Laos, Sarin, and Special Operations Groups (SOGs) I do not have any knowledge one way or another about the use of Sarin gas in Laos per the recent news items. Below is some information from CIABASE about SOG operations in Laos and Vietnam. For brievity's sake I include only the most relevant entries. Ralph McGehee CIABASE Vietnam. SOG history. 4 volumes on SOG by harve saal. they are accurate, and outstanding. volume one: historical evolution of SOG. volume two: locations volume three: legends volume four: appendixes. books can be obtained: jfk center museum gift shop ft. bragg, n.c. 28307-5000 (910) 436-2366. stoney execpc.com Vietnam, 67-69 in 67, MACSOG's private air force of taiwanese and american-crewed c-123 and c-130 transports, and other planes, carrying an increased tonnage. MACSOG's meager resources being dissipated by hanoi, which was now indirectly controlling more of MACSOG's resources directed against the north than its own commander, col john singlaub. singlaub took over command in summer of 66 and concluded agent teams in the north were probably all compromised. MACSOG documentation study confirms that diversionary ops began in fall of 67 when last of long range agents parachuted into the north. then MACSOG was controlling and resupplying 17 in-place agent teams and singletons sent north in 67. teams received 24-aerial resupply missions in 67. all but one of the fifteen teams were under hanoi's control. not until summer of 68 were long-range agent team ops ended. tourison, s. (1995). secret army secret war 205-210 Vietnam, 63-73 MACV-SOG, sacsa ops all plans for ops to sacsa and nsc and c-i-c pacific, office j-46 which monitored SOG acts at every level. in tactical situations MACV-SOG could launch strikes immediately in combat situations. local SOG commanders undertook actions on their own, without approval. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 77-78 Vietnam, 65 SOG op called prairie fire. members wore black pajamas and worked with a team of nung mercenaries on long range ops into Laos to monitor and interdict. shot field grade nva officers. valentine, d. (1990). the phoenix program 194 Vietnam, Laos, 63-73 MACV-SOG projects included initiation of resistance movements, encouraging bandit activity, and assassination teams in neutral countries in counterterrorism programs. MACV-SOG handled - a top-secret section of jcs head by special assistant for counterinsurgency and special activities (sacsa). section had 3 divisions - counterinsurgency, special ops, and psychological ops. each division could harness entire military special warfare power for any task anywhere in the world. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 77 Vietnam, 62-73 MACV-SOG included personnel from CIA, dia, usia, and other branches gvt. as well as chinese nationalists "gray ghost," aircraft squadron, turkish air force officers and australian piloted red kangaroo-painted caribou aerial delivery planes. MACV-SOG worked closely with svnese special exploitation service, a band of ruthless agents and intel officers. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 78 Vietnam, 64-70 MACV-SOG commando teams inserted faulty or rigged ammo into selected nvese depots to undermine nvn's munitions system. caused devastation to front-line units. code-name for op changed frequently from eldest son, italian green, and pole bean. jcs stopped ops on 2/23/70. some reports that U.S. and svnese troops wiped out using captured weapons. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 76 Vietnam, 64 SOG op timberwork, used U.S. navy seal commandos and svnese special forces in strikes against coast of nvn. in 7/64, CIA officials coordinated op with intel op run by oni and the nsa. op known as desoto. it used nsa technicians, using sophisticated tracking equipment, on destroyers to record radio transmissions ad radar signals as the destroyers cruised near trouble spots. in 64 op target was island of hon me in the gulf of tonkin. timberwork raid would hit hon me to get nvnese to turn on radar. on 7/30/64 raid took place. raiders using pt nasties dropped smaller boats. raiders retreated under fire. another attack 2 days later. nvese pt boats assuming destroyer part of raid, attacked the maddox. 