15 Months in SOG: A Warrior's Tour [Mass Market Paperback]

Thom Nicholson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 1999

"When we cross the border: no ID, and it's kiss yourself good-bye if Charlie gets ahold of you."

In Vietnam, the Military Assistance Command's Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) fielded small recon teams in areas infested with VC and NVA. Because SOG operations suffered extraordinary casualties, they required extraordinary soldiers. So when Capt. Thom Nicholson arrived at Command and Control North (CCN) in Da Nang, SOG's northernmost base camp, he knew he was going to be working with the cream of the crop.

As commander of Company B, CCN's Raider Company, Nicholson commanded four platoons, comprising nearly two hundred men, in some of the war's most deadly missions, including ready-reaction missions for patrols in contact with the enemy, patrol extractions under fire, and top-secret expeditions "over the fence" into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Colonel Nicholson spares no one, including himself, as he provides a rare glimpse into the workings of one of the military's most carefully concealed reconnaissance campaigns.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"When we cross the border: no ID, and it's kiss yourself good-bye if Charlie gets ahold of you."

In Vietnam, the Military Assistance Command's Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) fielded small recon teams in areas infested with VC and NVA. Because SOG operations suffered extraordinary casualties, they required extraordinary soldiers. So when Capt. Thom Nicholson arrived at Command and Control North (CCN) in Da Nang, SOG's northernmost base camp, he knew he was going to be working with the cream of the crop.

As commander of Company B, CCN's Raider Company, Nicholson commanded four platoons, comprising nearly two hundred men, in some of the war's most deadly missions, including ready-reaction missions for patrols in contact with the enemy, patrol extractions under fire, and top-secret expeditions "over the fence" into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Colonel Nicholson spares no one, including himself, as he provides a rare glimpse into the workings of one of the military's most carefully concealed reconnaissance campaigns.

About the Author

Thom Nicholson was born in Springfield, Missouri, and grew up in northern Arkansas and southwest Missouri. After graduating from the Missouri School of Mines, he worked briefly in a uranium mine in New Mexico and then entered the U.S. Army. He served as a Special Forces officer in Vietnam in 1966, as an A-team executive officer, and, in 1969, as a Raider Company commander for CCN, MACV-SOG. After being discharged, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve and completed his career in staff and command assignments with special operations and training commands. In 1996, with more than thirty years commissioned service, he retired at the rank of colonel.

As a civilian, Mr. Nicholson was a registered professional engineer. He received an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University and graduated from National Defense University and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School. After military and civilian retirement, he started writing novels, many about the Civil War and the American West. He and his wife, Sandra, have five children.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press; 1st edition (June 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804118728
• ISBN-13: 978-0804118729
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good read but not without flaws., October 10, 1999

By 

robert g. snite (Arcadia, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 15 Months in SOG: A Warrior's Tour (Mass Market Paperback)

As a member of CCN (Jul-Dec '70) I do know some- thing about life as a "sogger". Col. Nicholson's account is, for the most part, accurate. However, discrepances exist; e.g. there are no leopards in either South Vietnam or Laos, and an indigenous soldier, whether Nung or "yard" was never assigned to carry the team radio. Remembering things 30 years after the fact is very difficult and probably accounts for these errors. Still, a book well worth the time.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Fictional Account of Duty in Vietnam, February 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: 15 Months in SOG: A Warrior's Tour (Mass Market Paperback)

The author of this book served in MACVSOG in a support role. His account of having served with the recon troops has many inaccuracies -- and he has acknowledged some exaggeration to those of us who led MACVSOG recon teams. This is an enjoyable work of fiction, but John Plaster and Richard Shultz have written excellent historical accounts of MACVSOG.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A good docudrama..., May 16, 2000

By 

Ken Van Arsdel (Modesto, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 15 Months in SOG: A Warrior's Tour (Mass Market Paperback)

The book is entertaining, but as an historical work is disappointing. I was a NCO on a recon team during the period referenced in the book, but sorry, I just don't remember this guy. I know from other sources he was there, but there are many factual discrepancies that cast doubt on the rest of his recollections. Anyone who remembers the C-Team being "south" of the CCN compound, or Marble Mtn. being to the "north" must be related to the director of the John Wayne movie "The Green Berets" in which John Wayne watches the sun set in the South China Sea. (For those of you who are geographically challenged, get a map. Col. Nicholson, get a clue.) Nevertheless, the book did evoke some memories, and for that, I'm thankful.