A new website has arrived that covers the history of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG). This secretive unit was activated in 1964 as a joint special operations task force.
About MACV-SOG. Studies and Observations Group (SOG) was commanded by a U.S. Army Special Forces colonel. Although many of the personnel in the unit were Green Berets, some personnel came from a range of organizations. In addition to U.S. Army Special Forces, members came from organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency, Navy SEALs, Force Reconnaissance, and the Air Force.
Once established, some Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) programs were transferred to SOG. The missions of SOG included personnel recovery, reconnaissance, direct action, PSYOP, bomb damage assessments, sabotage, and more. Many dangerous missions involved cross border operations into Laos and Cambodia to observe the ‘Ho Chi Minh Trail’.
After 1967 three main components of SOG consisted of Command and Control North (CCN), Command and Control Central (CCC), and Command and Control South (CCS). Each command had its own area of responsibility in North Vietnam, Laos, and / or Cambodia. The three commands had teams and elements that conducted surveillance, raids, exploitation, reaction, and other missions.
About the Website. The History of MACV-SOG (website) tells the stories of special operators who conducted very dangerous operations during the Vietnam War. The mission of the History of MACV-SOG is to educate, inspire, and engage the public at large about this secretive yet important special operations unit that existed during the Vietnam War.
The pull-down menus on the website are user friendly and well organized. The different sections provide pictures and information about:
- Organization of SOG
- SOG Missions
- SOG Teams
- Supporting Units
- Medal of Honor recipients
- Pictures
- Videos
- SOG equipment
- and much more
The website is currently in the final stages of development (Spring 2021). New content is added continuously. One of the more interesting aspects of the site are the personalized stories by former SOG members of their missions in Southeast Asia. These stories, with more being added as time goes on, make for fascinating reading.
The History of MACV-SOG is a great resource for those interested in the special operations conducted during the Vietnam War. Worth a visit!
