Interview with Force Recon Officer and TEAM LEADER Andy Finlayson
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Andrew R. Finlayson served twenty-five years in the U. S. Marine Corps. He did so, he says, because he “wanted the people I knew and loved in my small town to respect and love me.” His small town was Merchantville, New Jersey.
In his memoir, Killer Kane: A Marine Long-Range Recon Team Leader in Vietnam 1967-1968 (Mcfarland, 288 pp., $35), Finlayson says that he relied heavily on official unit histories “because they provided a solid, factual basis for the events described.” He also drew on his weekly letters to his parents during his entire military career for that book and for the sequel, Rice Paddy Recon: A Marine Officer’s Second Tour in Vietnam, 1968-1970 (McFarland, 320 pp., $35)
Finlayson graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1966, so his timing was good for service in the Vietnam War. His graduation “marked the end of four frustrating and largely unhappy years of academic and athletic struggle.” We get little additional information about those four years. This reader would have appreciated more. He went from the Naval Academy to Quantico, and did not fall short there. Far from it.
Finlayson calls his participation in the Vietnam War “the one great lyric passage of my life; everything else I did in my life paled in significance. “ He spent thirty-two months in Vietnam, fighting in three distinctly different combat roles in two geographical areas.
In Killer Kane , Finlayson covers the pre-Tet ’68 period, focusing on the area “approximately 25 miles west and south of Da Nang.” He goes on to tell us that the book contains “the feelings and observations of one young man as he fought his own personal war in the company of a small band of exceptional comrades.”
Finlayson’s men were the most productive team in the 1st Force Recon Battalion “with more sightings, more enemy killed, and more weapons captured.” He actually was reprimanded for the number of firefights and ambushes he took part in. “Your job has always been to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations or to conduct Stingray operations, not ambush patrols, ” Finlayson was told. He disagreed.
If you are seeking to read about Marine recon from a lieutenant’s point of view, this is the book for you. Killer Kane was the name of Finlayson’s team, and it was taken seriously. Finlayson is more than once accused of being a cold-blooded killer.
There is less of the usual clichéd stuff in this book by far, but we do get mentions of John Wayne, Iwo Jima, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place, ” REMFs, care packages from his mother, and baseball. Finlayson has a lot of good things to say about the Vietnamese people and military, which I found refreshing.
Reading Killer Kane made me think of what my relatives must have gone through during World War II when Norway was occupied by the Germans. The Marines expended lots of energy in Vietnam in Peace Corps-like activities such as building wells and schools. It gave the VC something to focus their hatred on, I guess.
-Finlayson, Andrew Colonel USMC (Retired): Colonel Finlayson is a 1966 graduate of the US Naval Academy who served 25 years in the US Marine Corps as an infantry officer. He served for 32 months in Vietnam as a Force Reconnaissance Platoon Commander, Infantry Company Commander and Provincial Reconnaissance Unit Commander and Advisor. Since his retirement from the US Marine Corps in 1991, he has worked in management positions with the Vinnell Corporation and Northrop Grumman Corporation specializing in military training and biometrics. He spent five
years in Saudi Arabia training Saudi military units and a year in Romania as a special advisor to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense.
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any way you can a Marine who served with SOG on the podcast. It would interesting to hear a Marines thoughts working with a mostly Army unit
I’m trying like hell as we speak 🙏
Glad ya watched us today 🇺🇸
@@budgibson185hell yeah I second that Bud I’ve been wanting to comment that thought exactly love to hear a force recon big brother working with sog and I know you’re working on it thanks Bud
Hey Bud so sorry I missed the last several live broadcasts. I love your interviews. I have a lot of good questions I’ve been saving up.
Man, I keep missing the live streams. I wonder if I'm not getting notifications because Bud accidentally blocked me once (?)
