Vietnam War mini docs

The men of MACV-SOG—America’s most secret warriors—fought, bled, and sacrificed deep behind enemy lines during the Vietnam War. Their stories shaped the spirit of this novel and the brotherhood at its core. These five short films explore that legacy: from the origins of the conflict to the warriors, missions, and weapons that defined an era. Each one a window into the real events that lit the fuse for CRY HAVOC.

“As President and Commander in Chief, it is my duty to the American people to report that renewed hostile actions against United States ships on the high seas in the Gulf of Tonkin have today required me to order the military forces of the United States to take action in reply.”

With these words on August 4, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced a major escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. That year, roughly 23,000 US troops were deployed – at the peak, over 535,000 servicemen were in country, with approximately 2.7 million Americans being deployed to the Republic of Vietnam.

Hidden deep in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where the line between life and death blurred with every step, operated a unit so secret their existence was denied for decades.

MACV-SOG—handpicked American special operators and their indigenous partners—signed their Non-Disclosure Agreements and then stepped “across the fence” into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam on some of the most audacious missions of the Vietnam War. For years, their work remained buried in classified files, their sacrifices unrecognized, their stories untold.

This latest installment in our Vietnam War mini-docuseries shines a light into the shadow war. The bravery of these men – often outnumbered by the hundreds behind enemy lines —inspired the heart of my upcoming novel, CRY HAVOC. Remember their legacy. Watch the full video now and step back into a time when America’s most secret warriors walked point into history.

Discover the secret history of MACV-SOG through the incredible works of John “Tilt” Stryker Meyer – who operated as the 1-0 and 1-2 of Spike Team Idaho during the Secret War.

John enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1966 and became a Green Beret in 1967. He specialized in covert reconnaissance and served two tours of duty with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG).

He received several awards and decorations for his service, including a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars with “V” devices for valor.

Jim “Wild Carrot” Shorten was one of the most unique warriors to ever serve with MACV-SOG, the ultra-secret special operations unit that ran missions across the fence in Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam.

After stints in the Navy and Air Force, he found his true calling in Army Special Forces and quickly rose to become the One-Zero (team leader) of Recon Team Delaware.

The weapons of MACV-SOG are legendary. Their armory was the largest and most varied ever assembled for a single unit, built for lethality and plausible deniability. Foreign weapons, WWII carry-overs, and cutting-edge tools were all in play, tailored to each man and mission.

Until 1967, SOG avoided American-made arms to maintain deniability. As U.S. weapons became common in Southeast Asia, the CAR-15—or XM177E2—emerged as the trademark carbine of the unit. Oddities like the Gyrojet rocket pistol were tested, while proven weapons such as the Soviet RPD or compact M79 grenade launcher saw heavy use.