In his new book, "Operation Chaos: The Vietnam Deserters Who Fought the CIA, The Brainwashers, and Themselves," journalist Matthew Sweet explores the story of a specific group of young Americans who deserted and got more than they bargained for.
In Sweet’s telling - CIA agents and their allies successfully infiltrated the deserters in hopes of fomenting discord, setting off a vicious cycle of internal scrutiny and paranoia marked by interrogations and allegations of brainwashing.
Sweet says that almost 50 years later, some of these same Americans are still dealing with associated trauma.