John Stryker Meyer is a decorated Green Beret who served two tours in Vietnam (1968-1969 and 1969-1970) with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group(MACV-SOG). Enlisting in 1966, he earned his Special Forces tab in 1967 and joined Spike Team Idaho, later leading Recon Team Idaho at Command and Control North (CCN) in Da Nang. Meyer’s missions took him across borders into denied areas, facing intense combat—including surviving multiple gunshot wounds and leading his team through impossible odds. After Vietnam, he served with the 10th Special Forces Group, then transitioned to civilian life as a journalist and author. He hosts the podcast, SOG Cast, and preserves the legacy of special operations veterans. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Shawn Ryan Show Links SUBSCRIBE: http://www.youtube.com/@ShawnRyanShow Sign up: https://shawnryanshow.com/pages/newsletter Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/VigilanceElite Download Free Content: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF-8_5jwRc5eAhzDkqqCOp-6yvd05vAw?usp=sharing Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=59f9d106e56a4509 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on X: https://twitter.com/ShawnRyanShow SRS Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4pqo9Uoh0WuUKxw0BmaK1yrg9Kd7E4lk #vigilanceelite #shawnryanshow John Stryker Meyer Links: X - https://x.com/SOGChronicles Website - https://sogchronicles.com Across the Fence - https://www.amazon.com/Across-Fence-John-Stryker-Meyer/dp/0983256705 On the Ground - https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Secret-War-Vietnam/dp/0983256756 SOG Chronicles: Volume I - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0983256780 Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://www.shawnlikesgold.com https://www.meetfabric.com/SHAWN https://www.tryarmra.com/SRS https://www.ziprecruiter.com/SRS https://www.helixsleep.com/SRS https://www.lumen.me/SRS 00:00 War Stories & Guest Introduction 03:38 Vietnam War & MACV-SOG Overview 11:27 John's Early Life & Military Path 32:01 Kennedy Assassination & CIA Theories 45:13 Green Beret Training for Vietnam 52:15 Tet Offensive & Harsh Realities 01:00:58 Ho Chi Minh Trail Operations 01:19:04 Secret War Missions Begin 01:39:42 Combat Tactics & Experiences 01:54:17 First Firefight Reflections 02:26:04 New Missions & Daisy Cutter Incident 02:30:10 Narrow Escapes Under Fire 02:45:22 Ambushes & Survival 03:14:25 Eldest Son Mission & Firefight 03:20:27 Holiday Missions & Challenges 03:37:29 Returning to Vietnam 03:44:10 Life After War & Reflections 04:04:59 Final Thoughts