Showing posts with label special ops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special ops. Show all posts

U.S.Navy Seawolves: The Elite HAL-3 Helicopter Squadron in Vietnam Review

U.S.Navy Seawolves: The Elite HAL-3 Helicopter Squadron in Vietnam
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First I wish to congratulate the author for a pleasant and fast read.
Joe, you sir should have remained silent and kept us wondering about your obvious lack of historical knowledge. Instead you choose to make ridiculous statements and remove all doubt ........
First, US Navy Seawolves is written not about Mr. Kelly or his missions, it's about how and why the Seawolves were created and how they did there jobs. If you had read the Dan's first book you would know this.
You state the stories are not first hand accounts. From what area of your all knowing Seawolf and SEAL history is this statement based? Yes they are first hand accounts from the people that WERE THERE! Did you bother to read the preface?
You again state your expertise on Vietnam era weaponry. Which nomenclature is incorrect and what are you so sure about? Joe you obviously don't know anything about the SEALs or Seawolves.
"Myopic glamorization of death.....were you there? What part about WAR and reality don't you like? I think Mr. Kelly did a great job in conveying the circumstances and situations without excessive gory details. As to your concern of historical presentation of facts, I can assure you the accounts describes are true and confirmed by SEAL Team One personnel, Capt. Spencer, and the other people mentioned in the forward. If you had read it you would know this.
Regarding the rocket window account. It is stated as an accident in the book. Did you really READ the entire book?
Lt. John Luscher provides the first hand accounts of the actions in question during the Tet offensive. If you have issue with his history, call him and ask!
You state "As is the fact that the helicopters could fly 120 MPH three feet off the ground through the streets of Saigon and take corners at full speed. Sorry, but that all seems like quite a stretch." Well Joe, I WAS THERE and would be willing to offer you ride to see just what a UH1-B can't do.
As I stated above, I was there and give the author high marks for being as accurate and clear as possible. This book provides a third person view of what really happened to a group of brave soles that few have heard of and history for the most part chooses to forget.
If and when I get the opportunity to meet the author, I plan to shake his hand for those of us that never came home protecting people like you "Joe."


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There were no dry runs for Seawolves in Vietnam. They put their lives on the line—every time.In the Viet Cong-infested Mekong Delta, where small SEAL teams were always outgunned and outnumbered, discovery brought swift, deadly consequences— and a radio call for backup from the United States Navy's very best: the Seawolves. The whir of approaching rotor blades signaled their arrival as they tore through the jungle at treetop level, gunners hanging off the skids, shooting M-60s, raining down their lethal mix of high explosives and incendiary death.Seawolf Dan Kelly describes the origins of this extraordinary outfit. Put through a training program unlike any other, these men emerged to perform unparalleled feats of courage. The stories of these elite warriors capture America's real heroes in all their guts and glory, and demonstrate why the Seawolves are known as the most successful and most decorated unit in the Vietnam War.

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Spies and Commandos: How America Lost the Secret War in North Vietnam (Modern War Studies) Review

Spies and Commandos: How America Lost the Secret War in North Vietnam (Modern War Studies)
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Spies and Commandos is a great book for anyone interested in SOG's exploits in SEA. This book is well researched and goes into great detail about the missions executed throughout N.Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Conboy is a great author and any of his works are well recommended for those who seek an unbiased account of covert operations in SEA. A book of simular content was written by Dr. Schutlz but simply does not compare to this. My personal favorite subject discussed in this book is the developemnt, exploitation, and operations of the "EARTH ANGEL" teams(1969-1971) which were turncoat NVA soldiers who were advised/trained by experienced CIA and US Special Forces personel to gather intell in Cambodia. Truly an educational and exciting piece of work. Another interesting subject is how the ARVN Special Operations units fought in the 1972 and final 1975 NVA offensives. BUY IT. You will not be dissapointed.