It shouldn’t be, that was only on that particular live chat.. have you liked sone of the episodes to get it in your algorithm? I’ll check if somethings wrong on my end ! Show at 10 this morning, 10 Wednesday , and Friday
1:47:18 respect this man so much
Helluva man!!! Pt2 is next Wednesday 🇺🇸
Really enjoyed the longer interview… I know these guys are up there in age & health problems can get in the way and some can’t always go 3 hours, but the longer formats are my favorite when it comes to most podcasts I watch. Jocko does long ones which is great, but with sogcast we’d be lucky to get an hour, maybe an hour & a half and that’s just not long enough dammit. lol… I always want more more more! 😂 all kidding aside though, glad your computers up n running good and you can incorporate the pics without as many issues… Plus, you’re getting better n better as the host with every interview Bud. Another great job! Keep ‘em coming!
Thank you so much man!! I’m trying… the photos are a crucial part to me honestly . Usually as long as it’s not dead in the chat or flow we will go lol. I agree tilts gotta get longer
I gotta get this book. This is my favorite episode so far.. thanks bud..
The award system is still broken because the higher ups rather “uphold the sanctity” of higher echelon medals than give them to junior enlisted because of their low rank and status
Real amazing channel Bud 👍
Thank sir!! Hope you’re subscribed already
Hope you’re subscribed! We’ve got a Sh back Wednesday
Used to live close to merchantville as well as camden nj
Keep ‘em coming Bud! God Bless our brave military men.
Thank you sir!! January should be a good month of interviews
Outstanding man. You and your team members work in Vietnam was extraordinary. Courageous and honorable. Thank you.
@@CoryAnderson-es4qq Andy is one helluva man!! He and Doc Norton and the top tier
I don't remember anybody in 3rd Recon Battalion ever trying to take a personal radio or alcohol on patrol. I think that cigarettes were allowed. Once the patrol leader did not allow us to use heat tabs for our meals which annoyed me.
I am back to finish the show. Glad i did. Theses guys were amazing. Great leader and brave men. Thank you for the show Bud. Please find more of those men and hopefully they will tell their story
We have quite a few force recon men waiting to be scheduled ☠️🦅🇺🇸
Force recon vs. SOG...thats a tough one. I love em both. Leach in the urethra was in the awesome book "Matterhorn".
That’s right it was in Matterhorn also!
Andy F’s second book , he is a rifle squad leader also and I’m pretty sure one of his new guys almost gets an unwelcome visitor
I grew up in a family of Vets from Ww2 to Nam. I was that one kid who had read the 1st SOG books to come out in the 80s. My Dad was a Nam vet and all his friends were veterans. So I was lucky enough to know all his buddies and hear all their stories. One man sticks out to me named Terry, and I believe he fought in the Hills Battles. He was Native American and always walked point. One day in the 80s before he died from Alcoholism, he came over Dads apartment with a duffel bag. He asked my dad if he could give me some gifts. Dad nods, and Terry opened the bag....2 Chi Com AK47 NVA rifles he mailed back in pieces, they both have a red triangle on the wood stock. An NVA belt buckle with the red star , a pith helmet and his Marine Corps basic training graduate book. I have this stuff put away and will keep forever. I've never thought of selling cause I'm a collector. I'd like to display this stuff somehow without donating it. Lastly you must read "The 13th Valley", it was also given to me by a tanker from the 4th ID central highlands named George Asitch. The "Flag" story was great...they bled for those things. Like you, I like the fine details of the pictures. Notice the picture for General Bradley, the dude on the far right has a hacksaw around his arm. Looking back as a kid in the 80s, I was sure we were gonna fight Russia in Europe. Instead we've made some of the same mistakes in Afghanistan, with all due respect to the Vets who fought hard. I dont think the public really realized Bagram was basically surrounded by the Taliban forces when we left ...brought me right back to the pictures of our withdrawal from Saigon. It's so clear to me the only way to win a counterinsurgency is to attack the enemies Basecamps which are generally safe in another country. It's quite amazing how our National Guard units went to war after 911 and performed so well. And jeez, the amount of combat tours guys have had blows my mind. Thanks you and of course...good luck to the guys in Ukraine. When this hero said he usta have "brunch" I was reminded he was an officer ..
I was at Camp Reasoner for only a few months, but I remember that mess hall. Thanks for the pic!
Our pleasure!
"Contact Sport" indeed!
Lol
1:22:04 wow, thats an act of God if I ever heard one.
God bless sir
Thank you for watching
Hell yeah. Always beside you!
