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Black Hawk helicopter returning from
Salerno Forward Operating Base, Afghanistan
 AH-64
Apache Units in Iraq and Afghanistan
After the attacks on 11 September 2001, Apache units made
significant contributions to the Coalition campaign against Taliban and
al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan. Functioning as the 'killer' part of US
Army Hunter-killer teams, Apaches sought out and brought overwhelming
firepower to bear on Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, as well as providing
direct support to Coalition troops on the ground. Apaches spearheaded
the advance of the 3rd Infantry and the 101st airborne divisions into
Iraq, engaging in some of the heaviest fighting along the western axis
of advance. Weather and enemy fire took a heavy toll on Apaches
operating in Western Iraq, but the resilience and flexibility of the
Apache was central to the success of this campaign.
 Night
Stalkers - 160th SOAR
The 160th Special Operations Aviations Regiment specializes in carrying
out its life-and-death operations under the cover of darkness, hence
their nickname: 'Night Stalkers.' This book details numerous operational
scenarios and describes in detail their equipment, including OH-6 light
observation helicopters, MH-47 Chinook medium modified Little Bird and
Blackhawk helicopters.
Dustoff
Mike Novosel is a fine man. I'm glad to have met him while getting my
book completed. He flew on his second tour in the same area of the Delta
that I did, just a year later than my tour in 1966-67. I was at Vinh
Long with the 175th Outlaws and very proud of my unit. Mike's unit was
the 82nd Med. Evac. and very famous in its own right. They were
stationed at Soc Trang during my tour and then moved to Binh Thuy during
Mr. Novosel's second visit to RVN. This is a very distinguished man,
whose career is one of the richest experiences in Army Aviation. Anyone
who knows the story of this Medal of Honor winner is glad to have made
the acquaintance. This is the right book to have on the medevac
helicopter operations from Saigon throughout the IV Corps. Buy it, and
add it to your collection of Army Aviation stories.
 Pucker
Factor 10
"In 1963…there was no way I could have known, sitting in a classroom on
that beautiful campus in Ohio, that by raising my hand I would be going
to war in Vietnam and that I would see things, hear things and do things
that most people cannot imagine."—James Joyce.
The author was drawn into the United States Army through ROTC, and went
through training to fly helicopters in combat over Vietnam. His
experiences are notable because he flew both Huey "Slicks" and Huey "Gunships":
the former on defense as he flew troops into battle, and the latter on
offense as he took the battle to the enemy. Through this book, the
author relives his experiences flying and fighting, with special
attention given to his and other pilots’ day-to-day lives—such as the
smoke bombing of Disneyland, the nickname given to a United States
Army–sponsored compound for prostitution. Some of the pilots Joyce
served with survived the war and went on to have careers with commercial
airlines, and many were killed.
James Joyce has written a truly excellent book. Mr. Joyce has
successfully included every human emotion possible. His real life
experiences are a combination of both desperate hours and uplifting
moments, with a side of unmistakable humor. I would recommend this book
to anyone remotely interested in the Vietnam era. Definitely a MUST
READ.
 Firebirds
Chuck Carlock is a veteran of the Vietnam War and a member of a
military helicopter pilots association, which gives him access to both
his memories and those of his buddies. Fly with him as he takes you out
on missions in Huey gunships and slicks (so named because they carried
no guns, hence their sides were 'slick') as he crisscrosses some of the
hottest spots in the theatre. And when he's done with you, his buddies
step in and take you on med evac hops and Special Forces inserts deep
inside Cambodia. Hands down, this is the best book of 'Nam chopper
flying I've read (except for perhaps 'Chickenhawk'). And after you've
read this book, pop 'Apocalypse Now' or 'Platoon' in the VCR (or DVD)
and get the total 'Nam experience.
While I find the title a bit presumptious, I did note that Chuck
Carlock experienced a lot of bullet holes in the olive drab fuselages of
the Charlie models he flew in his area of Vietnam. My experiences were
in the Delta, where I think we had a greater variety of tasks and
episodes to discuss and carry out. My time with the Outlaws of the 175th
Avn. Company were far more enjoyable that being "up-north" with these
American units described. I know what I missed. Still, it is good that
some of us helicopter pilots have recorded our flying deeds in this
once-in-a-lifetime experience, one we treasure now that we survived it!!
Chuck salutes many of his fellow pilots at the end of the book and shows
that many Vietnam vets are now successful men of stature and success in
their communities. |
