Their heroic story is the subject of the smithsonian channel film helicopter missions. Vietnam war fighter pilots vietnam veterans of america. In 100 missions north, ken bell recounts the harrowing sorties that he and his comrades flew in f105 thunderchiefs, the famous thud, in 196667, when pilots. And even if he handled it fairly well, discussing these things is very hard anwyay. The top ten mustread flying books royal aeronautical society. The author, a huey pilot in vietnam describes the remarkable tactics necessary to get the relatively fragile huey helicopters into landing zones.
Two days in country actually flying, i witnessed the 45th avn co make a hot insertion into an lz. But this selfdescribed really bad pilot, along with pilots tom baca and jack swickard, and engineer al croteau, went on to save more than 100 south vietnamese troops ambushed by the north vietnamese armyusing an unarmed vip huey. And it is not surprising that he wouldnt want to talk about it. Trial by fire a helicopter pilot during the vietnam war. Chucks huey was the only target for the enemy to attack. Later, when the department of defense began using the air force naming standard, the letters were swapped and the helicopter became uh1, but the nickname huey stuck. An air cav huey pilot in vietnam and millions of other books are available for instant access. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in. The first volume, setting the stage, was published in 1981, and the final volume, war in the shadows, was published in 1988. Mike adkinson of ariton, alabama, enlisted in the army from troy state university at the age of 18 in 1963. The story of a helicopter assault pilot in vietnam. He serves a 12 month stint there which was the normal length of service. Helicopter pilots in vietnam kidded one another about being nothing but glorified bus drivers.
Originally serialized much like the history of the second world war series of the 70s, this work is. Masons penetrating look at his 196566 tour as a huey pilot in the 1st cavalry division airmobile contains reconstructed dialogue, which works well in depictions of his many dangerous missions zooming in and out of hot landing zones. The book is a bit light on unit tactics and doesnt really tell the larger story of the. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the vietnam war, and h during the vietnam war, one out of every eighteen helicopter pilots never made it home alive. My father served two tours in vietnam as a huey helicopter pilot. A history of american military helicopter operations from wwii to the war on terror.
This is part 1 to the video i posted the other day. More than 700,000 people subscribed to the series during its run, and collectively, more than 11 million copies of the books were sold. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. Showing us the true horrors of the war as well as offering a studyf vietnamese folk life, the author argues against the dehumanizing power ofechnology and highlights the arrogance and hypocrisy of americanmperialistic attitudes. His book on the social history of helicopters and helicoptrians is. Hey fellas, i usually hang out on the mosin side of this forum, but got an email tonight that i thought id share. With surgical precision he causes that huey to hover, dip and dance behind a hill, then he routinely skims the tops of trees, rising only to have his door gunner make another kill. Where huey pilots trained and heroes were made history air. Army helicopters pour machinegun fire into tree lines to cover the advance of vietnamese ground troops in an attack on a viet cong camp 18 miles north of tay ninh, vietnam, on march 29, 1965, northwest of saigon near the cambodian border.
Johnson flew the uh1 iroquois better known as the huey in the 229th assault helicopter. John vanvordenthe flying dutchmanis a vietnam pilot and one of the rugged few who know the danger and thrill of combat while piloting the u. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. You will find a variety of guides to countries, regions or natural wonders of the world. He was assigned to fly gunships during the vietnam war, landing in cu chi in late 1966. A vietnam helicopter pilots war story north texas military biography. His instrument training was in the oh, followed by uh1 huey transition. The following month he was in vietnam, stationed for the next year at phouc vinh in central iii corps, assigned to bravo company, 227 th assault helicopter battalion, 1 st. I have broken down the best books about vietnam into helpful sections. First published in 1971, philip jones griffiths account of the vietnamesear was the outcome of three years reporting and is a detailed survey of theonflict. This is the definitive memoir about the helicopter war in vietnam. Thsi one is the 128th helicopter assault battalion, and the recollectiosn of a captain james powell. The vietnam experience the original series publishing order. Chickenhawk is robert mason s narrative of his experiences as a huey uh1 iroquois helicopter pilot during the vietnam war.