Excellent channel. Great interview. Thanks guys🇺🇸
Thank you! Please like and subscribe! Andy will be back Wednesday
@The Reconnaissance Cast - this channel is BLOWING UP, gotta love it !
Glad you enjoy it! I hope it is growing ! Seems like it
Awesome Men
Semper Fi (A Company, 3rd Recon) Andrew.
🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸
I went on a patrol with a team from A Co. out of Khe Sanh in 1967. They were good.
Bud you are doing such a job, thanks for this it was long but kept me listening also some really emotional stuff,well done
BTW, Lt. Frank Reasoner was first stationed as a B co. platoon commander in Phu Bai in 1965. His corpsman. Leathers, had been wounded and evacuated. They needed an immediate replacement. I had asked for a Recon assignment, so I got in. However, I was only in my second year in the Navy and was green. First mistake was my failure to turn in my .45 for an M-14. Then I did not pack my patrol gear correctly. Frank was leading that one and wasn't pleased. Bottom line: when that platoon was transferred to Chu Lai, Frank did not take me along, much to my disappointment.
Holy cow!! That’s pretty heavy duty sir!! Would you ever be open to talk about your Navy service ?
Thank you, but please do not call me "sir." I was enlisted; I worked for a living (a line from that Richard Grere movie.) BTW, I was never in Force Recon but did make patrols, at one time or another, with all four companies of 3rd Recon Battalion in Da Nang, Phu Bai, Dong Ha, and Khe Sanh, 1965 thru 1967. I must have led a charmed life, because not a single one of the Recon patrols that I was on was ever fired on by the opposing forces (exect for one time in a chopper.) My first tour was with 3rd Batt/4th Reg. with only a short time in B and C Recon Co. On my second tour, I asked for Recon and was placed in C Co. at Camp Reasoner.
I would. of course, be willing to talk about my Recon experiences, but, due to the lack of engagement, I don't know that I would have much of interest to say. @@budgibson185
flew with HMM263 and did many inserts and extractions which often were hot, s-it sandwiches
Would love to speak with you if you’d be open to sir? My email is bgibson1990@icloud.com
Wow I didn't realize Force Recon Marines got the stoner that's cool I thought only Navy seals got it
I did too until speaking w Andy and Rabi !! They loved them and as you heard would’ve preferred to keep them
@@budgibson185 man what was that FB page you were talking about not to long ago? You asked me if I had FB then I never heard from ya
I love this stuff, wow the Naval Academy too,
God told that man it was his time and it was. That gives me the chills.
Love the podcast, keep it up! But, please, get a speech coach
Excuse me!? . Love how folks get on here and give out underhanded compliments like this. Lol get a speech coach 🤦🏻♂️🤮
@@budgibson185 the stuttering is distracting and you pay too close of attention to the chat, so you end up missing details shared by the guest (like gold bars not reported) or repeat back exactly what was just shared as though it’s insightful.
Still love the cast 🥰
You’re a very good interviewer, I really enjoy your channel. Thanks for all the work you put into it.
That’s means a lot! Thank you for those kind words. It’s an honor and privilege 🇺🇸
My dad attended Jungle Expert school in Panama before they closed it too
@@edmonddupris8422 awesome..he joined as SF baby in 81', but was all over C.America, & was in Grenada,he went to 10thGroup 85'-86 I believe,so he was there probably 82'-85' before going over to 10thGroup in Europe..
Great interview Bud Semper Fi
Thank you sir! Lining up some Force Recon vets to come visit us in January
Might want to fix the book shelves,.. jeepers.
In what way ? 🤔
Much respect to him and his team! Very good interview! Thank ya'll! God bless!
I don't think the cover photo is Force Recon.
Not to be a dick but The cover photo is MOST DEF FORCE RECON lol. It is the guest, Lt. Finlayson after a mission where they hit a sapper battalion… Just google (his team “KILLER KANE” ! this pops up ).. he talks about it if you type in his name and watch out interviews AS WELL as goes thru the photo collection he sent me 👍🇺🇸
I hate you think I’d interview vets and not put their photos up ???
It’s crazy I just went through it and I pull this photo up at 2:08:47 and HE LITERALLY talks about the incident AND the Photo.. did you watch or just comment sir?