Mustachio was not an anomaly. Many years ago, SOG veteran John Plaster told me that of his 22 SOG operations, his teams had to shoot their way out 19 times, More than any other soldiers in the Vietnam War, death was their constant companion. When Jerry Shriver, called a "Mad Dog" by Radio Hanoi radioed, during his final mission in Cambodia, that his team was surrounded. According to Plaster, he said, "I've got 'em right where I want 'em -- surrounded from the inside." After Shriver advanced towards the treeline, his team lost radio contact with him, and he was never seen again. Vietnamese, American, Montagnard--the men of SOG were remarkable and unusually selfless warriors. 10 SOG teams went MIA and another 14 were overrun.
I would argue the SOG were some of the finest fighters ever to walk the earth given the odds against them and the significance of the risks they took. I was fortunate enough to talk with John Stryker Meyer for a few hours not long ago—his stories are literally remarkable.
I enjoyed the essay on Shriver, especially the part about "learned helplessness." Once I saw this encouraged in the colleges and universities where I once taught, then in my sons' public and private schools, I quit teaching others and began homeschooling my sons. The Montagnards also deserve a lot of credit for SOGs success. My late great friend Nate Thayer, the only one of us to interview Pol Pot after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, discovered the Montagnard "Lost Army" on the Cambodia/Vietnam border in 1992. They never surrendered and were still launching raids against the Vietnamese.
That is wild—I have read quite a bit about Pol Pot but was not aware of this interview. I just looked it up and will read tonight. Thank you for brining it up. Agreed on both front when it comes to education and Montagnards.
I have listened to just about every episode... it is almost unreal how silent these guys were. Recording those stories is a gift. That is great you got to speak with him—he's a character.
Sam. I don’t know if publishers are knocking yet, and I don’t know how that world works.
But with ideas this sharp, wisdom so profound, and a writing style this unique and crisp, it’s only a matter of time before huge things really take shape for you.
Although one can prepare for the ultimate, Stoic Epictetus mind, it is an another thing to put oneself closer to it physically as you personally did. Still, you never can know as paraphrasing Shakespeare wrote …. “no one returned from the other side to tell us”.
The command of warrior...the calm of the philospher...I am as usual, still grooving on the last Alaimo Essay and it helped me find the courage to refuse to stoop to someone's level of confrontation recently. I was finally clear that my choice--my command over myself in the face of provocation--was pure calm. The other party writhes in anxiety as I light my pipe and sit on the field of battle as the rifles are fired. We are hopefully Mustachios making that choice every day about how to die, because, as you said, this helps guide how we live. A MACVSOG friend fears absolutely nothing, and yet is compassionate before he is wrathful at the foolish. Death is both the ultimate uncertainty, and the ultimate certainty.
Every time I see one of your essays in my inbox, it's the first thing I read. Another powerful work Sam. Thank you for writing this.
I have a question for you. As I read "The instrument of destruction is a sword, or the rack, or the sea, or a tile, or a tyrant. What concern is it to you by what road you descend to the House of Hades? They are all equal." I intellectually agree but suspect I have some personal barriers still to examine. I am perfectly comfortable with the idea of a propeller blade slipping and a crash of an airplane. Yet I still struggle to imagine the throat being slit or the rack. There are some instruments that still make me recoil, while others I am perfectly comfortable to accept. Do you prepare for all of them, or is it enough simply to get comfortable with those means by which you have closer contact? I'd love your thoughts.
I am grateful you find value, Latham, thank you for reading.
That is tough. These are not pleasant thoughts—the world of Epictetus is not our world. There is a slippery slope in contemplating death too much, as it can make life morbid, especially if visualizing the worst tortures. The point is not to visualize and plan for each mode of death; rather it is to accept that death will come and shrug off worries, fears, concerns, stress, and so on. Epictetus wanted us to attain "serenity", and one way to do it is to let go of anything outside of our control and take whatever comes as well as we can.
On the other hand, there is value in preparing for forms of death which is done often in the military, but it is done in a positive, proactive way—in the form of positive fatalism which I have written about before— but I believe for everyday life that style of preparation is absolutely not necessary.
Mustachio was not an anomaly. Many years ago, SOG veteran John Plaster told me that of his 22 SOG operations, his teams had to shoot their way out 19 times, More than any other soldiers in the Vietnam War, death was their constant companion. When Jerry Shriver, called a "Mad Dog" by Radio Hanoi radioed, during his final mission in Cambodia, that his team was surrounded. According to Plaster, he said, "I've got 'em right where I want 'em -- surrounded from the inside." After Shriver advanced towards the treeline, his team lost radio contact with him, and he was never seen again. Vietnamese, American, Montagnard--the men of SOG were remarkable and unusually selfless warriors. 10 SOG teams went MIA and another 14 were overrun.
https://sogsite.com/sogs-casualties/
Agreed. I admire Plaster's book and wrote an essay about Mad Dog here: https://www.whatthen.org/p/what-a-green-beret-can-teach-us-about.
