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John Stryker Meyer

@jstrykermeyer

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Special Forces Green Beret, SOG Recon, Author, Husband, Father. 🇺🇸

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

🇺🇸 TILT TUESDAY: THE STORIES MUST SURVIVE.

They were young men operating in a war most Americans would never fully understand.

MACV-SOG carried out some of the most dangerous and secretive missions of the Vietnam War. American personnel and their indigenous teammates served together in an extraordinary brotherhood, facing risks few could imagine.

Behind every photograph were men with names, families, stories, and brothers they would never forget.

For years, much of their history remained hidden from the American public. But time keeps moving forward, and the responsibility to preserve their stories becomes more important with every passing year.

We owe it to these men — American and indigenous alike — to remember their service, honor their sacrifices, and make sure future generations understand their legacy.

The men won’t be here forever. Their stories must be.

🇺🇸 Never forgotten. Never erased.

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Pretty sure they would have had Cypress Hill on repeat at Guadalcanal if they could. Straight up hitters denied the IJA all of it, setting the tone for the arduous island campaign. All Marines pulled their weight, and the obvious notable is Johnny B, rightfully claiming his title as the Godfather of Stack.

Go visit our partners @zulufucxs and get your Basilone Beer T-Shirt. Proceeds support @basilone_foundation and Task Force Garrison in all of our veteran initiatives.

Semper Fi.

#support #succes #history #legends #usmc

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🇺🇸 THE GREAT JOE GALLOWAY INTERVIEWS TILT

In 2019, in San Diego, legendary war correspondent and author Joe Galloway sat down with John Stryker “Tilt” Meyer for an interview now preserved by the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Joe Galloway was much more than a reporter. He covered four tours in Vietnam for United Press International and co-authored We Were Soldiers Once… and Young with Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore, chronicling the Battle of Ia Drang. In 1998, Galloway received the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor for his actions rescuing wounded American soldiers under fire during that battle.

In this interview, the focus turns to Tilt — his experiences, his service, and his time with MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War.

These are the firsthand accounts that matter. The voices of the men who were there, sharing their experiences so future generations can learn about a chapter of history that must never be forgotten.

Thanks to the Library of Congress for preserving this conversation, and to Joe Galloway for documenting the stories of those who served.

Take the time to listen. It’s an important piece of history.

🎥 Watch the interview in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project:
https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.117651/

Remember the men. Preserve their stories.

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An evening worthy of a Marine Corps legend.

The 2026 Task Force Garrison Marine Corps Ball, presented by Basilone Beer, comes to Charlie Palmer’s Steakhouse at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada.

November 10, 2026 | 6:00 PM

We will honor Johnny Basilone and his family, with members of his family joining us for this special evening alongside guest speakers from the United States Marine Corps.

Expect fine dining, formal attire, raised glasses, and Marine Corps camaraderie—all in tribute to a man whose legacy lives in every generation of Marines.

An enormous amount of work and heart has gone into bringing Basilone Beer and this celebration to life. Having Johnny’s family with us gives that effort a deeply personal meaning. This is our opportunity to honor the legend, welcome his family, and carry his example forward through continued service.

All proceeds support Task Force Garrison’s efforts to help our veteran members and pursue answers for Americans left behind in Vietnam and Southeast Asia through our Bright Light Continuum mission.

Limited seating. Miniature medals authorized. Reserve your seats through the ticket link in bio and/or visit our events page at Taskforcegarrison.org

For Johnny. For our Marines. For those still waiting to come home.

#veteran #usmc #support #events #history

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TORNEK RAYVILLE-CISO M38 - 🇺🇸🇻🇳🇯🇵

"This watch holds such immeasurable presence in relation to its DNA that is for lack of better terms unfathomable. The accolades and accomplishments of Mac V Sog during the bloody Vietnam conflict are the folk lore of legends and undoubtedly means the world to many modern day warriors who truly learned from the trials our forefathers faced during the conflict across South East Asia. I credit Mac V Sog Veterans for directly saving my life decades later by carefully following the standard operating procedures they laid out before us, because of this we were able to make it home"

As Always

Stay Sketchy

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You never know where you’ll find Tilt. 😂

At a pinball machine? Apparently.

On his hit podcast SOGCast, sharing the incredible stories of MACV-SOG? Absolutely.

Want to hear the stories?

SOGCHRONICLES
sogchronicles.com⁠

SOGCAST
SOGCast on YouTube⁠

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Oi.. @jerryj1969 and @hochstetlererica with @jstrykermeyer and with @tactical_rifleman

Good thing that none of these people, @instructor_zee @billingham22b with DS @RudyReyes @nickkoumalatsos are going to sound like Scooby-Doo! When, Yeeelping in pain, eh?

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One year of CRY HAVOC.
—
Jack Carr’s first period set novel (and hopefully not his last!) released on this day last year.

This book means the world to me, as I had the pleasure and honor to help with some historical research on the project and learn about the craft of a thriller from my friend and mentor.

As a real cherry on top, I was invited out to Staccato Ranch to shoot alongside Jack and our mutual friend @buckp79 . It was my first time seeing Buck in person after chatting Bond for years, and the first time Jack and I had the chance to burn powder together!

On my way down I stopped by @rockislandauction to pick up a Randall Model 14 - the same blade used in CRY HAVOC in the EPIC prologue. I attended both the Austin & Dallas book signing events, and it was just an absolute blast.

Aside from all the personal ties, this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read. The passion and enthusiasm for bringing the world to life accurately is clear in all of Jack’s novels, but a book set in 1968 has its own set of challenges in doing that right - and he just crushes it.

If you haven’t read CRY HAVOC, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

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58 years ago – 5 October 1968.