2 days later another attack with the turner joy. these attacks called unprovoked generating the gulf of tonkin resolution. volkman, e., & baggett, b. (1989). secret intelligence 148 special operations group. CIA's paramilitary office. not staffed with people qualified for work. staff of retired army, air force and navy personnel, plus a sprinkling of younger one-tour military officers, who were originally hired on contract by the agency for paramilitary assignments in sea, was surprisingly inept at the hard detailed planning required for a war effort. stockwell, j. (1978). in search of enemies 20, 76 Laos, Vietnam, 67-68 secret CIA strike unit formed from nung from south Vietnam. MACV-SOG agreed to help recruitment of 80-man contingent. paul barb sent from Laos for liaison. george morton as early as 9/62 was commander of ussf in s. Vietnam. he later a CIA pm expert in philippines. mike ladue also an ex-ussf vet worked on program. effort a flop. conboy, k. & morrison, j. (1995). shadow war: CIA's secret war in Laos 171 Laos, Vietnam, 70-71 MACV-SOG had rare program of assistance for a major CIA pm op in Laos. MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams inserted north of tchepone. beginning 2/6/71 MACV-SOG dropped phantom-rigged parachutes and bundles of notional teams. purpose of op to divert pavn attention and preventing nvese reinforcements from heading north along route 92. MACV-SOG's willingness to support a CIA venture thus explained. conboy, k. & morrison, j. (1995). shadow war: CIA's secret war in Laos 289 Vietnam, 64-73 SOG-36 teams in north, earth angel teams of intel net of north Vietnamese turncoats mixed with U.S.-indochinese strata (short-term roadwatch & target acquisition) detachments saturated large regions in nvn and Laos. SOG-36 later sent pike hill intel teams dressed as khmer rouge and cedar walk Cambodian guerrillas to the south. "oodles" secret agents and "borden" diversionary north Vietnamese agents caused problems. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 76 Vietnam, 64 SOG op timberwork, used U.S. navy seal commandos and svnese special forces in strikes against coast of nvn. in 7/64, CIA officials coordinated op with intel op run by oni and the nsa. op known as desoto. it used nsa technicians, using sophisticated tracking equipment, on destroyers to record radio transmissions ad radar signals as the destroyers cruised near trouble spots. in 64 op target was island of hon me in the gulf of tonkin. timberwork raid would hit hon me to get nvnese to turn on radar. on 7/30/64 raid took place. raiders using pt nasties dropped smaller boats. raiders retreated under fire. another attack 2 days later. nvese pt boats assuming destroyer part of raid, attacked the maddox. 2 days later another attack with the turner joy. these attacks called unprovoked generating the gulf of tonkin resolution. volkman, e., & baggett, b. (1989). secret intelligence 148 Vietnam, SOG. study and observation group, a combined force army, navy, and air force, consisted of both Vietnamese and americans. highly classified op lasting ten years. no single unclassified history. resulted in relatively minor harassment north Vietnam. beginning SOG vnese army's 1956. special forces type unit. to prepare guerrilla stay-behind units just south 17th parallel. supported by military assistance program (map), and had CIA training organized in 20 15-man teams. 1961 400 sfers to vn train vnese special forces. those to form networks of resistance, establish bases nvn, conduct light harassment. national security action memo 5/11/61 called for explicit unconventional war said: expand present ops...in guerrilla areas svn, under joint maag-CIA sponsorship and direction. full cooperation svese using vnese civilians recruited by CIA. in Laos, infiltrate teams under light civilian cover to se Laos to locate, attack vnese communist bases and lines communications. teams supported by assault units 100 to 150 vnese for use on targets beyond capability teams. training teams could be combined op by CIA and U.S. army special forces. igb 144-5. CIA ops nvn unsuccessful. teams captured. SOG redirected to propaganda using radio broadcasts, leaflet drops, and deception ops. december 63 program switched from CIA to military control in op switchback. CIA continued contribute program in political and propaganda fields, and several CIA officers attached to program. simpson, c.m. iii. (1983). inside the green berets 145-6 Laos, 66-77 MACV-SOG's cross border reconnaissance ops in Laos (initially called shining brass and renamed prairie fire in march 67, in april 71 it renamed phu dung) expanded from 11 a month in 66 to 16 a year later. to coordinate missions, a MACV-SOG mountaintop relay post, called-signed leghorn was established on 1/67 10 kilometers inside Laos. in feb 71, U.S. members of MACV-SOG no longer allowed to accompany teams into Laos. conboy, k. & morrison, j. (1995). shadow war: CIA's secret war in Laos 378 Laos. Vietnam op shining brass cross-border ops against nvese installations and movement Laos. 12 man teams, including 3 americans and usually 9 montagnard civilians under employ SOG. basic mission shining brass locate targets for aerial bombing, fight, destroy enemy supplies found undefended. recon teams later to direct air strikes known targets thru elaborate procedure get approval bomb from U.S. ambassador Laos. simpson, c.m. iii. (1983). inside the green berets 147-152 Laos, Vietnam. in 3/71 MACV-SOG restructured as part of Vietnamization program. ccn, ccc, ccs renamed task force advisory elements 1,2, and 3. but ops actually increased. