According to the book description of Cap Mot: The Story of a Marine Special Forces Unit in Vietnam, 1968-1969, “The Marines' Combined Action Platoon program—CAP—was one of the most innovative approaches to pacification used in Vietnam. From experience in other civil wars in Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, the Marine Corps believed that firepower alone would not subdue the enemy, that the people had to be won over. Consisting of a volunteer rifle squad, a Navy medical corpsman, and a locally recruited platoon of Popular Forces (PF), the CAP lived among the villagers and were responsible for village security. Unlike other forces in Vietnam, the CAP forces did not arrive by helicopter in the morning and leave at night. The only time a CAP marine left the jungle was when he was rotating home, wounded, or killed. They became part of village life and aided the local residents in many ways. The marines became familiar with the local terrain, could bring in heavy fire power when necessary, instilled discipline and confidence in the PF forces, and won the loyalty of many Vietnamese villagers.

One reader of Cap Mot: The Story of a Marine Special Forces Unit in Vietnam, 1968-1969 said, “I can only attempt to tell the public of the book Cap Mot as being without a doubt the most accurate as well as the most outstanding account of the Cap Marines that served in these units. As an assistant squad leader in Cap 1-2-3, I was positioned in an AO that was connecting to Cap Mot. As anyone who reads this book will soon find out, you will be spell bound upon opening the cover, until it is literally consumed. You will step into this book and into the sand and scents of the villages and hamlets. You will also find that you will read again and again every page. It is a very captivating book that will show what it was like being in a Marine special forces unit. You will find yourself lying in the sand and rain during a typical night ambush. An outstanding book that should be read by all who wishes to get a true account of life in a SAT-CAP (Special Ambush Team, Combined Action Platoon).”

One reader of Cap Mot: The Story of a Marine Special Forces Unit in Vietnam, 1968-1969 said, “I read this book for an English project just a few weeks ago. We were required to read a non-fiction book and write a review on it. I chose CAP Mot after it was recommended to me by several people. After reading I was sincerely impressed. I would copy and paste my book review on here for all to read, but that would take up a lot of space so I'm just going to sum it up real fast. I'm not really one that is interested in war books, but this book really caught my attention. To begin, Goodson tells facts in the way of a story and makes it interesting. It isn't like reading a history book. He uses outstanding imagery, to the point of you feeling as if you are seeing a movie play before you. Although he does use a little of military jargon, all is explained and defined in the footnotes at the end of each chapter. Also, his detail is truly magnificent. As I read the book, I felt like I was in Vietnam right along with the characters. There is so much more I could say, but I have already written a lot, so I'm just going to say that this book is the best non-fiction book I have ever read. I definitely recommend this book to all who are interested in war, history, Vietnam, or anyone who is interested in a good read. This is not a joke!!! I seriously enjoyed this book, and that's a lot for me to say because I'm a girl, 15, and seriously not interested in war books of any kind. Mr. Goodson you did a GREAT job!”