Product Description
"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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

War Stories or Fish Stories?
15 Months in SOG is fiction packaged as fact. Having read many books about special operations forces in Vietnam (Special Forces, LRRPs/Rangers, SEALs/UDTs, Marine Recon, etc.), I eagerly picked up a copy of 15 Months in SOG. It became apparent soon after I started reading that something about the author's "combat memoir" just didn't seem quite right. The more I read, the more this feeling grew. Several of the tales he recounts (first-hand) smacked of fiction (the "Pie Plate" incident, for example). The photos included in the book were fairly generic. None were taken in the field. I did some online research and found a couple of websites dedicated to chronicling SOG history and debunking false claims made by bogus special operators. It turns out that Mr. Nicholson was indeed in Special Forces and that he was posted to SOG for part of the 15 months he claimed in the title of his book. However, it appears that he served mostly in a staff capacity and that many of the combat exploits described in his book were conducted by others. For whatever reasons (only he knows), Mr. Nicholson inserted himself into these stories as the protagonist, passing off the experiences of others as his own. This is plagiarism, pure and simple. What is all the more baffling is that the author admits to conducting several extramarital affairs during his tour in Vietnam. Why lie about combat experiences that he did not have and then publically confess infidelity for all the world (including his wife and children) to read?

If you want to learn more about the fascinating history of SOG, look elsewhere. There are several real histories and authentic memoirs out there. If you don't mind fabrications and tall tales, then you might enjoy 15 Months in SOG.

MIKE FORCE
ONE PERSON'S VIEW OF THEIR TIME IN VIETNAM.HE WAS LUCKY TO GET ASSIGNED TO SOG INSTEAD OF A CONVENTIONAL LEG UNIT.

he is full of BS"
This guy needs to stop Blowing his own Horn, And learn the trueSOG, I have read many SOG books and by far this was the Worst 1 st hand experience of what a real Recon man went threw it almost seems like this guy gets up in the AM and looks in the mirror and says damn I'm just like RAMBO, its a joke of a book , (WE FEW) (ACROSS THE FENCE) (ON THE GROUND ) BY JHON MEYER" is what real SOG HEROES went threw "

Be Forewarned!
Although Nicholson served in MACSOG during 1970-71, this is not a memoir. The dates, personnel, and locations have been altered and some of the events are fictionalized. Have been researching SOG activities and history for the past twenty years, so I know whereof I speak. If you want accurate, and realistic depictions of recon team activities in SEA, see James Acre's PROJECT OMEGA: EYE OF THE BEAST (Hellgate Press, 1999) or John Plaster's SECRET COMMANDOS (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

A great read!
Overall, this is a great personal recollection of Vietnam experiences and well worth a read.I noticed many inaccuracies as well, but the overall strength of story and first-person narration make up for these deficiencies.

This book provides a very interesting commissioned officer's perspective on his time with SOG in Vietnam; even though he seemed to primarily serve in a support role, his experiences and recollections are well worth sharing. ... Read more