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience. it's good to come across manning's observation and confirmation of what i observed/experienced. contrasts with other info in "shadow war" in which U.S. military personnel were supposedly no longer doing MACV-SOG cross-border ops after 2/71. i was with ccn/tf1ae until late 9/71... we were still doing the same thing, and still losing many americans and indigenous troops in Laos, nvn, dmz, etc., who haven't yet been properly accounted for. our losses of U.S. military personnel from MACV-SOG operations after 2/71 seems to have created a major accountability problem which many people are still juggling like a hot potato to this day. email 7/27/95 by rustylang aol.com Vietnam, 64 special ops group (SOG) under directives called oplans. SOG had absorbed combined studies group. tpp 60. seals as part of leaping lena program ran ops in Laos and nvn. seals sat along ho chi minh trail counting troops and trucks, shot nvnese, kidnapped prisoners, etc. tpp 61. SOG c5 program for ops into Cambodia. valentine, d. (1990). the phoenix program 75 Vietnam, 67-69 details of ops. in 68 seal team i had personnel allowance of 33 officers and 195 enlisted men with 5 ops platoons among three detachments in vn. seals occasionally, assigned duties with special op group of MACV (MAC-v SOG). a number of ops in north Vietnam - no details. ops in svn described. 69 marked beginning of end of seal ops in vn. description of seal team ambush ops. Vietnam: the last years. dockery, k. (1991). seals in action 89-155 Vietnam, 68-69 MACV-SOG commandos into nvn between 1/68 and 5/69, 140 missions run, 41 craft destroyed, 80 crewmen killed, 185 captured. SOG units suffered 4 killed and 4 missing. bosiljevac, t.l. (1990). seals: udt/seal ops in Vietnam 115 Vietnam, 68-73 MACV-SOG ops included all branches of U.S. services - marine reconnaissance commandos, air force crewmen, navy seals and coast guard commo experts. majority forces from army special forces aka green berets. all under cover of 5th special forces group at nha trang. ranks of MACV-SOG's command and control south (ccs) decimated in 68. ccs one of 3 field commands established during 68. largest project was prairie fire, originally known in 1965 as shining brass. goal to control nva infiltration through eastern Laos. ccn (north) based at da nang shared responsibility for prairie fire with ccc (central) at kontum. ccn also handled missions in nvn first begun 1n 2/1/64 under op plan 34-a. ccs op was daniel boone aka salem house. daniel boone was a recon campaign across Cambodian border begun on 6/27/66. one of d.b.'s ops was fishhook in Cambodia in golf-80 series targets. ccs teams had names. description of ops of team auger, team omega, etc. in 3/71 MACV-SOG restructured as part of Vietnamization program. ccn, ccc, ccs renamed task force advisory elements 1,2, and 3. but ops actually increased. on 4/30/72 MACV-SOG closed down. MACV-SOG personnel were transferred to new unit, strategic technical directorate - assistance team 158 but its power rapidly eroded. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 812 Vietnam, 72 no direct action seal teams remained in vn. some seals remained as advisors or attached to MACV-SOG. last 2 seals in country attached to ldnn as advisers. seal 162. in SOG svese ran most field ops by spring 72. bosiljevac, t.l. (1990). seals: udt/seal ops in Vietnam 163 Vietnam, Laos, 63-73 MACV-SOG projects included initiation of resistance movements, encouraging bandit activity, and assassination teams in neutral countries in counterterrorism programs. MACV-SOG handled - a top-secret section of jcs headed by special assistant for counterinsurgency and special activities (sacsa). section had 3 divisions - counterinsurgency, special ops, and psychological ops. each division could harness entire military special warfare power for any task anywhere in the world. manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 77 Vietnam, Laos, 63-73 MACV-SOG projects included initiation of resistance movements, encouraging