There are few chapters in American military history as daring, secretive, and defining as MACV-SOG, the Military Assistance Command-Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group. A small band of elite Green Berets who operated deep behind enemy lines, often without acknowledgment, and always with extraordinary courage.
These men were tasked with missions that had never been done before and might never be done again. Their work in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam forged the tactics, technology, and mindset that would become the DNA of modern Special Operations.
But when they came home, many faced a different kind of battle. The Vietnam era brought with it a complex legacy, one of heroism and heartbreak, pride and pain. Some became business and political leaders; others struggled for decades to find peace. Yet through it all, the brotherhood forged in MACV-SOG never wavered.
Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, we sat down with Doug Godshall and Jim Shorten, two veterans of MACV-SOG, to honor their service, preserve their stories, and remind today’s Green Berets what courage, sacrifice, and innovation truly mean.
This episode is about the origins of Special Forces as we know them today, the unbreakable bonds formed in war, and the duty we all share to ensure that the lessons of MACV-SOG live on in every generation of those who don the Green Beret.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 0:00 Introduction
- 1:42 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
- 3:06 Defining MACV-SOG
- 5:54 Who were the partner forces?
- 7:20 MACV-SOG Losses
- 11:27 Why Become A Green Beret?
- 14:42 Life Post-Vietnam
- 19:35 Leadership Lessons from MACV-SOG
- 22:54 Honoring MACV-SOG Veterans
QUOTES
- “We had no identification that we were United States soldiers.”
- “MACV-SOG had the highest casualty rate of any US Army unit since the Civil War.”
- “We were very dedicated to the Montangards.”
- “We wouldn’t be alive but for our indigenous partners.”
- “Teams went out and didn’t come back. They were overrun upon landing.”
- “The Vietnamese War was highlighted by a lot of enemy infiltration into our ranks.”
- “Our generation wasn’t supportive.”
- “I’m one of those guys that likes to continue learning.”
- “You can never train up enough.”
- “You can be whatever you want to be if you put your mind to it.”
- “I think the modern GWOT soldier has a lot of history to look back on and they're going to be better soldiers."
- “If you really want to run the mission, get all the training you can
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