dad was and still is a legend amongst us.
Master Sergeant Benavidez's story alone is the stuff of legend.
To this day, he is spoken of with reverence among all veterans.
@@blaineedwards8078 Please, do the world a favor and find the nearest speeding freight traiin, then step in front of it.
Thanks
Absolutely one bad ass Texan right there !!
@@sbrannon4585 Definitely a giant.
@@Gunners_Mate_Guns the craziest part is he wasn't even apart of mac v sog, he just knew the dudes that we're out there and went on the rescue bird
Alexandre
The One Zero that Roy Benavidez went to save was Leroy Wright, a man deserving of the MOH himself for his heroic, selfless actions that day.
Sgt. Wright had previously climbed down a string from a helo that had gotten twisted when Benavidez and another team mate were being extracted by rope from the jungle.
The bravery of these men is simply unbelievable.
Thanks for putting this up. I have a cousin who served at least one tour in Vietnam as part of the MACV-SOG teams. This makes me feel closer to him and gave me a better insight about that time. Our Vietnam Vets need to be respected for doing their duty and this part of history also needs to be preserved. Despite what some may say was questionable policy, Communism remains one of the great evils of our time, a failure as a philosophy and a threat to good government everywhere. One of my friends escaped from North Vietnam in this time as a child and he said: "Everyone is equal under Communism- equally dead."
your idea of communism sounds like something that people could be fear mongered into an unjust war over to serve nobody but western hegemony and the military industrial complex, but we can agree it was a war vs communism. the capitalists accomplished their mission at great cost. Only an educated masses can stop capitalist war as they are all fueled by greed, hate and ignorance. yesterday was ho chi Minh's birthday may he rest In Peace.
A friend of mine who just passed away was in this group. He served 106 months consecutively in Vietnam. He spent 39 months straight on patrol. He was a good man and it was an honor to have met him and to be able to call him friend and have him call me friend. He was one of the nicest and most humble people I have ever met. At his funeral service I was in awe to see other special forces Green Berets members look up to this man and talk about him like he was God. Thank you for the series that you make. I keep watching to see if you mention the name of my friend and I figure one of these episodes. If I hear his name mentioned and I will share the link with his sons. They are truly a fantastic series one of the best on UA-cam.
You should check out the SOGcast on here, done by John Stryker Myer.
ua-cam.com/video/JOExqHAkfMU/v-deo.html
Months?
@@tac5780 Yes you are reading that right. Months
@@Mr19ford93 I think “39 months on patrol” is just a lie, would’ve had to spent 3 years and 3 months out in the field, even MACV-SOG guys didn’t spend that long in the field
@@tac5780 if you'd like I can post you a picture of his obituary that states the same thing and the fact that I was at the funeral at the Dallas national cemetery with other vets that served with him that confirmed he had done that. He had a deal set up with the army after he did the straight 106 108-month tour plus being in the field that long he wouldn't have to go back and he didn't he got done came back home. If you'd like more information I'd be more than happy to share it with you.
John Stryker Meyer a MACVSOG member said the NVA would be so close to them trying to overrun the them that they would call air support danger close and by danger close I mean less than 20 meters away. They would even get into firefights basically point blank range they would just point their Car-15 and hit the NVA that’s how close they would get
I read about one guy on a LRRP who got pissed on by an NVA soldier, and he still wasn't found. They were THAT close to them at times, and often were only able to move a few hundred meters in 24h otherwise they would be seen. Crazy stuff!
One of the former SOG members (can’t remember if it was John Stryker Meyer) said that they were in pitch black darkness and an nva solider bumped his shoe with their shoe, and backed away knowing that they just found the sog team, but didn’t engage cause he (the nva soldier) knew it was sure that he’d be killed if he tried. Lol can you imagine looking for a team and stumbling on them only to be like “oh shit, I’m gonna pretend I didn’t see that”?
@@Hoss_91 smart NVA soldier!
@@Hoss_91 Yeah that was John Stryker Meyer, I believe they were in triple canopy jungle.