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The Ether Zone: U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment B-52, Project Delta Review

The Ether Zone: U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment B-52, Project Delta
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First off, I'm a former Marine that was at Mai Loc from 1 Sept 69 to
4 Oct 69, and had the honor to be attached to Detachment B-52,
Project Delta for Operation Trojan Horse I & II. And I have to say
thank you to those SFs that I served with there. After finding out
more about this special group of Soldiers, I am very humbled and proud
to say I had the privilege to serve with them.
After wondering what was going on and who was I with for many years, this book filled in more pieces of the puzzle for me.
R.C. Morris did an excellent job in writing this book and doing the research to make it factual. Highly recommend it for reference or just plain reading to understand what was going on. It is not a dry read.
Just go buy the book, it's a hellava read.
Sleep tight, the worlds best military is protecting our freedom!

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Project Delta and its clandestine special reconnaissance operations proved to be one of the most successful Special Operation units of the Vietnam War, yet few Americans have ever heard of them, or know that this unit's operational model was precursor for the renowned Delta Force. This small unit of less than 100 U.S. Army Special Forces amassed a record for bravery that rivals few. For the first time, the Project Delta "Quiet Professionals" finally share their amazing story.Highly trained as experts in special reconnaissance techniques and procedures, the covert Project Delta missions were accomplished through recon team insertions into enemy territory. As the primary sources of intelligence collection for Project Delta, these tough and tenacious recon men recount hair-raising adventures from personal recollections."The Ether Zone" is certain to appeal to those with an interest in Special Operations Group, the Vietnam War, special operations and military history in general.

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SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam Review

SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam
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I am a veteran of SOG having served with CCC, FOB-2, Kontum RVN. After being assigned to ST Illinois I pulled several missions and suddenly found myself One-Zero (Team Leader) after the One-Zero quit Recon and moved on to the Hatchet Force.
I have conversed with John Plaster on several occasions and have purchased all his books. In this particular book I am mentioned on pages 89-90 where he (Plaster)tells what he says is the story of the "Bright Lights" mission that recovered the body of SP5 John Kedenburg MOH. I and my assistant Team Leader, One-One,Mike Tramel have read this tale and were absolutely astounded to learn from Plaster's book what a couple of bumbling heroes we were. In short, the only truthful details is our names. The date, and details of the mission are l00% BS.
In addition to our mission Plaster makes several stupid statements in his book that defy the imagination. For example:
He states that Thunderstorms in VN (SE Asia) do not produce lightning only thunder.
He was issued a Silenced Swedish K SMG. To the best of my knowledge and belief we had a plethora of Silenced Sten Guns/.22 cal colt woodsman pistols, a conex container of Swedcish K"s but none had silencers.
He always checked his safety just prior of getting out of the Helicopter to insure, due to humid weather in VN, that it had not rusted solid. Now this would be a real trick since the receiver of the CAR-15 was aluminium alloy and did not rust.
Going to the Club and singing "Old Blue" everytime a US SF soldier was lost. This never happened while I was at the FOB ,again to the best of my knowledge and belief. However, SFC James McGlon was known as "Old Blue" because he was always singing "Old Blue" at the Club.
This is just a few of the untruths I found in his book and I don't have it in my possession so I might extract other parts of his tales that I know to be incorrect. Suffices to say, that every SF Soldier (circa1968), that I have spoken with have the same opinion of the Plaster's Books.BTW Neither Mike or myself were interviewed by Plaster prior to the publication of his book


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War Stories of the Green Berets: The Viet Nam Experience Review

War Stories of the Green Berets: The Viet Nam Experience
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I grew up during the Viet Nam war, in a military family. I joined the Army immediately after college and was the first woman commissioned at my University, in 1975. While I never served in combat, I knew many who did. I read this book to try and understand what it must have been like for the men who served, without having to read through the filters of the liberal media, or the continuing lies of our government.
Being from a military family, I understand what duty, honor and country means, and to me, the Green Berets are some of last, true defenders of those ideals. This book did not disappoint me.
It is a wonderful book, with all the elements of life, both precious and horrible, woven through it.
My favorite story was of the POV and how his faith in God was restored by a fir tree and some fire-flies. He does work in mysterious ways!
To my brothers-in-arms--my heartfelt thanks for sharing parts of your souls with the rest of us.
To those who are stil! l unaccounted for--forgive us. I, for one, shall never forget you.

