MACV-SOG

Covert Operations During the Vietnam War

MACV-SOG

After the war troops of MACV-SOG either returned to their civilian jobs or some continued to serve in the U.S. Army in a new unit called the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta also known as "Delta Force". Which continues the legacy on SOG on to this day.

Raiders inside a

HH-53 Heliocopter on its way to the rescue the POWs at Son Tay

Audio from a MACV-SOG Mission in Laos

The whispering voice is a SOG "One Zero" from RT Hawaii calling in a "Danger Close" Airstrike on NVA Troops

A Presentation by

Scott Brownell (Period 7)

Travis Iler (Period 3)

and

Derek Nola (Period 2)

Operation KINGPIN

By 1970, the US course in Vietnam had been set towards disengagement and turning the war over to the South Vietnamese. But, Nixon was determined to retrieve the 350 American POWs, held captive in North Vietnam before the withdraw .

Overhead imagery from USAF SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft indicated the probable presence of US POWs in a compound at Son Tay, some 20 miles from Hanoi. Approximately, 50 American POWs were estimated to being held captive within the compound. By the beginning of August, 1970, Joint Contingency Task Group “Ivory Coast” was hard at work planning the raid.

The army provided 56 men for the raid. The Navy provided 59 aircraft from Task Force 77. The Air Force provide five HH-53 helicopters, one HH-3 helicopter, and five A-1E. Full dressed rehearsals were carried out until the team was 95% certain the mission would be a success.

November 21st the raiders hit Song Hay prison, unaware that the parameters of the mission had change. New air reconnaissance indicated that the POWs had been moved to the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison compound. Not even General Manor, who had set up the mission, was aware of this.While the raid was a success with no deaths the prisoners were not rescued. The effort against the Son Tay POW complex was an masterful example of MAV-SOG operations.

SOG Troops preparing for a Recon operation into Cambodia in late 1967

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

OPLAN 34-ALPHA

By August 1964 SOG had been operating with South Vietnamese commandos on a "Top Secret" operation in the Tonkin Gulf for two years. Their job was to harass North Vietnamese Naval installations, this was done in order to provoke the North Vietnamese navy into an attack. Finally following a devastating raid of July 30th the North retaliated. On August 2nd Four North Vietnamese Navy Patrol boats attacked the USS.Maddox, and the Vietnam War began.

Named after the leader of Communist North Vietnam, The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a massive trail starting in North Vietnam passing through Laos and "Neutral" Cambodia and into South Vietnam. This trail provided the Viet-Cong and PAVN with the weapons, ammunition, food, supplies, and men needed to topple the government of South Vietnam

This trail would become SOG's Hunting Ground

What were SOG operations like ?

What Is SOG ?

Operation SHINING BRASS (Prairie Fire)

This operation began in 1965, with patrols being inserted in Southern Laos and Northern Cambodia. The chief goal was to disrupt NVA supply lines in the region, and to give the Air Force recon for air strikes (Operation Steel Tiger).

It was renamed Operation Prairie Fire in March of 1967 due to a security leak in a American newspaper.

At its height in 1969, more than 37 missions were conducted per month, with 1016 air strikes and the destruction of 161 structures and 718 PAVN troops.

During a week long mission in 1971, teams with AC-130 gunships destroyed hundreds of trucks and temporarily halted all traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In the eyes of the US government, the MACV-SOG/Air Force group was effective as two battalions of regular U.S. infantry (roughly 2000 men).

The Military Assistance Command-Vietnam's Studies and Observations Group may sound like some boring desk group, and that was just what the military wanted.

Operation COMMANDO HUNT 1

Beginning in 1967 Operation Commando Hunt 1 was a joint MACV-SOG, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force operation to destroy certain parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail located in Southern Laos. It was a follow up to Operations Shinning Brass/Danial Boone (Prairie Fire)

At its apex (1968-1969) the number of NVA trucks destroyed on the Highway was 7000 and NVA troops killed was 20,000. Total amounts of equipment destroyed on the trail was 15% of all materials moving Southwards.

A squad from Recon Team California (CCN) extracting from a "Hot" Landing Zone in Laos. Extractions like this were common later in the war due to the NVA's as the reaction to SOG's earlier raids.

Throughout the war in Vietnam "Neutral" Cambodia was a safe haven for North Vietnamese Troops and supplies coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

SOG operations were usually cross border reconnaissance operations. these operations were aimed at gathering real time intelligence for airstrikes. Other operations included damage assessment reports on bombed areas, Rescuing downed pilots and P.O.W.s, and "Snatch and Grab missions to capture enemy troops for interrogation.

In reality SOG was the elite of the elite of the U.S. Military. It was made up of primarily Army Special Forces (Green Berets), but also included Navy SEALs from SEAL Teams 1 and 2, Air Force Pilots from the 20th Special Operations Squadron and CIA agents.

The program was disbanded on May , 1972, only to be immediately replaced by the Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance Team 158.

B-52 Bombing Run

A variaity of custom weapons including

a "Cut Down" M-60, a pump action Grenade Launcher and a fully automatic shotgun

SOG set out to make their safe haven

into a nightmare.

Operation DANIEL BOONE

A SOG team operating in Laos display equipment captured during a raid. included in the the cache were a Viet-Cong flag, a homemade Soviet Flag, and Captured French rifles from the French Indochina war in the early 1950's.

Due to the success of Operation Shining Brass in Laos in the previous year, the Pentagon gave the go ahead to SOG to extend their recon operations into Cambodia. Beginning in 1967 Operation Daniel Boone would be a extreme challenge for SOG. Restrictions on combat operations denied air support for teams unless necessary. These operations would eventually evolve to include the secret bombing of Cambodia known as Operation Menu, in late 1969

Saigon

What Did SOG do ?

The Team

The group's job was to:

"Execute an intensified program of harassment, diversion, political pressure, capture of prisoners, physical destruction, acquisition of intelligence, generation of propaganda, and diversion of resources, against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam."

A SOG team was made up of 5-11 men, the team leaders were called the One-Zero and the One-One, The team radio officer was known as the One-Two. the remainder of the team were Indigenous personnel they consisted of Montagnards, Nungs, (Both ethnic minorities in South Vietnam) and on occasion South Vietnamese Army Commandos.

Tools of the Trade

SOG was given free reign over what types of weapons and uniforms they could use. Uniforms were modified with extra pockets then spray painted with black stripes. A majority used the XM-177A1/A2. Some teams used enemy AK-47's and NVA uniforms in order to confuse the enemy when they were on the trail. Suppressed Sub-Machine guns were used to silently eliminate enemies. Large Weapons like the M-60 Machine gun gave SOG a added edge. When a weapon didn't fit SOG's needs they made one. One Recon team utilized a cut down 60mm mortar for extra support.

What a SOG Soldier usually looked like in the Late 60's early 70's.

XM-177A1

Suppressed Sten SMG

Suppressed M3 "Grease Gun"

AK-47