I just finished a novel (not a great read overall) that was about SOG teams infiltrating Laos and the 75%+ causality rate. All but forgotten now. If you’re not 100% in it to win it stay da fvk home.
Thanks again for your service.
My Dad was career army. In late 1958 or early 1959, he was given an Honorable Discharge and given classified assignment (at the time). After some sort of classified training (he wouldn’t or couldn’t tell us any details), he was flown to Vientienne, Laos and “assisted” Prince Souvanna Pouma for the next 13-14 months. President Kennedy was on the evening news often assuring the American public that the USA had no military in Laos. One evening, we were getting ready for dinner and the news was on the TV. There was dad, all 6’3” towering over Laotian troops engaged in some hostilities. When dad returned from Laos, he was sworn back in and continued his career without missing a step.
When I was in Vietnam 1967-68 America was assured by the current the administration that we had no military in the tri-border area (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). As a young intelligence officer, any and all documents, reports, etc., involving the tri-border area were classified and given “No Foreign Dissemination” handling controls. The subterfuge was over as troops moved in to Cambodia and Laos and had no qualms about telling family, etc., where they were fighting, etc. The press got some verifiable reports of incursions and lit up the country on Huntley-Brinkley, Cronkite, etc. The Congress ceased funding the war and we left even though despite the casualties, the TET ‘offensive’ was in the win column.