SOGCast 047: Jason Hardy - SOG Demystified

Quick Overview

Jason Hardy, an author documenting the history of MACV SOG through meticulously researched coffee table books, details the origins and evolution of various clandestine military components like Project Delta, Gamma, Sigma, Omega, and the vital support role of the Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO) in supplying indigenous troops and specialized equipment.

Key Points: Jason Hardy has produced 15 books detailing SOG history, including specialized volumes on SOG knives and US Army Special Forces Insignia from the Vietnam War, available at dogtag.com. Project Gamma was primarily a military intelligence operation focused on gathering intelligence, which gained notoriety after being involved in the killing of a suspected double agent leading to the incarceration of Colonel Rheault in 1969. The Fifth Special Forces Group created Project Omega and Sigma when they anticipated cross-border operations; subsequently, Omega was absorbed into MACV SOG, and Omega teams built the original Snowden Hall at Kontum. The initial SOG operational base was Camp Jackson (Camp Duck), where the first five teams—Iowa, Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, and Dakota—were created before teams were divided to establish FOB1 and FOB2 in early 1966. CISO, established under Operation Switchback in 1963 to transfer paramilitary operations from the CIA to the DoD, began by setting up a black budget warehouse on Okinawa with gold, US $100 bills, and opium for dealing in the Orient. The iconic Seiko watches issued to SOG operators in 1968 were procured directly off the shelf by Ben Baker using black funds, functioning as simple, self-winding, luminescent tools without recorded serial numbers. The SOG knives, developed by Ben Baker, started with a 7-inch version, followed by a rare 19-unit 'SOG Scuba' version with a saw back, before redesigning to a more utilitarian 6-inch model.

Context: Host John Striker Meer interviews author Jason Hardy, who specializes in creating high-quality historical books about Studies and Observations Group (SOG) veterans. Hardy began his collecting and research journey after a divorce, transitioning from World War II memorabilia to Vietnam War history after reading Frank Miller's 'Reflections of a Warrior.' His initial breakthrough in connecting with the community occurred when he found a living SOG veteran, Joe Parer, living two miles away in Massachusetts.