Customer Reviews

Project Omega: Eye of the Beast (Hellgate Memories Vietnam War)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was so honest and straight forward. It helped me so much to understand the thoughts, emotions and actions of the "Recon Man". John Plaster's book "SOG" was good too, as it helped me understand the more technical aspects of their military life but Mr. Acre's book was able to put a more "human face" to these incredibly heroic and dangerous missions. I really liked his stark and unassuming portrayal of life as a soldier in and out of the field.

Having had a relationship with a decorated MACSOG veteran I can only say this book was able to shed a sliver of light into his 30 plus years of tightly guarded and assume painful and suppressed memories. It is of great interest to me how some men can share the same or similar traumatic experiences and come back to live productive and fulfilling lives while others follow a self destructive path and turn to alcohol and drugs to medicate and suppress their memories.

Mr. Acre I hope you will write more accounts of your experiences in Nam. It is about time Americans come to appreciate all veterans for their sacrifices and and heroism in the line of duty but particularly to those men of MACSOG because they were never recognized or honored and so little is known about who they are and what they did for our country.

I had the privilage to serve with Ernie at CCS 69/70, as a medic. The book he has written is honest and sincere, as well as accurate, while time blurs some memories, and erases names from ones memory, Ernie has done a respectable job. His depiction is based at the ground level and is what Viet Nam was to him running recon not just deep in enemy territory, but in their back yard. While Ernie had frogetten my name, he did me the honor of devoting almost one whole chapter to an action the we were both involved in. I was the medic that went in to recover the crew of the downed gunship, and the body of the dead door gunner. As I stated this book is accurate. The reason his recon team was not able to reach the downed bird, was there were just to many NVA in the base camp he had located. Based on my perception the camp was battalion size or larger. The only error that I found is that I did not carry the dead door gunner up a rope ladder, I was not quite that strong.

It should also be fully understood that it seems as each individual fought in a some what different war. Those of us that served in Viet Nam in special operations fought a far different war that those who served in conventional line units, just as flying as a chase medic was far different than being on the ground as a team member. Yet each produced its own set of bone chilling terrors and nightmares. If you chose to read this book you will see a very real depiction of some of what it was like to run recon in Cambodia, and understand that when the FAC, the slicks and gunships, and me a chase medic went home for a beer, (not to denigrate the FAC's air crews, they kept us alive). The recon teams in CCS were on there own, and the next morning too many very brave friends never were heard from again.

If there are any errors in this book the cause is time, misunderstanding, of events at the time of particular events. The officers and men of CCS did the jobs they were called upon to do at the time. If you want to read a book about cross border recon, written by a man that has not written a war story, then you should read this book, Ernie did not sugar coat the rough edges, or add to the events to make for a better WAR STORY.

I have just finished reading Ernie's book and found it fascinating. I flew "Green Hornet" slick, right gun and inserted and extracted teams in 67-68 from FOB II (CCC) and Ban Me Thuot (CCS). Jerry Shriver led one of the teams I supported, and I had many exciting and terrifying times extracting him and his team. While I was there before Ernie, his descriptions of his experiences run parallel to the experiences of teams I supported. Through the words in his book, I could again feel the experiences I had while supporting men like Ernie. I have always had the utmost respect for the SOG teams and the unbelievable missions they undertook. In this war, these teams were the ultimate definition of the word "Warriors". There is a saying between the men who have been there, which is-"would you go to the woods with this man". I would go to the woods with Ernie!

I originally read this engrossing book when it was first published in 1999, and which is written by my friend, Ernie Acre. A member of MACV/SOG's Command & Control South secret project in Ban Me Thuot, Ernie was a member of Recon Company and operated in the Salem House AO of Cambodia during some of the hottest missions of the war. He served in a unit that had the distinction of carrying on its roster some recon legends, such as Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver and David "Babysan" Davidson, men who would not return home from these highly hazardous missions. This book is as much a memorial to them, written as a cathartic confession from a friend and colleague, as it is a collection of war stories.

The book is written to be read by men familiar with life in a combat zone and contains not a single politically-corrected phrase within its pages . . . which means that it is a tough, gritty book with soul. Ernie pours his emotions into its pages and leaves nothing behind. As an example, in his initiation to the realities of Vietnam rear area diversions, he soon discovers with his fresh-from-Ft. Bragg friends, the matter-of-fact, 500 piaster joys of the local steam and cream joint. No PC police were employed in the editing of this book!

Ernie dives into the initial shocks of his assignment to the Studies and Observations Group with the briefing which carried with it the reality of "if you get captured or killed over the fence, Uncle Sammy knows nothing." He is soon off to his in-country initial training mission during which he quickly learns to appreciate the lessons being taught by his experienced One Zero, a short-timer still in the field with only a couple of weeks left before his return to the World. His eye-opening initial foray over the fence on a trailwatch mission results in some close calls, especially when North Vietnamese Army regulars spot one of the team's Claymores, point to it, shrug their shoulders and decide to do nothing. With sweat running down his forehead and his heart beating so loudly it seems to echo through the jungle, Ernie watches as his One Zero, with the detonating clacker in his hand, seems ready to blow the mine, but manages to hold back from doing so. Good thing, too, since over 250 NVA manage to meander down that trail while the team watches from barely ten meters distance. This book might never have been written.

