Gentle Propositions
GlobalRecon is proud to introduce you to Gentle Propositions, a novel by Jason S. Economos. It’s the story of a MACV-SOG reconnaissance team conducting top-secret missions across the borders of Laos and Cambodia during the height of America’s involvement in Vietnam. As a result of the author’s substantial research and interviews with Special Forces soldiers who served in SOG, it is 474 pages of authentic and deeply engaging story-telling.
After being told about the book, I went online for a look and was able to read the forward written by SOG legend Lynne M. Black, Jr., who ran recon with RTs Alabama and Idaho while serving at CCN from 1968-1970.
Here is SOG Operator John Shore with Lynne Black
Below is the Foreword written by Lynne Black himself for Jason’s novel:
“Gentle Propositions” is a story of men. Men cited for extraordinary heroism, great combat achievement, and unwavering fidelity while conducting unheralded top-secret missions deep behind enemy lines across all of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. SOG recon teams were fiercely hunted – pursued by enemy trackers and even bloodhounds, yet these small teams frequently out-maneuvered, out-fought and outran a numerically superior enemy in an unwavering effort to uncover hidden North Vietnamese Army facilities. They planted wiretaps and high-tech electronic sensors; they rescued downed American and Vietnamese aircrews, captured enemy prisoners, mined roadways, ambushed convoys, marked targets for aerial bombardment, and inflicted massive casualties against a well-disciplined and determined enemy.
But do not mistake this for a simple, cliché war story about running and gunning. There is intimate insight into the mind-sets and motivations of young Americans thrust into a passel of foreign and strange cultures worlds apart from their own. And furthermore, the continued motivation these men reserved to voluntarily look their mortality in the face, day after day, under such insurmountable odds. When duty, honor, and country aren’t enough, what keeps them coming back? Are they just professional soldiers performing wartime duties? Are some of them there just for the adventure, their war – the great “game” – the subconscious need to feel the rush of combat? What common fabric ultimately binds these men together?
The characters in this story – both real and fictional – are a true composite of a myriad of personalities who found a home in Special Forces, and in SOG. It is in these characters, their relationships, their struggles and experiences that we find the answers to our quandaries, and the personal reflections of a young man who becomes a warrior.”
After reading Lynne’s Foreword, I was instantly hooked and immediately purchased a copy. I felt like I was reading an autobiography written by a SOG recon man himself. Jason’s writing style is pleasant to read, the richly detailed story is often laugh-out-loud funny, and he nails everything from tactics to the littlest of details in regards to locations within Southeast Asia. What’s more is this is only the first half; Jason is currently writing the sequel to Gentle Propositions, so we’re only halfway through with this story!
Gentle Propositions is the real deal, and I fully support and encourage readers to get a copy. The book is available in both paperback and digital versions at http://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Propositions-J-S-Economos/dp/0615997635. It comes highly recommended by veterans, historians, and enthusiasts alike.
Jason is also active on Instagram @jseconomos and on Facebook at J.S. Economos, and is a contributing writer and editor to Global Recon.