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Joe Parnar

Robert Dumont

SOG Kontum: Top Secret Missions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, 1968–1969 Hardcover – December 5, 2022

by Joe Parnar (Author), Robert Dumont (Author)

4.6 252 ratings

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"....[a] powerful sense of sacrifice permeates the book and makes it profound and unique―especially when one considers the void of secrecy in which SOG existed." ―Vietnam Magazine

The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a highly classified, multi-service United States Special Forces unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War. The unit conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; carried out the capture of enemy prisoners, rescued downed pilots, and conducted rescue operations to retrieve allied prisoners of war throughout Southeast Asia; and conducted clandestine agent team activities and psychological operations.

This book tells the story of the Teams operating out of FOB2 Kontum, near the tri-border area, in 1968–69. From recon missions over the fence to the heroic, and sometimes fatal efforts undertaken to try and rescue missing SOG members, the events are told through the words of the men themselves, supported by previously unreleased official documents.

Table of Contents

Road Mining Mission with Tony Love
Kedenburg Loss
Tony Love - Bob Barnes
Duffield - RT Hawaii
Hunt and Love - Wolfkeil
Grommett - Tho wounded
Bryant Bright Light
Dennis Mack Ghost Helo
SOG SLAM VII w/Jaeger comments
Last Days SOG SLAM VII
Russian Helo
Scherdin-Jerson Loss- Huey Crash with RT-Vermont
Insertion Attempt RT-Iowa
HP Recon in Force Goulet-Cadenbach; Insert RT-NM
Insert HP - Hill 1152
Attack on FOB - March 2
Loss of Ripanti
Operation Nightcap
Attack on 'Yard camp
Operation Spindown

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Casemate
Publication date

December 5, 2022
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

1636242340
ISBN-13

978-1636242347
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a very moving tribute to the heroism of the top-secret unit based on research and oral histories gathered from SOG veterans themselves...[a] powerful sense of sacrifice permeates the book and makes it profound and unique—especially when one considers the void of secrecy in which SOG existed."
Vietnam Magazine

"The format of the book works well. The move from one eyewitness account to the next is seamless...a tribute to the SOG personnel and to the helicopter crews who risked their lives picking up endangered units"
The VVA Veteran

"...the typical reader of this book knows what they are getting into, so they won’t be disappointed with SOG: Kontum."
The NYMAS Review

"...an excellent oral history of the men of MACV-SOG CCC during a year that spans 1968 to 1969."
SOF News

"Every one of the personnel mentioned in SOG Kontum is a hero. The book also provides a list of medals/decorations awarded after some missions described, but the awards are only a footnote to the highly engaging narrative. The men of SOG-MACV fought for each other, not for the awards or glory."
On Point: The Journal of Army History

"This is an accurate and insightful book on SOG operations. SOG Kontum gives the fullest picture possible of each event."
Virginia Morris, Author, explorer and academic researcher

About the Author

Joe Parnar served in the U.S. Army Special Forces from August 1966 - April 1969. After military service he became involved in several veterans' organizations. He is a lifelong member of the American Legion and served as Commander of Gardner Post 129 in 1989 and 1990. He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Special Forces and Special Operations associations.

Robert Dumont was born in Oklahoma in 1947 and graduated from Tulsa University before moving to Brooklyn, NY. He worked in the General Research Division of The New York Public Library before retiring in 2010. He co-authored Bac Si: A Green Beret Medic’s War in Vietnam (Casemate 2014) with Jerry Krizan and has also written two fiction collections, "Borough of Churches" and "NYC Transit[s]."

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casemate (December 5, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1636242340
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1636242347
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #169,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #101 in Vietnam War Biographies (Books)
- #239 in Vietnam War History (Books)
- #1,096 in United States Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.6 252 ratings

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Joe Parnar
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Robert Dumont
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Author photo: Bob Dumont and Joe Parnar at Special Operations Association Annual Reunion -- Las Vegas, Nevada
I am an Oklahoma native and graduated from the University of Tulsa. After traveling extensively in Europe during the summer and fall of 1974 my wife and I settled in evil New York City. As a result of a series of short term decisions we remained for 12 years in Manhattan and since 1986 have lived in the borough of Brooklyn.
I previously worked in the General Research Division and in the Cooperative Services Division of the 42nd Street branch of The New York Public Library. I retired after 32 years service with the Library in August 2010.
My fiction was previously published in the literary magazines Telephone, Innisfree, Caprice and the online magazine LEGIBLE.
For several years in the 1990's through 2000 I participated in an ongoing fiction writing workshop conducted by the novelist and artist Ursule Molinaro.
The authors I read and re-read most frequently are Charles Portis, Charles Willeford, and Mario Vargas Llosa.
I am presently working on other writing projects related to the Vietnam War as well as a long, long comic novel about the early history and settlement of Iceland, which mostly takes place in New York City and in the main reading room of the 42nd Street Library.
"Morir Soñando", a story from Borough of Churches can be read here:
http://www.geocities.ws/legible5roses/dumont.pdf
An essay on novelist William Gaddis can be read here:
http://www.geocities.ws/legible5roses/dumontgaddis.html
A review of SOG Medic can be read here:
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=131
An account of my meetings with Mario Vargas Llosa in 2008 at the New York Public Library can be read here:
http://www.nypl.org/blog/2010/12/15/mario-vargas-llosa-new-york-public-library/
and here: http://thislandpress.com/10/20/2011/reader-meet-author/
An essay on post-911 NYC can be read here:
http://thislandpress.com/10/17/2011/at-melvilles-birthplace/
A profile of the poet David Bearden can be read here:
http://thislandpress.com/08/13/2012/bearden-unbound/
A compendium and appreciation of the works of Charles Portis can be read here:
http://thislandpress.com/01/30/2013/a-portis-reader/
A summary and review of Bac Si can be read here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19156295-bac-si
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

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Spadman

One of the best MACVSOG books ever...