@Jimmy Castro any of y’all should go check out the interviews done with “tilt”, Bowra, “wild carrot” for the arma 3 DLC SOG Prairie Fire. They interviewed those guys for the development of their game. It’s super interesting!
My grandfather, SFC Dan Wagner Jr was a green baret in SOG. He was shot down in Laos in 67 by viet cong while going back for the radio that one of his injured comrades dropped. He received the silver star, purple heart.. along with several other medals that I still have today. My father was a big history nut and had all of his memorabilia (uniform, baret, etc) on display in our garage. Dan was a good man, thank you for fighting for our country grandpa.
"Larry Thorne" deserves his own episode. The guy was a spec ops legend. James Bond level crazy.
Without even watching the video, I'm going to assume this is SOG? Those dudes are badass, you could probably turn any one of their missions into a movie and have it break box office records.
My grandpa was MACV-SOG. He earned two Purple Hearts and a silver star plus some more in Laos. He earned one of the Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for killing eleven viet kong in hand to hand combat and then being knocked unconscious by a grenade throwing him against a tree while storming a foxhole. I wish I knew who nominated him but on secret missions it wasn’t kept record of
He was never in Laos😉
You got to give it to them peasents kicking USA French and Aussies Ares brave people them peasents women to
MasterSergeant Raul "Roy" Benavides, aka TMM, the man who jumped into a gunfight with a bowie knife, because an M16 would have given him an unfair advantage over the VC. A Texas legend!!! Que chingon!!!
On top of that the reason he joined Special Forces is because he stepped on a land mine and was told he'd never walk again. You never told Tango Mike Mike that something was impossible.
Bro forgot his m16
Rubbish
The original and true Rambo! 👊🏻💪🏻🇺🇸👈🏻
That TMM stuff really pisses me off. For one thing,Roy was one of THE nicest and most mellow people you could ever hope to meet under normal circumstances,and for another he was a Yanqui Indian,not a Mexican. Not that there is anything wrong with being a Mexican,because there isn't. There were probably more ethnic Mexican (actual American) soldiers in SF than most people would think. What Roy was,was a truly professional AMERICAN solider that never once shirked doing his duty,OR going above the call of duty. I was proud to call him "friend" a long time before he was awarded the MoH.
I had visions of Special Forces when I volunteered for the Army but by the end of Airborne school I realized that I'm not that guy. But I still re-enlisted once.
You served. No one can say shit.
You are that guy...you re upped
What made u think that
You know what your limits are... precious few have ever realized that. You can be proud of what you attempted, because so few have. Hold your head high.
Airborne is nothing to sneeze at all on its own buddy. Stand tall paratrooper, you earned it.
Love the Vietnam History and the accounts being told now, The injustices the returned Soldiers face on their return home must never be repeated.
I agree , u.s.a. destroys countries and their own people in the process, all those sacrifices in name of freedom when its no more than modern piracy with nice uniforms and shiny ranks .
@@tuliomop LOL that wasn't what I said but as you brought it up.......
The UN peacekeeping stuff is murky politically sure and the value is questionable.
However North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other alliance agreements like ANZUS provide a "shelter of threat" with smaller countries in return for funding or Strategic help and in return any country working on a strategic threat towards lets say Australia has to take their value to the US into account.
A good for instance was that while 45 was in office and to the current day China was making quite aggressive moves economically and in trade war (Which still continues) and the Aussies were happy to reply in kind im sure partly due to being in a long term Strategic alliance with the United States (See Team America World Police lol)
The Aussie have certain Joint Assets as well so their value in the alliance is good.
Its easy to piss and moan about the big bad US Military but without it the world would be quite different and not for the better.
Cant make an Omelette without breaking a few eggs.
Can't make omelette without breaking some eggg, probably what's the SS said as well
@@harimg9942 fuq you talking about. Most SS soldiers were just front soldiers they didn't commit any crimes. There was almost million of soldiers in SS during a war. Even acknowledging fallen, how many SS oficera and soldiers were tried for crimes? Very small.minority, although allies could and had access to thousands after war, if they were all, or most of them, criminals, they would be trials
It was outrageous how db public on one hand cried over sending their sons to war only to treat them.like shit when they returned! Especially most was drafted, not volunteers
A good family friend was part of the MACV/SOG as a green beret and paratrooper. he was one of the leaders of the tactical low open parachute jumps, and even broke the world record and earned distinguished flying cross. He was part of the forces in Laos and earned a silver star for his actions. RIP James Hauck, callsign Ninja Man.
