The Raid

This is an account of the courageous mission that was quickly labeled an intelligence failure by Congress and a Pentagon blunder by the world press. Determined to ferret out the truth, Schemmer uncovers one of the CIA's most carefully guarded secrets. From the planning and live-fire rehearsals to the explosive reactions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff watching the drama unfold to the aftermath as the White House and Pentagon struggled for damage control, Schemmer tackles the tough questions: What really happened during the twenty-seven minutes the raiders spent on the ground? Did the CIA know the whole time that the Americans were gone? Had the Agency in fact been responsiblie for the POWs being moved? And perhaps most intriguing, why was the rescue--though it never freed a single prisoner--not a failure after all?

First published in 1976, "The Raid" is the story of the heroic attempt to rescue 61 Americans from the North Vietnamese POW camp at Son Tay in November, 1970. It is thoroughly and meticulously researched. Its' 3 reprints attest to the quality. Author Schemmer had some obvious command cooperation in its' compilation. "The Raid" devotes more effort -and pages- in depicting the painstaking step by step preparation and practice that was dedicated to the rescue than the actual time on the ground. That is understandable, since the mission lasted less than 30 minutes. The camp was empty and no one was rescued! The author examines the intelligence "considerations' behind that unpleasant fact. More time and space is given to the inevitable damage control that the Pentagon and White House had to tackle. That easy to appreciate as well, given the frantic antiwar feelings in this country at the time. The raid took place less than 4 months after our troops were withdrawn from Cambodia. That incursion had sparked huge domestic protests. There are three outstanding traits to this tale: The first is the obvious bravery and courage shown by the men involved. The second is the sheer amount of logistical support and inter -service coordination that the effort required. There is an impressive array of those Command acronyms. As any veteran would rightly suspect, there was a bit of infighting as well. I appreciated reading that General Ryan, Air Force Chief of Staff, gave an open letter to some of the chief planners directing they receive complete "no questions asked" cooperation. Those who felt unable to comply were to call the General directly! How many calls do we think Ryan received? Finally, we the author incorporates the human beings who were the actual prisoners. We read of some of the more distinguished, such as Robinson Risner and Jerimiah Denton as well as those not as famous but who suffered as much and more. "The Raid" is almost a mini-history of the POW saga-one that extends to this very day. Over 1,800 men remain unaccounted for. Some claimed the raid to be a failure. It strikes this reviewer as an outstanding success. That's because after Son Tay, most POWs were consolidated into the big Hanoi area prisons. There was safety-not to mention a command structure-in numbers. Treatment improved, especially since many prisoners could help themselves. This reviewer would like to compliment President Nixon and Defense Secretary Laird for supporting a military action they knew would be unpopular and suspected might be unsuccessful. Canceling the operation would have been the easy way out; they courageously chose the difficult course. To this day, Mr. Nixon remains the only Chief Executive to seriously address the POW issue. Those buying "The Raid" should strongly consider Frank Anton's "Why Didn't You Get Me Out?" It's time frame perfectly complements Mr. Schemmer's tale. Finally, there is the virtual Bible on the subject, "Code Name Bright Light". That may be

On November 21st, 1970, a rescue mission would be launched inside North Vietnam that would eventually gain status as being possibly the most incredible operation ever conducted during the Vietnam war.The culmination of months of grueling planning and training, intensive coordination through military channels, extensive secrecy, and special operations wizardry would lead to the daring raid on the Son Tay POW camp just 20 short miles outside of Hanoi. So well prepared was the team that after the raid's accomplishment, no lives were lost and everyone returned safely after just 26 minutes on the ground. Everyone except U.S. POW's, that is, who were unfortunately not at the POW compound being that it had been abandoned only months previously. Information discovered as to why the Son Tay facility was empty would prove to be both revealing and disturbing to the raid planners and executers.In assessing the aftermath of the mission itself, although deemed a failure by the mainstream media and squabbled over by Congress, the military, and intelligence agencies, positive aspects would eventually come to light to justify the raid a success after all. Unknown to many outside the purview of the POW's themselves, the raid was an eye opener to the North Vietnamese who now fully realized that America would defy the greatest of odds to repatriate their POW's and show them that they were not forgotten. The Son Tay rescue mission was a serious morale booster for our U.S. captives and also hastened their improved treatment from their North Vietnamese jailors.Benjamin F. Schemmer has written a fascinating and in-depth study into one of the most sensational rescue missions ever accomplished in the history of warfare. Richly detailed and researched, included are photographs, maps, and appendixes with a multitude of statistics and operational facts. Whether just a casual reader or an avid fan of Vietnam era history, The Raid is an excellent book from start to finish. For those readers interested in the complete story of POW rescues in Vietnam, I would highly recommend the book "Code Name Bright Light: The Untold Story of POW Rescue Efforts During the Vietnam War" by George J. Veith.

This is a great book that is easy to read. It is well writtenusing primary sources that are credible. When reading it for thefirst time, it seems like a movie. The author was in the Army, so its written in "Armyese." One drawback is that he does not give details on the complex battles that the Navy & Air Force conducted that evening. He focuses on the Special Foces and their attack. The 1986 reprint has some good updates on the killing of Russians and Chinese. This book is worth the find.

Top 3 military history books I've ever read. Excellent review of covert operations in Vietnam and the courage of the American soldier. I have searched for this book in stores for years to own a copy so I can loan it to friends.