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Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970

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The real deal.!
Ripcord Review
Excellent researched book
RIPCORD
Mr. Reed, stand down

Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970
Keith W Nolan
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Hamburger Hill
Hell On A Hill Top: America's Last Major Battle In Vietnam
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Death Valley: The Summer Offensive, I Corps, August 1969
Hill 488

ASIN: 0891416420
Release Date: 2000-06-26

Book Description

On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles’ last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the United States.

At Ripcord, the enemy counterattacked with ferocity, using mortar and antiaircraft fire to inflict heavy causalities on the units operating there. The battle lasted four and a half months and exemplified the ultimate frustration of the Vietnam War: the inability of the American military to bring to bear its enormous resources to win on the battlefield. In the end, the 101st evacuated Ripcord, leaving the NVA in control of the battlefield. Contrary to the mantra “We won every battle but lost the war,” the United States was defeated at Ripcord. Now, at last, the full story of this terrible battle can be told.

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

The real deal.!.......2007-06-27

If you have any knowledge of the Vietnam conflict or were in country at the time ,this is a perfect blow for blow record,no punches pulled ,and every bit of research backed up with detailed fact. It gives the overall viewpoint,officers ,nco s and the Grunts.A great read about real men and the horror of War.

Ripcord Review.......2007-02-09

Keith Nolan has done it again! A very accurate account of a battle in Vietnam. A grunts eye view!Only thing that would have made the book better. Would have been maps, something he fails to do in all his books.

Excellent researched book.......2007-01-17

This historical account represents a detailed account of the battle for RIPCORD. The dedication of the troops to a questionable operation at the time of the winddown of the Vietnam War is admirable to say the least.
This work exposes the quandary of senior officers who are shackled by the political forces from Washington. Nevetheless, it also reveals the shortcomings of certain officers who were more concerned with their careers than the troops. The most famous example is that of Colonel Lucas. The "ring knockers protective association" was successful in seeing that he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. This in spite of the fact that he made bad decions in exposing his troops to unnecessary RIF's with the consequest heavy caualties. As one of his troops said "it was the kind of situation where if he had lived, he probably would have been brought up on charges, but since he got killed, he ended up with the Medal of Honor." Nevertheless, this book entails the heroism of all who participated in this ill-conceived battle.

RIPCORD.......2006-10-29

Excellent history that is well written and, unlike many military histories, is extremely readable. It is accurate and tells a story that not many people know about. I signed into this unit (2/506 101st Airborne) just a few weeks after Ripcord happened. It filled in a lot of the stories that I had heard about this battle. Fantastic book!

Mr. Reed, stand down.......2006-10-21

I have little to add to the other generally thoughtful reviews of this book. Some have found its organization confusing; the whole campaign was complex, and I don't see how it could be related any clearer in a way that captures so much important detail. If you're confused, read it again. It's worth it. Remember, this action took place over months, and involved many company and platoon sized actions; comparisons to "We Were Soldiers..." or Hamburger Hill simply don't take this into account. Great job, Mr. Nolan.

Mr. Reed, your second review of this book indicated that you had at least skimmed the manuscript prior to writing, which was not evident from your first review; you to should give it another look. In particular, I challenge your criticism of Mr. Nolan's portrayal of the "higher echelon" as "incompetent and cowardly". To what and whom do you refer? General Hennessey? Although the judgement of the battalion, brigade, and even ADC are presented in way that offers several different interpretations, their personal valor is never questioned-indeed, the opposite is true.

Also, I challenge your assertion that Mr. Nolan engages in "media hype and antiwar sentiment". Do you deny that there were drug and discipline problems in the rear areas? Mr. Nolan goes out of his way to point out that this was mitigated on the line, so what is your point? Even in cases of gross cowardice, occasionally are portrayed, Mr. Nolan tries to present a balanced view-witness his treatment of Doc Kuntz.

The US military was generally very effective in Vietnam, particularly so given the absurd political environment within which it was forced to operate. But it was not above criticism, nor is it antiAmerican to suggest that mistakes were made, opportunities missed, and some really reprehensible events may have occurred. In the context of a ten year involvement, 58,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of wounded, and an ultimate NVA victory, I find your breast beating somewhat maladroit.

