Description:
This is a story as seen through the eyes of one 1st Lieutenant Army aviator, during the early US military commitment to support the Republic of South Vietnam in its counter-insugency operations against North Vietnam's campaign to reunite Vietnam under communist rule. It depicts the daily life of these soldiers and aviation crew members as they went about proving the importance of the helicopter in modern warfare. Describes in detail how the helicopter was employed, puts you in the pilot's seat, death and humor, frustrations encountered, and a tribute to those soldiers and airmen who paid the ultimate price.
My Review: I absolutely, without question, highly recommend this book to those who want to really feel like they're sitting in the seat of a Shawnee during the early days of the Vietnam War. Gen. Brandt was a fresh Lieutenant in the National Guard who volunteered for active duty and flew CH-21's and was the maintenance officer for the 33rd TC flying CH-21's out of Bien Hoa in support of the ARVN. This book was written with exquisite detail and full of stories of the people in the unit, the history of what was occurring around them, and the challenges faced by the early units. Too many books tell you instead of show you… "We took off and then landed" … while Brandt is a story teller who explains what he was thinking, seeing, and doing in the helicopter. He isn't afraid to also mention his failures and screw ups, while always taking care to name and give credit to those who helped him succeed.
The early days of the war aren't written about as much, and you really get a good understanding of how confusing everything was - from the Buddhist protests, to being told you're not in combat while being shot at constantly. From the fact that they're told everything has to be temporary and ready to be torn down at a moments notice while seeing Bien Hoa airbase turned into a first class facility across the road from them. Everything is duplicitous and everything makes so little sense, but they still go out and do their best in the face of danger and conflict.
Definitely a good book only marred by a few repetitive statements.