I would argue the SOG were some of the finest fighters ever to walk the earth given the odds against them and the significance of the risks they took. I was fortunate enough to talk with John Stryker Meyer for a few hours not long ago—his stories are literally remarkable.
I enjoyed the essay on Shriver, especially the part about "learned helplessness." Once I saw this encouraged in the colleges and universities where I once taught, then in my sons' public and private schools, I quit teaching others and began homeschooling my sons. The Montagnards also deserve a lot of credit for SOGs success. My late great friend Nate Thayer, the only one of us to interview Pol Pot after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, discovered the Montagnard "Lost Army" on the Cambodia/Vietnam border in 1992. They never surrendered and were still launching raids against the Vietnamese.
That is wild—I have read quite a bit about Pol Pot but was not aware of this interview. I just looked it up and will read tonight. Thank you for brining it up. Agreed on both front when it comes to education and Montagnards.
The story behind Nate's interview with Pol Pot.
https://petermaguire.substack.com/p/nate-thayer-1960-2023-part-one-50d
Message me your address and I'll send you my book Facing Death in Cambodia.
This is an incredible story Peter. I just subscribed.
I’ve spoken with John Stryker Meyer as well. Have you listened to his SOGCast?
I have listened to just about every episode... it is almost unreal how silent these guys were. Recording those stories is a gift. That is great you got to speak with him—he's a character.
Just. Incredible.
Sam. I don’t know if publishers are knocking yet, and I don’t know how that world works.
But with ideas this sharp, wisdom so profound, and a writing style this unique and crisp, it’s only a matter of time before huge things really take shape for you.
I'm just enjoying the ride, Adam, and I genuinely appreciate the feedback.
Although one can prepare for the ultimate, Stoic Epictetus mind, it is an another thing to put oneself closer to it physically as you personally did. Still, you never can know as paraphrasing Shakespeare wrote …. “no one returned from the other side to tell us”.
I agree, Barry. Maybe that is why the ancient philosophers spent so much time musing on it—no-one has yet told us.
"Those who know life stand at a fork: build or burn."
I've been thinking a lot lately about how there are creators and destroyers among us, and how precious the creators are.
Writing a fine essay like this is an act of creation. 👏
I very much appreciate it, Baird. Thank you for the comment.
The command of warrior...the calm of the philospher...I am as usual, still grooving on the last Alaimo Essay and it helped me find the courage to refuse to stoop to someone's level of confrontation recently. I was finally clear that my choice--my command over myself in the face of provocation--was pure calm. The other party writhes in anxiety as I light my pipe and sit on the field of battle as the rifles are fired. We are hopefully Mustachios making that choice every day about how to die, because, as you said, this helps guide how we live. A MACVSOG friend fears absolutely nothing, and yet is compassionate before he is wrathful at the foolish. Death is both the ultimate uncertainty, and the ultimate certainty.
Poetically said, Anthony. I am grateful your grooving to these pieces and I appreciate the feedback.
Every time I see one of your essays in my inbox, it's the first thing I read. Another powerful work Sam. Thank you for writing this.
I have a question for you. As I read "The instrument of destruction is a sword, or the rack, or the sea, or a tile, or a tyrant. What concern is it to you by what road you descend to the House of Hades? They are all equal." I intellectually agree but suspect I have some personal barriers still to examine. I am perfectly comfortable with the idea of a propeller blade slipping and a crash of an airplane. Yet I still struggle to imagine the throat being slit or the rack. There are some instruments that still make me recoil, while others I am perfectly comfortable to accept. Do you prepare for all of them, or is it enough simply to get comfortable with those means by which you have closer contact? I'd love your thoughts.
I am grateful you find value, Latham, thank you for reading.
That is tough. These are not pleasant thoughts—the world of Epictetus is not our world. There is a slippery slope in contemplating death too much, as it can make life morbid, especially if visualizing the worst tortures. The point is not to visualize and plan for each mode of death; rather it is to accept that death will come and shrug off worries, fears, concerns, stress, and so on. Epictetus wanted us to attain "serenity", and one way to do it is to let go of anything outside of our control and take whatever comes as well as we can.
On the other hand, there is value in preparing for forms of death which is done often in the military, but it is done in a positive, proactive way—in the form of positive fatalism which I have written about before— but I believe for everyday life that style of preparation is absolutely not necessary.
I learn and grow
from reading you, Sam
you go places
I have to gather my courage
to even begin to face
thank you
for your wise leadership
You're more than welcome, Dr. Hall. Thank you for reading.