Average customer rating:

A superb personal narrative of LRRP's in vietnam.
Books returned for full refund
Good book about special forces in Vietnam but not the best
Valid reason to attack this author's works
I was there

Eyes of the Eagle
Gary Linderer
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Eyes Behind the Lines
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Death in the a Shau Valley: L Company LRRPs in Vietnam, 1969-1970
LRRP Team Leader

ASIN: 0804107335
Release Date: 1991-03-02

Book Description

When Gary Linderer reached Vietnam in 1968, he volunteered for training and duty with the F Company 58th In, the Long Range Patrol Company that was "the Eyes of the Eagle." F Company pulled reconnaisssance missions and ambushes, and Linderer recounts night insertions into enemy territory, patrols against NVA antiaircraft emplacements, and some of the bravest demonstrations of courage under fire that has ever been described....

Customer Reviews:

A superb personal narrative of LRRP's in vietnam........2006-05-02

One of my first veitnam books and one of my personal favourites. No matter how many times I have read and re-read this book it never fails to evoke in me the emotions and personal feelings that litterally flood from the pages.
If you want an uncopmromising and enthralling true story of the life of a LRRP in vietnam get this book and you will not be let down.
Linderer's writing style balances the detail and depth of day to day life with the pulse racing missions of clandestine sneek and peek.
Throughly reccomended.

Books returned for full refund.......2006-01-13

As of yesterday, Random House, Inc. has removed the fake military awards and decorations from its web site on this author's books.

Gary A. Linderer has claimed to have received 2 Silver Stars and 2 Purple Hearts for the same day's combat. That is a military impossibility! Yet, he still claims it inside all of his books. Anyone can return these books by this author Gary Linderer for a full refund because of the fake awards he claimed.

The National Archive records (radio logs) that were found by the researcher Don C. Hall and author of "I SERVED" refute what Gary Linderer wrote in his books. That makes Gary Linderer's books "fictional memoirs."

Good book about special forces in Vietnam but not the best.......2005-12-05

This was my first LRPs Book "The Eyes Of The Eagle", by the end of this book I was amazed by the capability and the courage of these soldiers to execute recons and ambush missions behind enemy lines.

This book tell the tour of vietnam of the author, is a good book and has some good missions but is not full of missions from begining to end like the book I read after this one "SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam by John L. Plaster" that book just raised the bar on stories about special forces behind enemy lines way to high, is literally full of missions behind enemy lines from beginning to end.

I still recomend reading "Eyes of the Eagle by Gary Linderer"

Valid reason to attack this author's works.......2005-09-11

After doing my own research in the U.S. National Archives I was left with the clear impression that most of the combat that Linderer wrote about was fake contacts. For instance, the Fire Base Jack firefight was a bunch of Lurps sent out over the wire as LP (listening post). During the night, a band of wild pigs came roaming through and these guys --- FREAKED OUT! The men blasted every moving weed, bush, shrubbery in the immediate area. The next day, a line unit sweeps the area and found bodies of four pigs and blood trails from others. Not at all like the great battle as written by this author. He had a good writing method that attracts young naive boys or men who never saw real combat close and personal. I had the clear impression that these men needed some line time in a grunt unit before becoming the elite so and so they think they are or were.

John D. Lock's book, `To Fight with Intrepidity' page 417 and 418 "Subsequently known as "Black November" mission, the incident only added to the company's bad luck reputation. Worse yet was the fact that having just recently been assigned to the cavalry, where the unit was under the control of the Cavalry unit, where the terminology for the company was troop, Company F soon became known as "F Troop." This proved to be embarrassing and humiliating moniker for the company soldiers, for "F Troop" was the title of a popular 1967 situation comedy that depicted a comical, ridiculous, and undisciplined cavalry company in the old American West of the 1970s.")