John's brother?
I never knew him,but am friends with his brother John,who is a fine a man as any who has ever lived.
@@lazaruslong6382 his brothers name was Donald I believe but they did both serve in SF together from Tallahassee, FL
@@thejtd21 I never heard him talk about anyone named Donald,but I do know that he and his brother John were both on the 82nd Airborne Halo team at one time,and were a part of the crew that set a HALO high altitude jump.
@@thejtd21 Hard to believe there would be two sets of brothers in SF and in HALO named Hauck,but IIRC,the John I knew and his brother were from Alabama.
I met one of these soldiers when I was a young enlisted airman. I was hitchhiking the 1,000 miles from my duty station to North Carolina. After an hour or so he began to open up about his experiences in Vietnam. as the time passed he shared details of his time there. Booby trapping corpses was common. C4 and cunning was used liberally to make traps to kill VC He and his comrades worked and lived closely with native populations. They were much feared by the VC. In retrospect,it may have been cathartic for him to unload all of the things he had to do
If you search Annie Jacobsen's "Surprise, Kill, Vanish", her book focuses on William D. Waugh, and he was part of MACV SOG during Vietnam.
She was on joe rogans podcast and the episode is great
@@mikew1374 Right? That was my favourite one by far, and that's how I found out about her book.
That beast was also one of the first into Afghanistan after 9/11, he was at least in his late 60s. I believe he is the third rider in the famous picture of the Green Berets racing their horses toward the camera in the Afghan mountains.
Such a good book!!
Billy Waugh was something special with bells on.
Look into the lesser known MACVCMIT unit. A good friend of mine completed 2 tours with that unit after his first tour. Snatch and grab was their specialty.
i served in the macvsog unit with fellow comrade mason and woods, we fought valiantly through khe sahn and later destroyed multiple vietnamese tunnels.
PLEASE do a similar video on the LRRPs of Vietnam war. These guys deserve some recognition and because the units were so secretive at the time most people have never heard of them. They were every bit as badass as SEALS, Rangers or any other elite units. I hope you will take the time to consider this. Please read about them.
Well thanks. Spent 9 or so months walking point for LRRP after the same walking point in the infantry. Yeah, had some exhilarating times, lol.
@@bruceportersr9880 As a former Recon Marine and LRS Leader graduate I gotta tell you, you cats set a hard row to hoe for those of us who followed in your footsteps. From one Boonie Rat to another, Thank You.
What unit were you with and what years?
My father was a LRP with the 74th infantry detachment
Over a decade ago now I was privileged to live next to Special Forces Association Chapter 64 HQ. It was at Parkside cafe on state street in Harrisburg pa. Its commander was Staff Sergeant Ken Roberts, US Army, Special Forces, retired. Ken was among the first crop of SF after the founding of SF. He was kicked out of the Marines for joining at sixteen. Ken was among the White Star advisors. The first 250 US soldiers in Vietnam. By the end of the war Ken had done five tours of duty with MACV including time in the Phoenix program. Crazy? Yup. Like foxes. Truly some of the most amazing operators there ever was. Long live SF!!
Did he see combat as a white star advisor?
that method where they are hanging on a helo below on a rope is called SPIE rigging. ive done it many times. the first time is a heart stopper but ya get used to it.
Yeah definitely one of the crazier infil/excel methods I ever saw. Did you ever get to do the Fulton skyhook? I actually want to do it just to say I did lol.
@@joshschneider9766 nope. That's a hard pass. Lol. I'd love to do helo casting though.
LOL I'd be down for it just the once to say I got reeled into a cargo plane like a fish haha.
@@joshschneider9766 lol well ya don't get reeled in. Ya just get dropped somewhere.
STABO.
We have all been waiting for this one!