bandit activity, and assassination teams in neutral countries in counterterrorism programs. MACV-SOG handled - a top-secret section of jcs headed by special assistant for counterinsurgency and special activities (sacsa). section had 3 divisions - counterinsurgency, special ops, and psychological ops. each division could harness entire military special warfare power for any task anywhere in the world. on any given day ,30 small, isolated teams operated "across the fence." manning, r., (ed), (1988). war in the shadows: the Vietnam experience 77 Vietnam. military terms used in vn include, black box - sensor devices planted along trails, roads, rivers, and at intersections and junctions to detect body heat, perspiration, or sound given off by passing troops; SOG (MACV) - special observation group that specialized in deep-penetration patrols across borders into svns neighboring countries; kit carson scout - former vc/nva soldiers, repatriated to serve as a scout for U.S. forces; lrp - long range patrol and, lrrp - long range reconnaissance patrol. linderer, g. (1991). the eyes of the eagle: f company lrps in Vietnam, 1968 Vietnam, 50-70 book, "secret army, secret war - Washington's tragic spy operation in north Vietnam." naval institute press, 1995. hanoi's nhan dan (communist party newspaper) on 20 july 1995. did not specifically mention book but published a front page article about op identifying key cadre involved, 10 year time span, that it was a deception op using turned radio operators, and that 463 agents were killed or captured in nvn. book's appendix 10 lists 456 of the agents lost in the north. appendixes 1-9 are scanned original documents from jcs staff study on MACSOG and covert ops against nvn under oplan 34a and operation footboy. docs include oplan 34a mission and scope of ops for phases i-iii, roster of known covert teams sent into nvn. stourison aol.com 2/22/96 Vietnam, 60-75 studies and observations group special forces in Vietnam (5th special forces) went into Laos and Cambodia when the U.S. denying that any ground troops were in Vietnam. ans: studies and observations group (SOG) was not the same as 5th special forces. it borrowed some personnel from 5th special forces, but most personnel of 5th special forces were not working for SOG, and some of the people working for SOG were from the navy, air force, or marines--not army special forces. SOG was established in january 1964, when the us was denying that any ground troops were in Vietnam, but it continued to exist through most of the years when the us was quite open about the presence of us ground troops in Vietnam--into the early 1970s. edwin e. moise eemoise clemson.edu. in soc.history.war.Vietnam 3/21/98 Vietnam, 64-73 special operations group in Vietnam established in 1964. "the special operations group (SOG) was formally activated on 1/24/64 by usMACV general order no. 6, the organization was redesignated as studies and observations group, with no change in its functions, in late 1964." MACSOG documentation study, appendix c, "MACSOG operations against north Vietnam," page c-4. large portions of the MACSOG documentation study, a fairly thorough official history of the organization, have been declassified and are now available in the national archives, in record group 46. in his book "SOG - the secret wars of america's commandos in Vietnam", major john plaster (usa ret), writes that special operations group (SOG) was organized 1/24/64 to take over certain covert CIA programs. it was renamed studies and observations group a few months later because the original name "made a mockery of security". book is an outstanding read, major plaster served three tours in Vietnam in SOG. source - postings to soc.history.war.Vietnam, 2/25/97 Vietnam, MACV SOG, 64-81 studies and observation group executed special operations and missions under guise of MACV. MACV SOG a joint service high command unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified ops thru out southeast asia. area responsibility included burma, Cambodia, Laos, north and south Vietnam and provinces of yunnan, kwangsi, kwangtung and hainan island in china. activated 1/24/64 subordinate MACV command not a special forces unit but used special forces personnel. cross-border reconnaissance and intel ops into Laos under project shining brass. placed anti-personnel devices, engaging vc and nva or pathet lao in combat, controlled air strikes. shining brass renamed prairie fire in 68 and phu dung in 4/81. most MACV SOG sites with special forces camps along svnese border. for a detailed description see stanton, s.l. (1985). green berets at war 230-6