I was NOT impressed with the arrogance shown by this author like on page 85 August 1, 1968 "At morning formation, the first sergeant announced that our company was on stand down until further notice. No more missions? No one figured on that happening." I think this was their motive.
"Top" also announced that the CID's comments after the interviews were somewhat interesting. He said that they concluded that at least forty percent of the men in the company were psychotic. Another forty percent suffered from delusions of grandeur. The reminder were merely criminally insane."
There is a ring of a confessional here by the author Linderer about the delusions of grandeur. It's sad that he would call the team leader medal-hungry when Linderer in fact was caught faking two Silver Stras and two Purple Hearts for the same day's combat. Interesting way he splits his words and the writing style is shameful to those men who fought in Viretnam with honor and morals. Linderer goes on: "Sergeant Contreros seemed a little too gung ho for my taste. I didn't know him well, but I had heard he was medal hunting."
And then on November 20, 1968 Page 179
"At 0935 we again heard voices coming down the trail... Contreros rose to his knees in the center of our perimeter, peering at the approaching NVA. He Seemed excited. I looked at the trail, ten meters away, and saw the first NVA enter my kill zone... The signal! I squeezed hard on the trigger. Six claymores erupted simultaneously as we fired our mines in unison..."
Page 180
"Walkabout, Czeourny, Souza, and Cox were already down on the kill zone making sure the dead NVA stayed that way. One lay mortally wounded, still moaning. I joined them and began gathering enemy weapons and gear... We stripped the bodies... an AK-47 and three .45 caliber U.S. issue automatic pistols."
"We realized that we had ambushed an NVA medical unit. Two of the three bodies in front of my claymore were females, obviously nurses. The other appeared to be some type of staff officer. He carried a .45 in a holster on his hip... The three nurses were lugging rucks full of medical supplies, and one of them had a .45 concealed in the bottom of her ruck sack. I felt bad about killing women, but shook it off when I realized that one of them had been armed."
"The sweet, sickening smell of blood, torn flesh, and burnt powder hung in the air like a transparent cloud, filling our nostrils and gagging us. Obviously, it didn't have the same effect on all of us-Cox and Walkabout were already sitting back against their ruck, finishing their interrupted breakfast."
*The rest of the story goes that the team leader called in the ambush and request support two hours later. Cobra gunships came on the scene and the team reports they were engaged and surrounded by hundreds of hardcore NVA soldiers. The TL calls in artillery.
Page 184
"A deafening explosion erupted around me..."(4 U.S. are KIA and 8 WIA.)
*The author writes several pages about Billy Walkabout (wounded) helps retrieve the basket that is lower from a helicopter and is tangled in the fallen trees threes times within fifty feet of the enemy muzzle flashes shooting at him. He does this several times and takes many minutes while the 500 or so NVA are all around the team shooting, throwing grenades, etc. Walkabout has to fight with the swinging basket, put the wounded men in and assist with the fighting standing up the entire time. All the men are wounded from shrapnel.
Page 194
"I looked down as we cleared the trees. The devastation was unbelievable. The dead NVA lay everywhere around the perimeter."
Page 199 and 200
"Lieutenant Williams said that they had to wade through dead gooks to reach us. The side of the hill was slippery with their blood. At least the bastards had paid dearly for what they had done to our team."
*The author writes several pages about General Melvin Zais, the divisional commander enters the hospital and pins an "IMPACT AWARDS" of a (1) one Silver Star and (1) Purple Heart on Gary Linderer's pillow after a talk with the author. The one turns into two and so it goes the delusions of grandeur confessional by the gifted author. Didn't he know the Army always keeps copious records or did he think that he could just BS everyone about it and they'd believe him. After all, he has a book deal and puffs about credibilty and such.
G-2 & G-3 Section 101st Abn. Div. Camp Eagle YD808162
20 Nov. 1968 1000H (C) G2 recd msg fr 1st Bde stating: At 2400H to 0400H vic An Nong Village YD918093 & An Nong 3 YD933106 in Loc Bon village, info came in from village chief to A Co that 30 VC last night came through loc above. Primary purpose was to collect money, but would eccept rice instead. They came from south and returned south.

1200H (C) G2 recd msg 2d Bde stating: At 1130 H vic YC829900 LRP TM #24 ambushed est enemy sqaud (reinf) moving E on trail at YC 829900. Appartently rice carrying detail, for only two were VC were armed. En appeared to have been heading towards hill # 512 at YC8490. Res: 9 VC KIA, 2x 45 pistols CIA. Note: 8 VC were killed outright, one was captured but was seriously wounded. This VC later died after attempt to evac him was made. No friendly cas.

1220H (C) G2 recd msg fr 2/17 stating: At 1124H vic YC8490 LRP Tm #24 amb 9 VC, 5 women & 4 men. LRP Tm believes VC were porters. Res: 5 female KIA BC, 4 VC male KIA BC, 2 x US 45 Cal pistols. VC were moving towards Hill 513 YC8490.