I love SOG. Honestly the coolest SOF we've ever had.
You have no clue what you’re talking about dude
@GlitchMod no, they were made up of guys from multiple different units and branches as well as the native South Vietnamese.
I'll just say my father was in Laos and Cambodia a few times and he said pound for pound the Loation Rock Marines were bad little fukers. They where the type to take ears and leave heads.
@@ethansmith5952 He’s talking about our current SOG. The CIA PMOO’s ( SOG )
@GlitchMod they still do, it’s the CIA PMOO’s
Read Plaster's book several years ago and was left stunned by the courage and bravery of SOG in Vietnam. It left me in awe that there were men who walked the earth willing to put themselves in enemy territory often outnumbered hundreds to thousands against one. The air support they had to blast paths around them and lead them out of harm's way was absolutely insane! A story that needs to be told and every American should know about.
I have been blessed to have known 4 members of MACVSOG. Only one is still alive today. He specialized in sending false Morse Code information from the tops of mountains in North Vietnam using the “fist” of an enemy who their team disposed of. He would listen to tapes of the operator ahead of time, and could imitate him perfectly. Thereby allowing him to send false information on the direction B-52 bombers were headed. Those guys were crazy! But every one I knew was a true gentleman, who you would never guess had done those things.
I dunno the one I met had a habit of throwing racist and homophobic slurs around like water when drunk.
@@joshschneider9766 😆
I grew up knowing a Green Beret who ran spooky missions in Vietnam. He wouldn't and probably couldn't talk about it.
I've known several combat veterans. In general they don't talk about it. I probably wouldn't want to either.
Try reading about the nightstalkers cousin. He was a green beret during the vn war. No wonder they dont talk to normal people about what they have done.
I know a guy now who was a Mac sog in Vietnam. He has no problem talking about it but doesn’t go into great detail. He says what messes people up is not talking about it.
Can't imagine what the captured men went through. As a Vietnam history junkie, I appreciate this video. What you should consider digging into is the involvement of Michelin Rubber Co. in the war. That was the main corporate (French) interest in South Vietnam. The labor camps were for rubber tapping.
They were probably tortured and held in poorly conditioned POW camps. Poor guys didn't deserve that
I'm love reading about VN remember seeing the clips they show on the news as a kid. Thank you for bring up Michelin I was beginning to thing I've been wrong for the past 40 plus years about them cause nobody ever mentions it
Knew a fella who had the patches. Name the school, he graduated from it. Said most of what he did he can't say anything, but he told some things make the hair stand up.4 tours in Nam. He spent a lot of time in Laos and N of the DMZ.A fine fella, and when he died his obit listed his medals.He had all but CMH and he should've had that.Silver Star, Bronze Star all with oak leave clusters...the bravest man I ever knew.Had all these medals several times.He was one of a kind.
Was waiting till you covered MAC V SOG! Great episode - would be even better if you could dedicate a few episodes to some of their missions
The waffen SS and Finish soldier you speak of was awarded the MOH for his actions that kead to his death. SS soldier whis buried at Arlington .
Larry thorn is an absolute convenience based stain on the honor of the us army and his corpse is a desecration to the soldiers he fought against in world war two.
@@joshschneider9766 you mean communists? The same ideology he fought against in Vietnam?
@@joshschneider9766 He fought the right enemy before it became popular. Why are you still showing off a german surname with a mindset like that?
I love the content these dudes put out. We absolutely stand on their shoulders today.
SOG Legends Larry Thorne, Charles Petry, Bobby Burke, Hans Manz, Charlie Norton, Clyde Sincere, Coy Melton and Ray Call
You really do make engaging, high quality and well produced documentaries. This one is no exception.
Roy Benavidez is the hometown hero of El Campo, TX. We wrote a song called "Vietnam" in appreciation to Roy and our family war veterans.
Thank you for paying tribute to these men.
Nice Job!! Dad said in WW2 they would go out in 8 man teams! 101st and 82nd. JJ
MACV SOG Legends of SPEC-OPS.
1 SOG operater were equal to dozens of the NVA.
Jeff
The tale of RT Alabama was noteworthy in this respect.