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

I flew single seat A-1 Skyraiders' for MACVSOG in 1969 and 1970. This book talks about SLAM missions a lot and they were very dangerous missions indeed. My unit was specifically organized to fly for SOG when Vietnamization going to move all A-1's in Nov 69 to NKP in Thailand. Common sense forced a reversal to form my OLAA unit with less than half a squadron of 12 men and 10 aircraft. Instead of increased SOG losses our unit was deemed to have made 1970 a good year for SOG. We could not talk about what we did for 20 years and nobody in my unit went public for 40 years. Joe sent me a book and I have now sent 6 copies from Amazon to my fellow pilots and friends to better understand our roots. The ultimate SLAM mission was Operation Tailwind and they only survived because leader Gene McCarley never stood ground but kept 135 men moving for days. This book explains it all...A MUST READ!!! Operation Tailwind is another great read about the role of the Marines in Operation Tailwind.

2 people found this helpful

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irvin mora

Excellent information on SOG activities in Loas and Cambodia

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2023

Verified Purchase

Great narratives on what SOG LRRP missions in Laos and Cambodia were like, and why the casualty rates were so high. I served 14 months in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade's LRRP Platoon and we conducted numerous LRRP missions in the tri-border area near Dak To. Our missions at times bordered on the insane; the SOG LRRP missions across the border into Laos and Cambodia were beyond insane. This book is a great source to understand the Vietnam War LRRP activities.

One person found this helpful

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Whitezombie

SOG... What else is there to say!

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023

Verified Purchase

SOG was by far the greatest clandestine military organization ever. The bravery and balls these guys had is beyond approach. God bless them. Every one of them deserve a chair at the table for all the Valkyries. Long live SOG!!!

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mike

Great, non fiction, story telling book

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2023

Verified Purchase

I purchased this book based on an excellent review by Zita Fletcher, the editor of Vietnam Magazine. The book is about short stories of men who volunteered to form small teams going into Laos and Cambodia to observe the activities on the Ho Chi Ming trail. These trips would usually just last a few days and they were inserted (and extracted) via Huey Helicopter. The stories are told by the actual participants of these excursions. It is interesting to read about one mans memories of an excursion and then read about a teammates memories of the same excursion. Everybody has slightly different viewpoints and all are interesting. All of these excursions were top secret and this creates some problems when some of the participants are asked where they've been for the past few days and they're not allowed to tell them. The best part is these are true stories and the names have not been changed (to my knowledge). This isn't some writers imagination putting stories together by fictitiously named soldiers. For example, there really was a SP5 John Kedenburg who was killed in June of 1968 on a mission. This is verified by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall's website. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because the font used when the veteran is telling his story is very small. Perhaps they could have just increased the size of the margins when it's the veteran telling his story rather than the author giving you the background. Other than that, this is an excellent book.

10 people found this helpful

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Ice Pick Mike

SOG HISTORY

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

An account of some of the missions run in Laos and South Vietnam by the USA SPECIAL FORCES. Heroes all and should be read by the new breed of SF troopers. DOL

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023

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Very fast paced

One person found this helpful

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Earline L. Ahonima

Excellent and Riveting

Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2023

Verified Purchase

I purchased "SOG Kontum: Top Secret Missions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, 1968-1969" because an old and dear friend is one of the former FOB2 Kontum MACV-SOG operatives who was interviewed and is featured prominently in this book. Although I knew of his involvement, I was not aware of the highly secretive nature of the operations undertaken by these extraordinary men, nor of the larger scope of the unit's activity. I felt that it was an obligation, in one sense, for me to buy this book to support the authors and the men whose stories are told here; in a larger sense, I knew from having read portions of a related book by the same authors that it would be an exciting read. I was not disappointed. This is edge-of-your-seat stuff, made all the more compelling by the knowledge that every bit of it is true, and from the mouths of the participants. The writing is intelligent and a pleasure to read.

I am not generally a fan of military history or fiction, but I devoured this book. I give it my highest recommendation.

11 people found this helpful

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Brian's Music

American Heros's

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2023

Verified Purchase

SOG members are hero's. Unfortunately kids today aren't taught about what these men did in Vietnam and Vietnam itself. I salute all US forces sent to Johnson and McNamara war. To SOG members killed and MIA , you aren't forgotten. Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice.

4 people found this helpful

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Adrian

First class details of operative condition and experience.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2023

Verified Purchase

This is a good book and is well written.

Lou

Riveting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2023

Verified Purchase

If you have an interest in military campaigns, particulaly the vietnam war , then this a must buy book. A true story of heroism above and beyond the call of duty. Small scale operations deep inside enemy held territory against all the odds. Riveting .

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