Item 17 - 1200H (C) recd msg fr 2d Bde stating: At 1130H vic YC829900 LRP Tm # 24 ambushed est enemy sqaud (reinf) moving E on trail at YC829900. Apparently was a rice carrying detail, for ony two VC were armed. En appeared to have been heading toward hill # 512 at YC8490. Res: 9 VC KIA, 2 x 24 pistols CIA. Note: 8 VC were killed outright, one was captured but was seriously wounded. This VC later died after an attempt to evac him was made. No friendly cas.

Item 18 - 1220H (C) G2 recd mes fr 2/17 Cav stating: At 11245H vic YC8490 LRP Tm # 24 amb (ambushed) 9 VC, 5 women & 4 men. LRP Tm believed VC were porters. Res: 5 VC female KIA, 4 Male KIA BC. 2 x US 45 Cal pistols. VC were moving towards Hill 513 YC8490. Neg US cas.

Item 33 - 1620H (C) G3 recd mes fr 2/17 Cav stating: 2/17 (C) reports LRRPs in RZ Brenda are in heavy contact, 9 cas. Request 1 Co RRF. 1st Bde will supply the company - A/2/502. Insertion controlled by credit 4.

Item 36 - 1645H (C) recd msg fr 2d Bde, at 1620H, vic YC839880, LRP Tm 24 made contact w/unk size force. Res: 2 US KHA, 8 WIA. A complete report will be turned in tonight.

Item 48 - 2043H (C) G3 recd msg fr 2/17 Cav, LRP medevac completed 1830H, C/ARP ext fr contact site 1920H, shuttle to Brick has not been closed.

Item 51 - 2130H (C) G2 recd msg fr 2/17, total 3 KHA, 21 WHA (8 serious, 13 minor), all cas fr LRP Co except 8 WIA fr ARP. One Kit CASON was WHA (minor) not included in 21 WHA.

SUMMARY: A LRP tm of F/58 Inf ambushed ten en [enemy] moving N on trail vic [vicinity] YC839887. The res [results] were eight enemy KIA and two wpns [weapons] capt [captured]. In subsequent encounter w/a [with a] reinforced enemy squad, the team killed on addtional en [enemy] in the same area.

This is an important part of the records that support the above.
G-2 & G-3 101st Abn. Div CAMP EAGLE DATE 23 Nov. 1968 page 5 of 7. Item No 35 - 1429 hours (C) G-2 recd msg fr 2d Bde stating: At 1325H vic YC83888 D/2/501 1st plt at 1240H fnd 8 bodies: 7 x VC, 1 NVA, 4 pairs of PJ, 20 lbs of rice, 1 kettle, equipment left by LRPS: 1 x WP gernade, 1 x bottle of whole blood, LRP rations, poncho liner, 6 x US rucksacks, 1 x sewing kit and 5 xclaymore. Note: The 8 x VC were previously reported.

The last entry tells it all folks.

I was there.......2005-08-11

I have read all of this author's books and found them all well written and captivating in description of the horrors of war, the brotherhood of warriors and the rise of ordinary American young men to heroic deeds in the face of a determined enemy. As an eye witness to some of the events described I find some of those all too captivating in their reality and accuracy. I consider it my extreme good fortune to have known the author both as dedicated warrior and true American patriot, who after leaving the Army has used his experiences in offering a strong hand or a sympathetic shoulder to any other veteran in need. Unfortunately, there is one veteran whose choice was to return that hand with teeth marks in it. This veteran, fancying himself as a modern day Oliver Twist frequently posts reviews laden with inaccurate and irrelevant staff duty logs as evidence that the actions on 20 Nov 68 never happened or are distorted fantasies created Gary Linderer. He often identifies himself as "a reader" or with handles like Mark Twain "Joy", but never his real name and all his facts Oliver Twisted. If Linderer fantasized the action of 20 Nov 68 it surely was a mass hallucination, taking in some 30 pilots, the Company Commander and even Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division all who actually there that day Oliver. The dream was so realistic that team members and reaction force soldiers can still show one the scars inflicted by this author's imagination. It also took in an unknown, but clearly large number of enemy soldiers who spent the better part of ten hours trying to shoot me out of the sky every time I went near that hill. Maybe I just imagined myself in a very large hornets nest, but the difference was that I was there that day and Mr. Reader was not. Reader questions the author's awards, but fails to mention that the U.S. Army saw fit to hand out dozen of valorous awards for that action that included two Distinguished Service Crosses. I visited the author in the hospital the next day so I am convinced that he earned a Purple Heart that day whether it made it into his records or not. Have your mommy read you Mr. Dickens work again, you may discover that Oliver did get what he wanted when he asked for, "More please."