The 9 man team was quickly reduced to 7 when the team - now led by Lynne Black - fought the rest of the day against an NVA division of 10,000 men.
The NVA suffered 90% casualties - according to an NVA colonel - due to Black's team and the effects of air support.
"You shot me three times" is the title of this event as retold by Meyer and it can be read online.
The story of Lynn black when his team got ambushed on the trail and killed 90% of a NVA division was one of the most insane stories I've ever heard. He even met with of the NVA that he shot years later.
Unlikely a division, more likely a battalion or brigade. A division is up to 15,000 men a battalion around 1000 and a brigade around 3,000.
it was that many. the leader of the NVA division admitted to him over the phone years later how many were there. it was over 10,000. read lynn blacks book or john stryker myers across the fence.
Typically 4 to 5 men teams, suggest that people check out John Stryker Meyer.
Usually 6 man teams because that was all you could load into one Huey. Any more than that and it took two slicks to insert and extract a team. 3 Montenyards and 3 US SF made up the typical recon team.
Great job. Please keep making content about the Vietnam war. The stories of bravery and courage need to be shared more
If anybody hasn't listened to the Jocko Podcast with Dick Thompson yet. Search for then and listen to them. The things Dick Thompson has been through is absolutely insane. He was also SOG in Vietnam.
They're the best 3 episodes of the Jocko podcast. Banana trees still shake when he walks past 😂
@@jbomb69 dude that part was hilarious. I was driving so I was so into the moment of Dick Thompson getting into hand to hand with an NVA regular and it turns out he just ended the pathetic life of a banana tree 😂😂😂
@@goodolslippyfist7339 that guy is lethal even when he's not even trying man hahaha
I remember dad used to tell me about him being in MACV-SOG and the things generally did but wouldn’t go into much detail. He was my only source of info at the time as I didn’t have much internet as I grew up in the 90’s with it either being non existent or limited to school/library. I remember trying to research it and even then things were very limited. Really cool seeing info on it now confirming a lot of what Dad would tell me. I know he went through a lot as it seems hard for him to talk about it too much. One time after taking painkiller medicine for his tooth he started randomly talking about being surrounded by NVA and getting evacuated.
I have them right where I want them, surrounded from the inside.
Tom Selleck narrated a bunch of History Channel documentaries in 2001.
Recondo School, Mike Force and LRRPs.
They were excellent.
I stopped watching Magnum or anything related to Tom Selleck when I read his parents kept him out of Vietnam I felt it was a slap in the face when I found out this.
Ironic since Selleck joined the National Guard in order to avoid Viet Nam.
@@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647 Precisely; he was a weekend warrior who didn't go to 'Nam whatsoever.
@@eagleman1542 yes he said in an interview his family was poor but knew people land got him out and in the Guard and I stopped watching anything with him in it
@@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647 I think most parents would be scared to send their children to war. If that's the worse Tom did compared to some other celebrates I'm ok with that. I respect your opinion though about him. I feel the same way about actors and athletes and don't bother with them
James (Jimmy, Actor) Stewart, stepson was with Marine Recon (officer, 1st Lt?) on the DMZ during Vietnam and was Killed In Action (KIA). Jimmy Stewart (Col.) himself was a bomber pilot over Germany during WWII.
Arma 3 (PC Game) has a FANTASTIC mod called "SOG Prairie Fire" that is all about MACVSOG operations. I got to play with the devs and actual SOG veterans several times since it was released! Really cool experience.
I knew a guy who was part of the Air Force component of this group. The stories he told were pretty amazing, to include being recommended twice for the Medal of Honor. Some of the missions in which he was involved included finding and rescuing American POWs. He told me of not showering for two weeks and eating Vietnamese food prior to a mission to avoid being detected by the North Vietnamese dogs. The worst wound he suffered during his four tours in Vietnam was a bayonet through the mid-section. He obtained his service record at one point with the hopes of writing a book but two-thirds of it was redacted.
