Customer Reviews

Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG

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Major John Plaster ranks as one of the top historians of the Vietnam War and stands alone among writers about special operations in Indochina. In Secret Commandos, Plaster continues the story he first brought to readers in SOG: The Secret Wars of Americas Commandos in Vietnam. Unlike all of the phoney wannabes that inhabit the fringe world of post-Vietnam America John Plaster is one who has been there, done that and has the T-shirt! You will sweat with him running recon along the Ho Chi Minh trail, shiver in the chill Central Highland nights while the enemy searches for him in the darkness, bleed with his comrades as they fight and die in places that are as remote for most Americans as the far side of the moon. But in Secret Commandos you will be on top of the action in a manner that can be written only by one with the experience who combines that background with an extraordinary writing talent.
Secret Commandos is a must-read for anyone who is interested in America's secret operations in Vietnam, in what the US Special Forces soldier is really made of, and in learning the hard-core truth. The soldiers who volunteered for SOG were a special breed no doubt. For most of a generation they have been overlooked, ignored, hidden behind mounds of top secret classification stamps, or lied about by detractors, impersonators and pretenders. No more. John Plaster rips back the curtain to show war at its most difficult - and in so doing displays the remarkable abilities, dedication and professionalism of our very special American fighting men.
Buy this book and treasure it. Recommend it to your friends. Get the word out: learn the truth of Vietnam and meet the men this fine country produces who will sacrifice and die to defend our freedom. This is a story that has waited a long time to be told and has the perfect man to tell it.

I bought this book reluctantly because I'd already read Major Plaster's outstanding history, "SOG". That book is so good, so thorough, I thought, "What else is there to know"? I was wrong. In many ways, "Secret Comammandos" is a far better book. I think it's because "Secret Commandos" is Major Plaster's memoir--his own story of serving in SOG. "Secret Commandos" brings the accomplishments and bravery of the SOG recon men to life even more than "SOG". I found this book to be much more personal. Major Plaster does a wonderful job of conveying his fellow warriors as brave, funny, ironic, and yes, a little earthy sometimes. When too many of them fail to return from a mission, I felt the loss. After reading "SOG", I was deeply impressed by the caliber of men who fought without publicity in the Viet-Nam War. After reading "Secret Commandos", I'm grateful this country produced and, I think, still produces, tough and patriotic men who will defend this country to the bitter end. This is one of the best military histories in print. I also can't resist saying this. I tried to read "Jarhead" and couldn't get past Chapter 1. Yet that book has some very high ratings and is being made into a movie. Why? Real heros are like Major Plaster and his fellow SOG warriors. They do hard things and neither brag nor whine about them publicly. A final point. There is one very negative review for this book by someone who didn't sign their name. I can't help wondering if it's the individual Major Plaster writes about, who failed repeatedly--and at a very critical moment--to measure up to the standards set by the US military, let alone Special Forces. Thank-you for writing this book, Major Plaster. This country too quickly and too often forgets it's heros.

Another great book by John Plaster. Thanks for surviving to tell the stories of the true warriors of SOG. America is fortunate that it can still find such high caliber men to take on these very dangerous missions.
There were many times while flying as a Covey FAC (Forward Air
Controller)in support of these SOG teams on the ground, that I felt like I was supporting "Gen.Custer at the Little Big Horn". They would have more "Injuns" (NVA) after them than you could count.

To John Plaster and all the SOG warriors, thank you for your service to our country, we are all in your debt.

Don Fulton aka "Covey 538" / 1968-69

John Plaster and I flew dozens of missions together over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He is the real deal. This, of all his great books, let me know as a FAC pilot what REALLY was going on, on the ground. I am humbled to have flown with John and ALL the green berets of SOG who demonstrated such awesome courage. No purple hearts were won there for minor scratches. Each page is riviting and puts the reading in the jungle surrounded by hundreds of NVA bent on taking out the teams. John's tribute to the Covey FACs (part III) was particularly moving. Hand Salute to you "Plasticman."

Every once in awhile, say every five or ten years, I run across a non-fiction book on a subject that I know enough about to have an informed opinion, based on my own experience and knowledge. John Plaster's SECRET COMMANDOES is one of these books. It doesn't hurt at all that it is extremely well written by an excellent historian of the war in Southeast Asia, who has firsthand experience of his subject and an apparently eidetic recall as well. The only way he could have provided the reader with a more thorough and vivid account of Special Operations Groups would be if he had videotaped the events he writes about, and I doubt that even videotape would have told the stories so well or come as close to giving us the experience of being behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia.