Chained Eagle: The Heroic Story of the First American Shot Down over North Vietnam

Average customer rating:

The Life of U.S.'s First Vietnam POW
CHAINED EAGLE
Good family story, no hero
Vivid and Well Written Story from a True Survivor
An incredible memoir of POW captivity.......

Chained Eagle: The Heroic Story of the First American Shot Down over North Vietnam
Jr. Everett Alvarez , and Anthony S. Pitch
Manufacturer: Potomac Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam

ASIN: 1574885588

Book Description

On August 5, 1964, while Lt. (jg) Everett Alvarez was flying a retaliatory air strike against naval targets in North Vietnam, antiaircraft fire crippled his A-4 fighter-bomber, forcing him to eject over water at low altitude. Alvarez relates the engrossing tale of his capture by fishermen, brutal treatment by the North Vietnamese, physical and mental endurance, and triumphant repatriation nearly nine years later in 1973.

Alvarez spent more time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than any other flier. AUTHORBIO: EVERETT ALVAREZ, JR. is president of Conwal, Inc., a defense-related firm. He retired from the Navy as a commander in 1980. He is the recipient of the Silver Star, two Legion of Merit awards, two Bronze Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and two Purple Hearts. Since his release in 1973, he has earned a law degree and was deputy director of the Peace Corps and deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration. He lives in Rockville, Maryland.

ANTHONY S. PITCH is a former writer in the books division of U.S. News and World Report. He is the author of several books, including The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814. He lives in Potomac, Maryland

Customer Reviews:

The Life of U.S.'s First Vietnam POW.......2007-01-09

Everett Alvarez Jr. has given us his inspirational experience as America's first military Vietnam POW. He details his early life, then gets right to his mission over North Vietnam, his plane being downed, his subsequent capture and captivity and, finally, his release and "Return With Honor". There are a number of books written by Vietnam POWs, but this one is noteworthy because he was the first (1964) and the longest held. He speaks hauntingly of his depravation and torture, but he doesn't delve on it. This is a positive book where Alvarez shows us how he endured for so long. Of interest is his faith; how it helped him cope. Meanwhile the book often shifts back to his family here, first awaiting news of his fate and then later, when they find he is alive, his release. Well-written and inspiring... a great take.

CHAINED EAGLE.......2006-10-19

The story is a story that should be mandatory reading for all high school and college students. The lessons, actions, values and principles in the life of Alvarez are what heroes are made of and an inspiration and example to all.

The book is well written. One feels as though he is living through the ordeal of the POW story.

Good family story, no hero.......2006-05-31

Alvarez was shot down on the FIRST day of the Gulf of Tonkin airstrikes! Hero, no. Lucky, yes. Strong will to survive, yes. So are the hundreds of other POWs. What makes Alvarez unique? The first one to get shot down? Hardly a hero.

Vivid and Well Written Story from a True Survivor.......2005-07-18

"Chained Eagle" is the story of Lieutenant (j.g.) Everett Alvarez. He was a pilot from the U.S.S. "Constellation", shot down over Hon Gai, North Vietnam on August 5, 1964. In fact, Alvarez was downed during the very first bombing sortie of the Indochina War. He remained imprisoned until the general release of all POWs in the Spring of 1973. This reviewer remembers President Johnson announcing the missions at the still bizarre time of 11 p.m. Eastern Time, interrupting a Mets game. (It was never completely clear if LBJ's broadcast came before the actual raids. Doing so would have given the North a free advance warning). The very strongest aspect of CE is how strongly it is written. The portrayals of prison life are more vivid than any other POW accounts this reviewer has read. There is a sharp focus on the food. It was painful to read of how POWs competed with the rats and ants for the slop left outside their cells. By the time permission to actually eat was given, "others" had sampled the stuff! One can only imagine how hungry these guys must have been and desperate for any semblance of decent chow! Alvarez' conditions were tolerable initially but quickly deteriorated as more pilots were downed and subsequently captured. Conditions improved later in the War as America -belatedly! -began to demand better treatment of the prisoners. The Son Tay raid of 1970 also was directly responsible for better conditions because it led North Vietnam to consolidate most Americans into the larger Hanoi area prisons. There was definite safety in numbers, along with a supportive command structure. Another strong aspect of CE is the interspersed reports of how the Alvarez family was faring at home! One deduces a strong effort from co-author Pitch here, since Alvarez was imprisoned 15, 000 miles away. It was not all sweetness and light back in California. CE reminds the reader sharply that the families on the home front suffered too. It is true that Alvarez' wife deserted him while he was imprisoned and that his sister was a serious demonstrator against the War. However the author very quickly pulled his life together again once repatriated, rising above those sharp adversities. This reviewer was surprised to read of two collaborators, both officers, one a Marine LTC! Also, by the end of 1972, many of the newly shot down pilots had turned lukewarm regarding the War. Some rooted for Senator George McGovern (D-SD) in the '72 Presidential Election! The bottom line for CE is that it is one more entry in that solid lineup of POW/MIA accounts. America should always remember the struggles these men endured. We should also acknowledge the 1800+ still unaccounted for in the 4 Indochina countries, plus 6 men in China. Those of us Vets who came back to the World intact should count our blessings daily.

