United States Army Special Forces (MACV-SOG)

MACV-SOG stands for Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group. It was formed in 1964 as a top-secret unit. The group included members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, but it was mostly led by the Army Special Forces. The soldiers in this unit were experts at moving quietly in the jungle. They were sent into countries like Laos and Cambodia, where the war was not supposed to be. Their goal was to watch enemy movements and stop supplies from reaching the North Vietnamese army. Because their missions were secret, they did not always get the credit they deserved at the time. They wore no patches or names on their uniforms. They carried special weapons and often worked with local scouts to survive in the deep forest. The unit was dissolved in 1972 as the United States began to withdraw from the war. Even though the war ended, their bravery and the tough jobs they did became famous later. Many books and movies tell the stories of their secret missions in the jungle.