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War Stories of the Green Berets Halberstadt Subtitled: The Viet Nam Experience. US Army Special Forces commandos in action! This unprecedented oral history profiles high-risk, high-intensity missions into the jungles of Laos and Cambodia duringthe Vietnam War. Green Berets break their code of silence for the first time to reveal their top-se cret missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

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Pathfinder: First In, Last Out Review

Pathfinder: First In, Last Out
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I was a Pathfinder in the 101st Airborne after Burns and served two consecutive tours. Although I did not know him, I recognized many names from the book including Torch, the dog. I was rivetted by this factual recounting which was eerily real. With few exceptions, this could have been my diary. I am ordering two more copies for my family so they can better understand a very significant part of my experience. Airborne... all the way!

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December 1967: Richard Burns had just arrived in Vietnam as part of the fourteen-man 101st Pathfinder Detachment. Within just one month, during a holiday called Tet, the Communists would launch the largest single attack of the war--and he would be right in the thick of it. . . .In Vietnam, Richard Burns operated in live-or-die situations, risking his life so that other men could keep theirs. As a Pathfinder--all too often alone in the middle of a hot LZ--he guided in helicopters disembarking troops, directed medevacs to retrieve the wounded, and organized extractions. As well as parachuting into areas and supervising the clearing of landing zones, Pathfinders acted as air-traffic controllers, keeping call signs, frequencies, and aircraft locations in their heads as they orchestrated takeoffs and landings, often under heavy enemy fire.From Bien Hoa to Song Be to the deadly A Shau Valley, Burns recounts the battles that won him the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and numerous other decorations. This is the first and only book by a Pathfinder in Vietnam . . . or anywhere else.

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Six Silent Men (101st Lrp/Rangers) Review

Six Silent Men (101st Lrp/Rangers)
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I read Rey's book second, Although I would have love to have read the books by the numbers I still enjoyed it very much, as a matter-of-fact when I got the other two, I read this one again. I have read all three of them three times, and have enjoyed them just as much each time I read them. I think Rey did an outstanding job of telling how the LRRP companies started. I have never met Rey, I am hoping to get an invite to their next reunion. I am an EX/ LRRP/RANGER. I was with ECHO/ 50th LRRPs then We became ECHO 75th RANGER. Roadrunner 6 out

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"No way in hell you could survive 'out there' with six men. You couldn't live thirty minutes 'out there' with only six men." [pg. 13]In 1965 nearly four hundred men were interviewed and only thirty-two selected for the infant LRRP Detachment of the lst Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Old-timers called it the suicide unit. Whether conducting prisoner snatches, search and destroy missions, or hunting for the enemy's secret base camps, LRRPs depended on one another 110 percent. One false step, one small mistake by one man could mean sudden death for all.Author Reynel Martinez, himself a 101st LRRP Detachment veteran, takes us into the lives and battles of the extraordinary men for whom the brotherhood of war was and is an ever-present reality: the courage, the sacrifice, the sense of loss when one of your own dies. In the hills, valleys, and triple-canopy jungles, the ambushes, firefights, and copter crashes, LRRPs were among the best and bravest to fight in Vietnam.

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Boots on the Ground: The History of Project Delta Review

Boots on the Ground: The History of Project Delta
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An excellent and factual history of Project Delta, Detachment B-52, 5th Special forces Group,Vietnam. The book is written with out hype or sensation and tells the story of a group of men who quietly and professionally gathered strategic intellgence and wrought havoc on the enemy for nine years. Project Delta was the most decorated unit during the Vietnam War while at the same time its members avoided publicity and consequently many of their individual acts of heroism went unregocnized or rewarded. The methods and techniques developed by these quiet professionals became the standard for others to use or emulate and are still in use today. If you are looking for spellbinding excitement, don't buy or read this book. If you are looking for a serious book about how recon/intel missions were conducted and the manner in which they were conducted, buy and read this book. Thank you Steve Carpenter for your effort and the excellent product you produced.
Dennis McVey (Frisky)

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Early in the Vietnam conflict the U.S. command structure recognized a need for solid verifiable intelligence about enemy locations, movements and tactics. Much of the enemy's covert activity was occurring in Laos and Cambodia, areas where U.S. presence was not permitted. Project Delta was the first successful unit that evolved to perform long range reconnaissance and other counter insurgency missions deep in enemy territory. Project Delta's operations remained classified until 1996. For the first time, the history of this storied unit has been recorded from volumes of declassified military documents and from hundreds of hours of interviews conducted in 2009. The author is a former member of the U.S. Army's Special Forces and was a recon team leader in Project Delta.