An incredible memoir of POW captivity..............2003-04-13

On August 5th, 1964, Lieutenant j.g. Everett Alvarez Jr. was shot down over North Vietnam and became the first U.S. aviator to be taken captive in the Vietnam conflict. Held in confinement for eight and a half years, he would be recorded as the longest held POW second only to Army Captain Jim Thompson.

Spending the entire Vietnam war as a POW, Alvarez was held at different times in the Hanoi Hilton, Briarpatch, and Zoo prison compounds. It would be a year until he finally had contact with other American POW's and much of that first year was in solitary confinement.

Approaching 2 years of captivity, Alvarez and his fellow servicemen were subjected to brutal and sadistic tortures amidst inhumane living conditions for the duration of their stay. Forced to eat vermin infested food and given negligible medical care, he suffered frequently from Dysentery, Beri-Beri, Hepatitis, and other afflictions.

Far along into captivity, Alvarez finally received mail from his family concerning events at home. Sadly, he was to learn that one of his sisters had become an anti-war activist and in what must have seemed like one of the worst examples of betrayal and cruelty, his wife divorced him and then remarried.

During the worst of times, Alvarez never wavered in his beliefs of pride, patriotism, and self-determination to survive and continually assisted his fellow POW's as they assisted him. Upon a joyous and welcome return home, he diligently and proudly re-entered society with his honor and integrity intact culminating with his second marriage to a wonderful woman that made his life complete.

Book Description

In the past one-hundred fifty years there has been only one armed mutiny aboard an American ship. This is the story of that incident which occurred on March 14, 1970. It is presented as a serious piece of journalism but told with the narrative drive of a novel, including dialogues solidly grounded in sworn testimony and buttressed by hundreds of interviews with the crew and investigators who were the first to arrive on the scene. The mutiny was carried out by two young crew members of an American tramp steamer transporting napalm to Thailand for the war in Vietnam. After casting most of the crew into the Gulf of Thailand in lifeboats, the mutineers--fireman Clyde McKay and bedroom steward Alvin Glatkowski--made their way to Cambodia, where after a tense impasse with the U.S. military, the Columbia Eagle was turned over to Prince Sihanouk's government, and the mutineers, declaring themselves antiwar revolutionaries, were granted asylum. But two days later the two were imprisoned when a coup put pro-US Lon Nol in power, with Sihanouk charging that the CIA had masterminded the mutiny to deliver weapons to Lon Nol.

A tale of idealism and risk-taking, madness and ultimate tragedy, the book not only chronicles for the first time the mutiny and the investigation and trials that followed, but looks at the psychological factors involved as well. Beneath the surface story of a selfless and grand political gesture, the authors find an incident with deeper, more complex motivations. As events unfold, the authors draw readers deeply into the adventure for a full appreciation of shipboard life and the vagaries of human relationships.

Customer Reviews:

The Eagle Has Landed.......2002-11-06

Roberto Loiederman and Richard Linnett take the reader on a fascinating voyage into a little-known chapter of the Vietnam era. Meticulously researched, the authors manage to pump prose into this account of an armed mutiny aboard an American ship carrying napalm. A former merchant marine, Loiederman lends authenticity and precision grounding to this sea-going narrative. Here is a rare opportunity to get a glimpse into the mind of a mutineer. Move over Bounty - the Eagle has landed!

In Our Lives.......2001-07-18

Thirty-one years ago was way, way back! Another century. Yet Linnett and Loiederman recreate the intensity and frenzy of that era and make it wholly coherent and contemporary. This fresh, comprehensive, recall reveals a turbulent Vietnam era that is both exotic and accessible.