Quick point of information: The United States did not declare war during its involvement in Vietnam, although the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized the escalation and use of military force in the Vietnam War without a formal declaration of war. There are also questions concerning the authenticity of the Gulf of Tonkin incident as to whether or not it was fabricated to create a reason for escalating the war.
Yes, it was fabricated. Lyndon Baines Johnson was a lying psychopathic SOB.
Almost any credible historian will tell you that the Gulf of Tonkin incident never occurred. My friend was a Navy radar man and his instructor was on the destroyer that night. Now, my friend is not given to BS, so I believe him. His instructor said they never had a target and were firing in a 360 sweep because they never sighted a boat to shoot at. It was a fabricated story to justify additional troops being sent in. Many things in Vietnam were fabricated or distorted to hide the truth. Sorry, there is no question about authenticity.
The mAC-V i seen in vietnam only done Replacement depo at cam-Ran bay. I served in B co. 10th ARMORED RECON 4th div. 52 ton tank 90mm main, M-2 Browning 50cal., coax, flame thrower. Ple-Durang / X-RAY, ALBANY, Schular, Action fire suport bases.
I often wondered what my dad's beret meant ... he just said it was something he volunteered for concerning Vietnam. He never really talks about it still but when finally did he said he was MAC V ... I have a picture of him in country drinking with a member of South Vietnams SEAL Team 2 ... He said that was his medic... funny the only reason he talks to me about is because he knows I did my time. It bothers him still old wounds never heal ... BTW Jane Fonda ... is a traitor ... hope she burns in hell and all those who spit on my dad when he came home...
She is a traitor. Former Commodore Rod Knudsen described how at least one POW was tortured to death for refusing to meet with her.
@@scottw5315 I know about it ... never forget
So we're gonna act like the US govt didn't lie us into the war? Jane Fonda isn't a blind little sheep like you
Amen , 🙏
Sounded like a straight villan when he said "Strategic reconnaissance" 🤣🤣
I love your content and your production , excellent work sir!
I always wondered how roy benavidez found his way into a situation like that? Now I know. He was apart of this group!
Of course benevidas was macvsog! Much respect to all who've served, thank you.
I know a guy who was special operations in Vietnam. He has such bad PTSD he hasn't gone anywhere except the VA in like 3 years
Stryker on jocko wilink podcast is amazing. Also Richard marchenko's rogue warrior is a good read about the seals in Vietnam
My father flew USMC helicopters and he told me a story once where a Green Beret Combat Team was in trouble, maybe SOG, not sure. A few of my Dad's Squadron "birds" were assigned to extract them with a notion that they might be under fire when they got there. By the time they got to the LZ to pick them up they were all dead. What comes next is beyond words...my Dad said as they banked over the LZ the NVA/Viet Cong/Charile stripped all of the team naked and placed them in a line so the all the helicopter crews can see them! He told me story only once and I was very young but I will never forget it.
😳
Listen to anything by John Tilt Stryker - his stories from macvsog are way crazier than anything mentioned here. The Frenchman RIP, blackjack, tilt all the attacks by sappers... jocko podcast has great interviews with them.
when did frenchman left us?💔
Hats off to the heroes of MACV SOG 🙏🏼❤️💪
Best one yet!!! Watch Jockos podcasts and try to close you jaw when “Stryker” tells stories!
What machine gun is the guy at 3:50 carrying?
Stoner 63 LMG.
@@DrGreenthumbPhd tight
MacV SOG represents everything a child dreaming of becoming a soldier wants to be! Special forces or bust!
Would argue that the B29 pilots that dropped the A-bombs, that they probably have the highest K/D ratio
The criteria is different for ground forces but yeah you'd be right
How about some of these snipers? 150 kills?
My grandfather was apart of this operation. He doesn’t like talking about it.
Mine was stationed in laos he was part of a special operations that just got declassified but he never made it back last name was almendariz
@@williamleroy1736 he was never even officially deployed. Spent most of the time as a Russian solder destroying supply lines.
@@williamleroy1736 he was approached by the CIA while in Germany and was told he was going to do this due to his proficiency in language. They had all of his family members information and location when they “offered” him the spot.
