Book Review

I Walked with Heroes
By Jerry Guzzetta
Published by Barnes & Noble Press, 12/15/2024
228 pages
Available for purchase in hardbound or paperback

By How Miller

Jerry Guzzetta, in I Walked With Heroes, takes us on an amazing journey into the world of MACV SOG, the super-secret outfit that ran operations “across the fence” into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. It was the most highly decorated outfit in the Vietnam War and was responsible for slowing down the infiltration of men and materials from the communist north to the fledgling democracy in the south, including tying up thousands of NVA who were pursuing SOG instead of joining the fight in the south.

Jerry takes us through his path to Special Forces, his own exploits in SOG, and his later high-impact career, and the stories of others that did heroic deeds. Some of them received the Medal of Honor, such as Bob Howard, Franklin “Doug” Miller, Gary Rose, and Roy Benavidez, not one of whom would call themselves heroes.

Jerry was privileged to spend time with a Jarai Montagnard, Ghun, the village elder who spoke surprisingly good English. Ghun provided him lessons in the history and culture of the Montagnard people, which Jerry shares with us in detail, along with other details he learned.

Jerry touches on subjects that have been a mystery, such as the CS gas used by out-of-ammo covering aircraft, later called Sarin gas in an erroneous report by CNN; the mole who exposed upcoming SOG missions, dates, and locations; and the mysterious and “unfindable” COSVN.

Jerry had lots of sources of information. His first mission was with John Plaster, who mentored him about being an effective recon man. Jerry roomed for a few months with Franklin “Doug” Miller, who later was awarded the MoH. Jerry became very good friends with Michael “Blue” Grace while they lived in a room connected directly to the RON bar at CCC. Nearly everyone visited that bar and told their mission stories so others could learn from their experiences.

Michael Hagan, who attended Jerry’s high school and later became good friends at CCC, participated in Operation Tailwind, an operation designed to take pressure off a CIA operation in Laos that had gotten into deep trouble. Though a resoundingly successful mission, it was later tainted by a false report that the U.S. had used Sarin gas and killed civilians in a village. Later, long after the report was retracted, SF Medic Gary Rose received a long-delayed Medal of Honor for his amazing efforts to keep his troops alive while he himself was wounded. Michael also received a Silver Star for his bravery. Jerry shares that story with us next on page 8.

I Walked With Heroes tells it like Jerry saw it, irreverently exposing hypocrisy and peppering the story with amusing incidents, while providing tales of real bravery by the men of MACV SOG.