A fantastic story--incredibly true though it reads like a thriller movie--this mutiny not only happened as described, but becomes a metaphor for the political and social transition that color an entire generation. And like Melville, Conrad, London, Nordhoff and Hall, Wauk and O'Brian, Linnett and Loiederman make of their ship, and it's mutiny, a floating cosmos, where the rules are both observed and bent. Where too, morality is debated and diverted.

We are given two young men coming of age in the late sixties. While both wind up as merchant seamen, Clyde slips in from a life of adventure and twilight while Alvin pushes on from the mainstream. The authors bring those hyperbolic days with their hyperbolic people alive in the same way Clyde and Alvin found them vivid and attractive.

And the Columbia Eagle becomes their crucible as the world and the war plunges forward. The powers play the grand game and, in isolation, the mutineers carry out their plot, ignorant and unaffected. When they finally emerge with the ship and its cargo of napalm in Cambodian waters, players are about to change sides on them and their act of protest is swallowed up in the upheaval, the coup that deposed Sihanouk three days after their arrival.

What follows is a tale of increasing strangeness. The relationship between Alvin and Clyde deteriorates. Their capture, incarceration, escape, disappearance and reappearance are all traced. The inscrutability of both U. S. and Cambodian officials concerning the mutineers' fates, gives rise to conjecture. We're also given an overview of the huge cast of anti-war journalists, Thai and Cambodian peasants, soldiers of fortune, scholars and movement people who cross paths with the mutineers. These were dizzying, heady times, and the authors bring them to life with persuasive, exhaustive research.

At last, we are left with a portrait of an age, a time and a set of personalities shaped by that time. Way back, when passions were enough.

An amazingly detailed account of mutiny and anti-war protest.......2001-06-26

Fascinating research by Roberto Loiederman and Richard Linnett into the little-known cases of a trio of American would-be revolutionaries, two of whom later escaped loose detention in Phnom Penh and set off to join the Khmer Rouge. After falling into the custody of Mam Sabun, a Khmer Rouge district chief, their fates become confused with those of Sean Flynn and Dana Stone, the most famous of the American journalists who disappeared in Cambodia during the 1970-75 era of conflict. This work is a valuable addition to Tim Page's ongoing research to resolve the fates of those who remain "unaccounted-for" in Cambodia. Roberto Loiederman's stunningly detailed account of life aboard the the ship make this story one which anyone who loves the sea will find spellbinding. While this book deals with so-called collaborators, those outside the government who remain interested in the PW-MIA issue will find "The Eagle Mutiny" contains some information which provides new insights.

Average customer rating:

Actual, Factual.....Satisfactional
Wing of the Eagle
Hook, line and sinker
Excellent Story, Excellent Book
Wings of the Eagle : A Kingsmen's Story

Wings of the Eagle
William T. Grant
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Life & Institutions | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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Angel's Wing: A Year in the Skies of Vietnam
Chickenhawk

ASIN: 080411062X
Release Date: 1994-04-02

Book Description

This is the story of rescue in the steamy, bloody jungles of Vietnam. First as peter pilot and then as full-fledged aircraft commander, W.T. Grant routinely flew McGuire rig extractions under enemy fire, inserts into combat zones exploding with mortar shells, and night operations in the enemy-infested A Shau Valley. Though the 17th Assault Helicopter Company eventually became B Compnay, 101st Aviation Battalion, the Kingsmen will always be remembered for their courage....

Customer Reviews:

Actual, Factual.....Satisfactional.......2004-03-23

Having know "WT" for much too long as a fellow Pilot or "pile it" this book is for real, it doesn't start out with "There I was", "Once upon a time" or "No ... " like most War Stories, we commonly tell at the "O" Club. He tells it for real, not embellished nor glorified, but as it was. Still WAITING for his next follow up, more comical book covering the Military Hipocracy, which he threatened to dedicate a whole chapter to "UGLY MAN", all because of a lil 'ole practical joke played on him the last time we met, in a Military exercise down Virginia just prior to "Desert Storm" (NOTE: "WT" is one of the Mad Men of practial jokes). Good luck Willbur, and get the lead out, we need your follow up book!