Ernie manages to imbue the pages of his story with deeply personal conflicts between what he has seen happening in America and what he now sees as a mission more for each other than for a greater good. He sees friends disappear into oblivion and feels the pain of loss of comrades that only combat soldiers will ever know. He is artful in his descriptions of the men he serves with and funny in the escapades that they share . . . oh, yes, the book is not all war stories. In fact, some of the stories that arise during his periods of stand-down are downright hilarious for their outrageousness.

The conflicts within Ernie build with each passing day, each mission, each loss of teammates, to the point where he finally realizes that he can never be the same college student that joined the Army, that dreamed of his `55 Chevy, who eventually sees a person in the mirror that appears to be him, but is no longer him. His reality has changed and has changed him forever. Perhaps this is nowhere more clear than when he reaches that point in his tour when he has to decide to either extend or to return to the World. The feelings of conflict within him are strong as he realizes that the bonds that have been created in combat are unlike those of any other relationship.

The book is a well-written diary of a young man's life-altering experiences, some of which he shares with many who served in Vietnam combat, and some which will forever be personal to Ernie Acre. The reader is fortunate to be allowed to share in these most private of thoughts and emotions of a good soldier who did his duty.

Ernie your comrades in arms have reviewed this book well, and understood what you have tried to convey. With the exception of "Sham" who may be the first and only person, I know of that may have served at CCS, who was afraid to leave his name certainly not from the recon group I bet.

Note with pride that some very exceptional recon man, warriors who served in SOG, have given you their opinions on this book, and when it comes down to it, that's the ones that really count.

I recently read it again and my reaction is the same, well done.

Pete Buscetto

Bus
CCS Recon

I enjoyed the book and it was great reading about some of my old friends at CCS. Ernie has told it like it was,the stand downs from missions, and the missions themselves. Each of us had are own way of handling things between missions, to his credit Ernie has openly shared his.

Only three things counted in those days, did the man pull his missions, was he any good in the woods, and would you go to the bush with him. These standards, once meet, formed a bond among us that will last a life time. Ernie met these standards long ago in Cambodia.

Ernie has expressed himself well, has given credit to those he served with and has share his personal emotions and actions with the readers. Honesty is the truth, this man has shared it with the world. Not everyone will agree with all he has written, he has however earn the right to tell his story. I respect him for it, its too his credit that he made no effort to make himself out to be anything but a SOG Recon Team member. He proved himself years ago, I am proud of him for sharing his experiences so openly with his readers, I am not sure I have that kind of courage.

Great Job my Friend

RT Plane CCS

This book gives a snapshot of the Special Forces Vietnam experience by one who was there. No phony wanabee heroics, just the memoir of a SF Trooper doing the job he volunteered to do. The author shows the humor, the tragedy, and the comradeship that were all part of serving with Special Forces. Reading the stories about men I knew and had served with, told so well, brought back memories long forgotten.

Jack Tobin, B55 Mike Force, 5th SFG, RVN, 69-70

In his book, Ernie has let us all in on the everyday lives, fears, thoughts and views of the Viet Nam era soldier. Without glorifying the actions, motives, or outcomes of himself, his peers or his leaders, he has told a story AS HE REMEMBERS IT. This, after all, is what TRUTH is all about. I, for one, thank him for letting us into the inner sanctum of the combat veteran who does not need or choose to change, clean up, play down, build up, or in any way justify what and who he was, when he was NEEDED to be who and what he was. I thank Ernie, my brother, and ALL the veterans who have done whatever was needed, so that I might read this book and write this review in safety and peace of mind.

Lowell D. Brown

I thought John L. Plaster's SOG was good, however I find your book to be the "best" easiest to read and understand of all military works Ive read on Vietnam! I find eash sentence forever keeping me in suspense! And you describe things so well! I wish that I could have served at your side, so gallantly as you did for our country! You are my "true" hero Mr. Acre; and if I would have the chance, Id do the same for you sir! Much respect, and write more books on war! Thanks for helping to preserve freedom and democracy for us all! God Bless you all, and all of SOG, as well!

This author relates the happenings of an elite group of special forces soldiers, without sugar coating the ugliness of war, nor over emphasizing the heroic deeds that occured regularly by these guys performing their missions. The stories show the tentions that build up in the fighting situations, and what they did to relax, but never forget. Some will find it difficult to believe, yet, I know he and the men he worked with have many more historical reports, some even more intense and spellbinding, but all true. Once a person accomplishes missions such as these, he does not need to embellish events--- because retelling them is nothing, it was accomplishing them that was incerdible! I believe him to be accurate, I was there .

Bill Coughlan