I was a member of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces in 1962 and 1963. I spent two and a half years in the Far East but was never in Vietnam and was not a member of a 'Studies and Observations Group', which was something that came into existence, at least by that name, about the time I was discharged from the army in 1964. I can only aspire to the kind of courage and skill that was repeatedly displayed by these dedicated soldiers, but I nevertheless rubbed shoulders with some of them on a daily basis, (including at one point members of the 22nd SAS) heard a number of firsthand accounts of recon patrols in Laos, and recognize truth when I see and hear it, at least on this subject. I also recognize excellence in a soldier, which is the hallmark of the men serving in SOGs. There simply were no better soldiers at what they did than the members of the Special Forces recon teams,as Major Plaster's book reflects (although I've no doubt that the Navy SEALS and the Marine Corp's LRRPs were their peers).

SECRET COMMANDOS cuts along a line that, in my opinion, divides the 'old' Special Forces from the new, as epitomized by SOGs, and gives us a unique look into history from the SOG side of the line. The Special Forces that emerged during the VIetnam War got its baptism of fire in Laos in 1961-62, a fire that tempered the steel of Special Forces and the men fighting an unconventional war there. What followed, especially after the death of President Kennedy and the replacement of Gen. Westmoreland by Gen. Abrams as the Vietnam Commander, was the eventual misuse and abuse of Special Forces operational detachments as expendable infantry, as well as for special missions that had begun to deteriorate into suicide missions. Major Plaster shows us all of this with incredible clarity and insight. I highly recommend SECRET COMMANDOS. It is a joy to read, as well as a treasure house of information about special soldiers during the VIetnam War.

For those who would prefer a less personal (and less intense) view of the history of Special Forces from 1956 to 1975, I recommend GREEN BERETS AT WAR, by Shelby L. Stanton.

While his previous SOG books have focused on the overall history of covert organization, John Plaster's latest book on SOG covers his own personal military experiences from Special Forces training, his time in SOG as a recon team leader through his departure from Vietnam.

"Secret Commandos" is one of the best military history books I've read this year without a doubt. The book gives the reader a ground-level view of what it was like to run recon deep in Laos day in and day out, making it a hard book to put down once you start reading. The courage and sacrifice of these brave men who served in SOG is amazing- I hope more Americans hear thier story.

"Secret Commandos" (along with Maj. Plaster's two other SOG books) brings belated attention and honor to some of the greatest (but unknown) soldiers this country has ever produced.

You have done it again my friend, great job. You have brought to the front the very core of what being in SOG Recon means. You have brought to the attention of America the job that was done, by those we left behind and those that came home. You have done it with integrity, honesty, and with style. You brought back many memories in a positive way. You are still the Covey Rider, once again helping the warriors of SOG, by telling the story in such a great book. You have kept the faith with those warriors we lost by telling their stories,as only one who has run the missions could.

We served with the greatest, most unselfish warriors of our time, maybe all time, not a day goes by I do not think about these men I was so privileged to have served with.

You have never lived till you've almost died. For those who fight for it, Life has a flavor, the protected will never know. Those words still have great meaning to all of us.

Stay Safe my friend, see you at SOAR this year hopefully.

Pete Buscetto
Bus
CCS Recon SOG

John Plaster's account of SOC missions into Laos are great. I was there as a helicopter gunship pilot with the 189th AHC Ghostriders/Avengers between 11/68-10-69. I was in the SOC Kontum Compound for numerous briefings before flying into Laos and from my personal knowledge John Plaster could not have written a more accurate book of real warriors in Vietnam. If you want to see a true dead man walking, grinning from ear to ear, look into the face of a SOG member after 7 days in Laos as I have at Dak To. My helicopter company was not the only one involved in SOG missions in Laos. Just ask any of the additional brave warriors that flew the helicopters in support of SOG. These brave aviators/crews were only 20 & 21 years old and belonged to the following companies; 57th AHC Gladiator/Cougar, 119th AHC Gators/Crocs, 170th AHC Bikinis/Buccaneers, 189th AHC Ghostriders/Avengers and 361st AHC (Cobra) Pink Panthers. Captain Dave Speer, call sign Avenger #10

I am John Plaster, the author of, "Secret Commandos," which has been falsely attacked by someone who hasn't got the guts to sign his review. Readers should know that every account in my book is 100% true, thoroughly researched and honestly told. Not one account is a "Bar room story," but an accurate, factual story of some extremely brave men. These incidents are backed up by multiple witnesses, eyewitness reports and award citations. I took 3-1/2 years to "get it right," and I did.

If you like fast-paced action this book has it in spades. It is hard to imagine the levels of courage these guys must have had to put their lives on the line everytime they went out on a mission. John Plaster covers the secret missions as they took place in Cambodia and Laos. It didn't take long to read this book because I read through the action parts with lightning speed, and there is a lot of action taking place in this book. I am still amazed how a group of 6-8 heavily armed troops can go up against a company of armed enemy or be discovered by an enemy of battalion strength and fight there way out. This book will stay in your mind for quite some time. As with all true books about war, the author also writes of losing friends and comrades in arms. It can be a little depressing to read about they guy in the photograph dying weeks after the photo was take, time and time again. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to live through.