April 23, 2016 true honor, a 2001 documentary about vietnam war fighter pilots in the air war over north vietnam, is. Praise for to the limit to the limit is a firstperson journey into the grit, grimness, and chaos of war, told by a helicopter hero in a way that nails the feel, the mood, and the talk of air cavalrymen in battle. The heartstopping, nerveshredding race to be americas. Hueys coming in for another lift of an air mobile mission in vietnam. Flying the huey all alone by eric bray can tho, rvn 1269 1270 every once in a while, the 307th combat aviation battalion out of can tho which had operational control over the 162nd ahc even though the 162nd ahc was assigned to the th combat avn battalion out of soc trang, came up with a mission for some brave young pilot to fly about once or twice a month. They were emailing back and forth about a big fight that occured at tam ky. Johnson piloted the uh1 iroquoisbetter known as the huey as part of the famous first air cavalry division.
The vietnam experience was published as a 25volume illustrated history of the vietnam war. Huey pilots, crews honored for saving thousands of lives. In this post, you will find a list of the best vietnam books to read in 2020. Based on personal experiences in vietnam, hueya novel by jay and david groenoffers a moving, actionfilled. By abby weingarten, heraldtribune thursday, november 20, 2014.
The majority of these guides will be less than fifty pages in length. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. But these rotor heads saved thousands of american lives while performing what the army classified as the most dangerous job it had to offer. He experiences screaming descents into hot landing zones to place military assault troops and rescue wounded soldiers. More than 40 of the uh1 huey helicopter crews who snatched 900,000 vets and patients from harms way in vietnam were honored in. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Wayne parsons, raaf, flew huey helicopters during the vietnam war. Read on for 10 of the mustread books about aviation, perfect for both. Vietnam huey pilot recollections gunboards dot com. Browse the childrens or junior section of your local library for travel and geography guides.
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Helicopter pilot flew in 3 tours of duty in vietnam. I was assigned as peter pilot to one of the most experienced aircraft commanders. Kettles, vietnam war huey pilot, hero receives medal of. Great combat helicopter and combat aviation in general book. What rank would a helicopter pilot during the vietnam war. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The story of an assault helicopter pilot in vietnam. The book chronicles his enlistment, flight training, deployment to and experiences in vietnam, and his experiences after returning from the war. Pages in category vietnam war books the following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total. Huey is one of those remarkable war books that tells you far more about what is going on than you could ever read in the news.
The book tells the tale of robert masons time in vietnam as a pilot of a huey helicopter. Chuck came in so hot his chopper bounced for several hundred feet before coming to a stop. My dad flew a uh1 on his first tour in vietnam in 196768. A marine corps helicopter gunner and the war in vietnam. Last week we asked readers for their favorite books on vietnam and the vietnam war. They will contain an excellent overview of a country etc. Better than some other books of the same genre does a decent job of describing the flight characteristics of the huey uh1h. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. On 25 feb 70, sepesy graduated as a warrant officer 1 with silver u. An air cav huey pilot in vietnam first edition second printing by tom a. He tells of his experiences there and the fearful retrieval of an injured australian. Race of aces, john brunings actionfueled world war ii narrative, follows the elite fighter pilots who competed to shoot down the most enemy planes.
How high was the mortality rate of huey chopper pilots in. This is the 5th book in a series of books documenting vietnam helicopter rescues as told by the men who flew these missions. Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. The experience would have been traumatic and probably emotionally scarring. Rattler oneseven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran when chuck gross left for vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteenyearold army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. He recently got in touch with a guy that was a pilot with that unit at the same time. The story of a marine grunt in the first battle of khe sanh april 1967 duration. He listens to the peter pilot and crew chief as well as he watches for popped smoke, glancing down he sees looks of relief on haggard faces, they know he will not choke. Top 10 books for pilots and aviation nuts air charter service. He spent his entire vietnam tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1. Vietnam helicopter pilots describe the war from the cockpit duration.
A pilots daughter gets a belated christmas present back in 1969 by david hause, huey ce, hhc, 3 rd bde, 101 st abn div. New book on vietnam helicopter pilots released june 21, 2010 by janice wood just released is the red tavern, the true story of the silent preachers of the first air cavalry division, who piloted the huey helicopters that were the beginning and end of every vietnam story. Jim schueckler 1997 my first day as a helicopter pilot in vietnam, probably january 10, 1969. Uh1 vietnam losses 197273 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 196365 date. It was not all that high in the units in which i served. Huey pilots, crews honored for saving thousands in vietnam. Helicopter pilot flew in 3 tours of duty in vietnam veterans. My dad was a huey uh1 pilot with the 9th infantry in. A british take on the american involvement in vietnam.