SOG - A Photo History of the Secret Wars

A new edition of this classic illustrated history of the operations and operatives of MACV-SOG in the Vietnam War.In 1972 the U.S. military destroyed 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 had brought back with them hundreds of photographs of SOG in action and would keep them secret for more than three decades.In this new edition of SOG: A Photo History, 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 document 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.Table of ContentsPART ONE: THE SECRET WAR BEGINSChapter 1: Colby’s Covert WarChapter 2: Switching Back—SOG Is BornChapter 3: Shining BrassPART TWO: THE HO CHI MINH TRAILChapter 4: Unfolding the Mysteries of the TrailPART THREE: SOG’s AIR ARMChapter 5: Blackbirds and Night SkiesChapter 6: Special Helicopters and Special CrewsChapter 7: FACs and FightersPART FOUR: RECON WEAPONS, MISSIONS, AND TACTICSChapter 8: Recon Equipment and WeaponsChapter 9: Recon MissionsChapter 10: NVA Counterrecon Forces and TacticsChapter 11: Recon Tactics and TechniquesPART FIVE: RECON OPERATIONSChapter 12: Getting Teams In and OutChapter 13: HALO: The Ultimate Infiltration TechniqueChapter 14: The Recon EthicChapter 15: Into CambodiaPART SIX: SOG’S HATCHET FORCESChapter 16: Hatchet Force OperationsChapter 17: Operation TailwindPART SEVEN: OTHER FRONTS IN THE SECRET WARSChapter 18: Bright Light RescuesChapter 19: The Greatest Raid of AllChapter 20: SOG in the DefenseChapter 21: SOG’s Darkest ProgramsAfterwordGlossary Read more