A 9-man MACV-SOG recon team, ST Alabama, was deep in Laos when they made contact with an NVA force of 10,000 men.
The NVA general told Lynne it was 10,000 NVA!!!!
After the One-Zero was killed, Lynne M. Black Jr. took command. The team fought for their lives the entire day, outnumbered beyond belief, and still made it out.

During the all-day battle Lynne was wounded and knocked unconscious by a grenade which also destroyed this CAR-15!

That is the definition of a SOG recon legend.
Hear the full story straight from Lynne himself on SOGCast 027.
Read Whisky Tango Foxtrot by Lynne Black Jr.
For all things “Tilt” John Stryker Meyer, visit:
https://sogchronicles.com/

Including links to purchase:

• Across the Fence
• On the Ground
• SOG Chronicles: Volume One

Follow John Stryker Meyer on Facebook, X @sogchronicles, and Instagram @jstrykermeyer.

Support the legacy and get your SOG merch at SOGLegacy.com.

These sales through SOGLegacy.com will support future SOGCAST productions.

As always, a special thanks to @jockowillink for making SOGCAST possible. 🇺🇸

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RAVEN 25 — THE AIR FORCE PILOT WHO WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE

The date beneath this photograph reads March 1973.

The man is Captain Darrel D. Whitcomb. Behind him is an unmarked O-1 Bird Dog. There is no uniform, visible rank or American flag, because officially, Whitcomb was not fighting a war in Laos.

A 1969 Air Force Academy graduate, Whitcomb had already flown the C-7 Caribou in Vietnam before returning as an OV-10 forward air controller known as Nail 25. Then he volunteered for the classified Steve Canyon Program and became Raven 25.

The assignment meant surrendering his military identification, changing into civilian clothes and entering Laos under embassy cover. Operating from Long Tieng, Whitcomb supported General Vang Pao’s CIA-backed Hmong army, flying low over the Plain of Jars to locate enemy forces, mark targets and direct American, Lao and Hmong aircraft onto them.

During an NVA attack on Skyline Ridge, friendly troops were caught in an ambush. Whitcomb repeatedly exposed his Bird Dog to enemy fire while directing strikes dangerously close to the men below. AK-47 rounds eventually tore through the aircraft’s oil system and killed the engine. He still managed to dead-stick the crippled O-1 back into Long Tieng.

The mission earned him the Silver Star.

Whitcomb was also photographed with Hmong T-28 pilot Touxiong Lee, whom he credited with saving his life during another mission, a reminder that the Ravens survived because Lao and Hmong airmen fought beside them.

After Raven operations ended, Whitcomb returned to the OV-10 and continued flying over Cambodia. On August 15, 1973, he was given the honor of being the last aircraft in his four-ship formation to land as America’s combat-air campaign there ended.

He later retired as an Air Force colonel and Delta international captain. But here he remains Raven 25: a young American pilot in civilian clothes, standing beside an aircraft without a flag, at the end of a war his country spent years pretending it was not fighting.

#AircraftHistoryJunky #raven #laos #vietnamwar #secretwars

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🇺🇸 DOUG GODSHALL

Another incredible portrait from Bonnie Cooper’s collection honoring the men who served in MACV-SOG.

Doug Godshall served with MACV-SOG in 1968–69, running reconnaissance missions with CCN from Phu Bai, Mai Loc, Danang and Ban Me Thuot.

After his time in SOG, Doug continued serving the Special Operations community, including six years as President of the Special Operations Association (SOA).

His story is featured in SOGCast Episode 019 — “Doug Godshall: Kicked Out, Then Runs SOG Recon.”

From being rejected from Special Forces training to eventually serving in one of the most secretive units of the Vietnam War, Doug’s story is one that deserves to be remembered.

Listen or watch Doug tell his story on SOGCast.
SOGCast 019

🇺🇸 Remember the men.
🇺🇸 Remember the mission.
🇺🇸 Remember MACV-SOG.

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NEVADA.
UNKNOWN GRID.
OPERATION: CARDIAC CHICKEN.

We’d been pushing through the dense, single-canopy aspens for what felt like six months. Intel was thin. Oxygen was thinner. Somebody’s knee was clicking loud enough to compromise the patrol.

Somewhere ahead lurked the blue grouse. Nevada’s ultimate heart-attack animal. Damn thing is a bouncing betty with feathers and the IQ of a glass of water.

He lets you walk within three feet before detonating out of the brush like a feathered Claymore. No warning. No remorse. Just seventeen pounds of wing noise from a two-pound bird.

Then somebody whispered, “Charlie’s in the trees.”

We looked up. There he was. Perched in an aspen, looking down at us like he’d personally studied our patrol schedule. We’d been scanning the ground while this feathered jerk controlled the entire canopy.

Security went vertical. Trust in the trees collapsed. Every falling leaf became actionable intelligence. Somebody demanded Agent Orange. Supply offered a mandarin and told him to hydrate and pop a motrin.

We called for air support. A blue jay showed up, offered nothing, mocked us, and left.

Command said to keep moving. Command was also breathing through his mouth and questioning his choice of underwear and regretted not packing baby wipes

But underneath the ridiculous story is a real mission.

Getting veterans outside. Moving uphill. Laughing with people who understand them. Working through whatever they’re carrying, with a little company along the way.

Task Force Garrison’s outreach goes beyond sitting in a building on a weeknight reading meeting minutes or setting up a folding table outside a store asking for money.

We put boots on the ground and give our people something to show up for. Hunting, fishing, historically themed tactical events, shared effort, and stories that get progressively less accurate on the ride home.

Visit our partner @zulufucxs and pick up a Bright Light Continuum shirt or Basilone Beer shirt. Proceeds help us keep Veterans doing shit, and that matters.

#hunt #action #veterans #usmc #outdoors

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