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U. S. Air Force Special Ops (Power) Review

U. S. Air Force Special Ops (Power)
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Although there have been many books written about US air force Ops very little has ever been written about the Combat control teams and para rescue components of this force. This book finally covers it in excellent detail. Also gives good coverage of the fly component of the air commandos, although some information is inconsitent, or dated, there has been very little of such good quality written about the Air Force special ops community. Great complement to the books that preceded it such as "From a Dark Sky" "That Others May Live" " Air Commando One" and "Any Time any Place"

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The most elite special operations flying units in the world are the USAF 1st Special Operations Wing. Their missions include close air support, interdiction, covert insertion-extraction of personnel, and combat search and rescue. This colorful volume highlights both the highly trained Air Commandos and their specialized equipment by telling the unit's fascinating operational history through first-hand stories and special access photographs.

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Running Recon: A Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops Along the Ho Chi Minh Trail Review

Running Recon: A Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops Along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
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Greco described this book best by calling it the "scrapbook of a covert organization never meant to see the light of day." (Acknowledgements, X) This is exactly what this work is. Not only does it reflect his experiences while serving in SOG, but it reflects the overall experience of running highly classified missions into enemy controlled territory.
Before I bought this book, I was somewhat apprehensive because I had already bought John L. Plaster's book "SOG: A Photo History of the Secret Wars" and I was afraid that they'd be very similar in photos and content. While some photos appear in both books, they are each their own separate works and both compliment the other very well.
I am truly thankful to Greco and Plaster and the others alike who served in SOG and performed a job against such incredible and sometimes suicidal odds. Furthermore, thank you for taking the time to compile your experiences into something that can be read and held by those who were never there.


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A combination memoir and combat photography book, Running Recon reflects both the author's experiences in the top-secret Studies and Observation Group (SOG) from April 1969 to April 1970, and the collective experiences of SOG veterans in general.What sets it apart from other Vietnam books is its wealth of more than 700 photographs, many never before published, from the author's personal collection and those of his fellow SOG veterans.

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American Heroes in Special Operations Review

American Heroes in Special Operations
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I chose this book to read because of the author, Oliver North. I was very curious to read what he had written. It is actually a part of a series that he has produced. Had I fully known the subject matter of the book, prior to my selection, I wouldn't have chosen it. (I shy away from war stories, due to the violence.) That would have been tragic for me. My timing (Veteran's Day) was a coincidence, but made it all the more relevant.
"American Heroes in Special Operations" is a compilation of short stories , reporting true Special Operations Force's events that have taken place since the launch of the War on Terror. The stories are reported with as much fact and detail as is allowed by law. The book includes: amazing photos, to help support the stories written about events in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq; detailed definitions for novices (like me); and most importantly, recounts the honors awarded to the participants in these events.
Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. It is written in such a manner so as not to titillate the reader by the horrorifics of battle, but to recount the stories in as much detail as possible, so the reader gets a very good sense of what the participants endured. The words flow smoothly so it is easy to become engaged in the stories and with the participants. I was cheering for the good guys, boo/hissing the bad guys, and weeping for those who were lost. The stories seem so fantastic that I had to frequently remind myself that this is not fiction or fantasy, but real stories about real people.
I've found this book of true stories to be important to me, because it has helped me become more of a participant in the War on Terror, if only through new knowledge. I feel very strongly that this book belongs in every home in America. If there were ever a reason to get everyone moving in one direction at one time, it should be to collectively read this book so as to more fully appreciate what it actually means to go to war. This series should be mandatory reading for every government official.

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