I am well qualified to speak of the Vietnam aviation experience because these things happened during my formative years as a pilot, and I was on the “front lines” of seeing and experiencing much of it. In addition, I keep up-to-date with it via reunions and reading stories told by other pilots, and I have met Kenny Fields, George Marrett, and Leo Thorsness.
Firefly is the only book written about the night mission over Laos, and I explain how we found targets at night, how we avoided hitting mountains in the dark, what napalm looked like when it hit the ground, or a truck at night; and what AAA looked like when it was coming toward me. My squadron lost seven pilots during my year of combat flying, and I tell of how I dealt with the loss of friends. In addition, I was a newlywed when I went off to war and my wife lived in a high-rise apartment in Bangkok, and I was able to visit her about every six weeks. I tell of many things we did together in the big city.
I flew 203 missions and was an instructor pilot who taught new pilots how to stay safe. I am one of only two air force pilots who flew both the supersonic F-106 and the A-1 Skyraider who wasn’t a career officer, and I make several comparisons between the airplanes. I communicated with my parents via three-inch reel-to-reel audio tapes and my dad saved all of them. Several times I talked about missions as soon as I returned, so the stories are as fresh as if they had just happened this morning.
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Rasimus was an F-105 pilot who flew 100 missions over North Vietnam early in the war when things were really hot. He tells of the courage it took to fly into such a dangerous environment and of some of the pilots who did it.
George Marrett was in my squadron the year prior to me and we tell of some of the same people. Cheating Death is about search and rescue. Same airplane, different mission. A-1s were taildragger airplanes with a 2,700 horsepower engine, could carry 10,000 pounds of external ordinance, and had two 20mm guns in each wing. It was low and slow compared to a jet and could stay over a survivor for a long time until a rescue was made. The author tells of several exciting rescues of pilots who were shot down deep in enemy territory and explains how it was done.
This is an exciting book by Kenny Fields, a navy pilot who was shot down on his first mission. He came down near a North Vietnamese division in southern Laos and was on the ground for about 50 hours before he was rescued. The story is told from the perspective of the survivor. The NVA and Viet Cong troops had recently participated in the siege of Khe Sanh, and were back in the (for them) sanctuary of Laos.
This book is about a pilot who was shot down over NVN and how he survived almost seven years of mistreatment as a POW. Thorsness received a Medal of Honor. The POWs were nearly starved to death, were tortured and not allowed to talk to each other.
Dan McKinnon was a navy helicopter pilot who was airborne near an aircraft carrier during flight operations so pilots who had mishaps could be quickly and safely recovered. This is a story about an unusual type of flying, one that provides another layer of safety for naval operations at sea.
5,888 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Vietnam, the Vietnam War, and pilots.
We think you will like Unbroken, Baa, Baa Black Sheep, and Through the Valley if you like this list.
From James' list on struggling war veterans returning to civilian life.
The book is much more comprehensive than the film. For me this is an exemplary story of finding redemption and forgiveness after the worst of human imposed torture and misery. Like so many veterans, WWII veteran Louis Zamperini kills the war demon with alcohol. His relationship with his wife and family suffer until Billy Graham helps save him. One of the messages is that hatred will lead you down a self-destructive path. Overcoming your demons and finding forgiveness and redemption will set you free. I raced through this book.
From Nishi's list on Twentieth Century POWs.
The copy I read came from my dad’s collection. It was signed by the author. I don’t know how Dad knew Pappy Boyington, but years ago when Dad and I were walking through a throng of people at Oshkosh, Pappy broke away from a conversation with two very attractive women to wave and call Dad by name. A teenager at the time, I stood in utter shock and amazement while my dad talked planes with a legend. Though the book covers Pappy’s exploits before, during, and after World War II, a large segment is devoted to his time in a Japanese prison camp. One of his fellow detainees was Louis Zamperini, famous Olympic miler.
From Nishi's list on Twentieth Century POWs.
In a rescue-gone-wrong, Reeder’s chopper went down, landing on its side and leaving the pilot frantically attempting to disentangle himself from the safety harness to escape the burning craft. Years later, after relaying this story to a large audience, Reeder was told by a fellow veteran that he had witnessed the incident and had Reeder in his gunsight, intending to save him from burning to death. The would-be shooter had looked away an instant, and when ready to fire, found Reeder gone. Reeder managed to evade the enemy for a time but was eventually captured and subjected to unfathomable cruelty and deprivation.