@@toscanius either way he helped 💪 mine was involved with the cia going into pentagon over and over and lots of other things my grandma told me
Who remembers RSLC and doing your first SPIES? 3 guys passed out while I was anchor and they squashed me, the pilot also bounced us twice, but I really enjoyed it.
The actually mostly operated beyond enemy lines in laos and Cambodia
This brings back allot of happy memories. those were happy times for me. lots of pay even combat pay and it was tax free. Now i live in a van down by the river.
The numbers mason!!! I really wish BLOPS had done a better job of telling these guys story. I had no idea this unit existed until I played that game way back when. When I started reading about what they did. Holy Shit.
MACV SOG were true heroes and the missions they went out on with 2 indigd ,no AC 130 circling above ,no drone ,no QRF,no MRAPS, no nothing but a CAR 15 and ya balls of brass
Not true. The only time we were short on air assets was during the rainy season,when the visibility was so low they couldn't see the ground. As for C-130 gun ships,I have had as many as 3 or them flying in race track circles above me at one time,really laying the damn-damn down on the NVA who were trying to overrun our position. This was in addition to the AIE Skyraiders and the USN and USAF fast movers doing gun runs and dropping napalm.
highest k/d ratio? i'd have to present the gulf war armored units, or, heck even mine in OIF... however.. well.. I wasn't in the bush on foot with limited food and water and ammo.. it's entirely different. Irregardless, keep up the great vids.
Difference:
The armored units were supported.
These men were on their own.
Edit:
They had Air support, but still a perilous operations
MACV-SOG was typically outnumbered at minimum 10 to 1. read about Oct 5, 1968, less than 10 guys with air cover against several thousand enemy, almost all of them survived.
>irregardless
Oh no no no....
@@zacktrever1878 they didn't just have air support, they had *priority* air support. If they called for it, anything in the area was diverted to assist.
@@alastor8091 you beat me to it!
An excellent documentary and history of some of THE toughest American Patriots and warriors EVER to set foot on ANY battlefield..
Roy benivedas was an animal an un caged cornered animal and he lashed out as an animal would and devastated the enemy while saving many of his fellow soldiers,a braver man was never born.IMO.took too long to recognize his efforts.
Sgt. Benavidez' heroism was incredible.
You might appreciate another 'One Man Bright Light' mission by Dick Thompson, as re-told in Jocko's podcast (#204?).
Lt. Thompson actually inserted by sliding down a 150 foot rope hanging from a chopper, and then dropping/freefalling 20 feet into the top of the jungle canopy. (This was about 150 from the ground, breaking tree branches all the way until he came to a stop 50 feet off the ground).
Best part is - after rescuing the downed team (actually one team and a downed rescue team), Thompson was ordered to return the next day to recover a left-behind body.
Simply incredible courage from these men.
Roy was NOT an animal. What he was,in addition to being one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet,was a dedicated soldier who didn't hesitate to go the aid of his freinds and fellow soliders where they were surrounded and all shot up. He was truly a "soldiers soldier". Do NOT call him an animal in the presence of anyone who served with him or you will be in deep,deep trouble.
Roy Benevidez was one of the nicest and most polite men you could ever hope to meet,and you insult his honor by calling him an animal.
My dad was at FSB Mary Ann (March 1971), his name is Ted Rose. The base was overrun. He saw some serious shit and received a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on this day. He flew in from Chu Lai after they received calls over the radio. FSB Mary Ann was about 45 mins away from their location. There was a lead helicopter and a chase helicopter. Pops was the Crew Chief on the chase helicopter. According to the pilot, they loaded 30-40 dead or wounded out of there that day in the course of 4 trips. He killed some dudes that day with willie petes. At least some of the dead, if not all, were not in body bags. At the end of the day, after they landed for the final time, the helicopter had bullet holes all over it. And my dad remembers blood leaking out of the bottom. This day has haunted my dad his entire life. He didn't tell me what really happened until I was 40 years old. Thank you all for your service and I hope you have found peace.
0:17 "...but it was mostly referred to as MACV-SOG..." Actually, we referred to MACV-SOG as "SOG". I can't remember any one using MACV-SOG, except for official communications.
03:49 "...the unit was initially called the Studies and Observation Group..." No it was not. It was initially called the Special Operations Group.
I just read John Stryker Mayers book across the fence… Crazy…
The most "secret" units in any war, don't have colorful unit patches, and no matter what acronym you want to use for MacVSog: Everyone knew about them, and their involvement in the Phoenix program of political assassinations that your description of MacV, not surprisingly left out. Not that I care! Cause "Once you're in it, you're in it." From that point on, You have only one goal; accomplish the mission, and "get out of it." The "Montagnards" were the real secret unit during the war. Their unit identification was a loin cloth and a spear! At first any way. And the NVA, and VC, were terrified of these guys! The real tragedy of the Vietnam war, is what Ho Chi Minh really wanted from us long before "American advisors" ended up over there. Checkout Ken Burns Vietnam war documentary episode 1: The Seeds of Conflict.
After the war, Vietcong leaders admitted that the Phoenix program caused them deep damages.
If SOG interests you I recommend checking out SOGcast on UA-cam or Spotify. It's a spinoff of the Jocko podcast and John Stryker Meyer (absolute SF legend) has on SOG vets and related personnel to tell their stories. If you enjoy listening to combat vets telling their accounts it is hands down the best podcast online right now.
"WhEn ThE TrEeS SpEaK ViEtNaMeSe"
When americas K/D ratio is through the MF roof
I have pip Chinese pp
@@jacksonlawson9422 ?
My late best friend was in a MACV unit. The only thing he would tell me is that they were pretty much independent, didn't wear regular uniforms and partied a lot when they got back from a mission. He did say his main job was to protect the squad and if they ever got into a position where they would be captured he was supposed to kill them all. Good thing he came back from Vietnam.
My great Uncle Did this his names Kent White and wrote books about it.
05:55 "MACV's involvement in Vietnam, began during the Gulf of Tonkin incident. On the night of July 30th, 1964, 4 MACV boats shelled two islands off the coast of North Vietnam. When the MACV boats were gone, North Vietnamese torpedo ships retaliated and pursued the USS Maddox destroyer. This led the United States to declare war against North Vietnam."
So the Vietnam War was started through MACV. According to this statement.
Were did you find statistics for this unit having highest kill/death ratio? Got me curious about how other secret units line up.
They had aim bots that's why they got banned.
If they had these guys during Vietnam I think it's safe to assume they still have groups like this that we will find out about in 30 or so years. Another group of insane & badass soldiers that operated in Pakistan or something.
Check out "Tilt" on the Jocko podcast if you ever want to hear first hand accounts of these missions.
These men are ALL HEROES. I am so proud of ALL Vietnam Veterans. That war was during my era, and I have been impacted by this war.
This was when the US Army was still real.
SOG wasn't just Army. Your little statement is very offensive to the other service members which also was part of our brotherhood. In fact you sound off about as much as another little elite team that brags about how great they are.
@@bobbynoname2538
You former military?
I'm retired US Army.
I had a brother, did 4 tours in Nam. The last 2 tours were with the Air Force commando group. Did You serve?
Where, when, who with?
How long you serve?
Let's hear from you.
Originally the "SOG" portion meant Special Operations Group. It was changed to attempt to downplay exactly what sorts of badassery these guys engaged in.
hell yeah dawgies
I grew up on a chain of lakes in Michigan in the 70'-80's, I was in the water constantly and had comic books with frogmen on the cover....wish I would have tried to become one! Being a Frogman seemed like a super hero, I didn't know they was real!
The US did NOT 'declare war against North Vietnam' after the Maddox incident. The US never declared war in Vietnam.
I was going to comment the same thing. Figured I wasnt the only one so I scrolled down. Here it is.
Actually in the 80s I believe it was the cowardly Congress declared the Vietnam Conflict a war retroactively.
Ah you should check out the SOG Prairie Fire DLC for ArmA 3, they actually spoke with lots of veterans. They even published some of the talks, some are mind-blowing insane.
The US did not declare war against North Vietnam. There was never a formal declaration of war against North Vietnam.
At least someone here has some sense.