Wing of the Eagle.......2004-03-19

Wings of the Eagle is a great book that you cannot put down. I have read many Vietnam era books, about two dozen and this was my first about a helicopter pilot. The writing is pretty linear; pilot arrives in Vietnam; meets his new company; becomes a green peter-pilot to a heroic WO in his tour and then comes home. What separates this book from a lot of the others is W.T. Grants focus and description of the characters, the area, and the battles seen from a helicopter pilot's perspective. Another thing Grant does extremely well is dialogue. The interaction with LRRP's on the ground and fellow pilots back at base is very realistic, giving the book a great feel.

The book was amazing but the only reason I did not give it a 5 out of 5 was the fact that the story line was predictable and linear. An astute reader could easily guess what was to happen next. Besides this minor criticism, I think the book is great and would suggest it to everyone looking to read a book about helicopters and the pilots that flew them. I also would suggest it readers that are interested in the Vietnam War and Vietnam era books. Wings of the Eagle gives you a great new perspective on the pilots who flew Huey's in Vietnam. The book gives a face to these enigmatic soldiers. For the people that are interested in Vietnam but want a book that is unique, creative and distinct I would turn away from this book try Tim O'Brien or John Del Vecchio, both have interesting writing styles that are worth checking out.

Hook, line and sinker.......2003-03-08

This author writes a good tale. Before and during Vietnam he had a charmed life. Flying for the fake contact Lurps of F/58 LRP of the 101st meant less combat air time. Too bad this guy was suckered into writing what Gary Linderer who was on the ground told him was real about the combat on 20 Nov. 1968. Everyone knows that Linderer's military awards are bogus and and it's a shame this guy went along. What some people will do for a book deal nowadays.

How could he write that his helicopter hoovered for ten to twenty minutes over the team to extract a wounded man when they were surrounded by over 500 NVA soldiers armed with AK-47s, RPGs and a 40-pound claymore mine and not one bullit hole in his Slick. DAH -- Some fantasy flying, I guess.

"Gary A. Linderer is the publisher of `Behind the Lines,' a magazine that specializes in U.S. military special operations. In Vietnam, he earned two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star with V devise (for Valor), the Army Commendation Medal with V devise, and two Purple Hearts. His first two books
were selected by the Military Book Club."

National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100
OFFICIAL LIST OF AWARDS The Official Military Records of GARY A. LINDERER (SSN removed) show that he is authorized the following awards and decorations for his service in the US Army:
SILVER STAR
BRONZE STAR MEDAL W/FIRST OAK LEAF CLUSTER AND "V" ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL
W/FIRST OAK LEAF CLUSTER AIR MEDAL
GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL NATIONAL DEFENSE
SERVICE MEDAL
VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL W/4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS
COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CAMPAIGN RIBBON W/DEVICE (1960)
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM GALLANTRY CROSS W/PALM UNIT CITATION BADGE SHARPSHOOTER
BADGE W/RIFLE & MACHINE GUN BARS EXPERT BADGE W/AUTO RIFLE BAR
////////NOTHING FOLLOWS/////////////
R. L. HINDMAN,

Director

From Gary Linderer's book "EYES BEHIND THE LINES."
Page 10 - "The fact that we had killed over two hundred NVA, including the executive officer of the NVA 5th Regiment did not lesson his grief."

Page 11- "My first full day back with F Company was occupied with replacing the weapon and all the gear and equipment I had lost November 20. I had to start from scratch replacing my LBE (load-bearing equipment) and my rucksack and pack frame."

Page 14 - The Cav (2/17 Cav) really didn't have a lot of use for LRPs, and we reciprocated their feelings, especially after their reaction team's heroic actions November 20 (when they cowered on the LZ while our fellow LRPs charged to our rescue)."

G-2 & G-3 Section 101st Abn. Div. Camp Eagle YD808162 20 Nov. 1968 1000H (C) G2 recd msg fr 1st Bde stating: At 2400H to 0400H vic An Nong Village YD918093 & An Nong 3 YD933106 in Loc Bon village, info came in from village chief to A Co that 30 VC last night came through loc above. Primary purpose was to collect money, but would eccept rice instead. They came from south and returned south.

1200H (C) G2 recd msg 2d Bde stating: At 1130 H vic YC829900 LRP TM #24 ambushed est enemy sqaud (reinf) moving E on trail at YC 829900. Appartently rice carrying detail, for only two were VC were armed. En appeared to have been heading towards hill # 512 at YC8490. Res: 9 VC KIA, 2x 45 pistols CIA. Note: 8 VC were killed outright, one was captured but was seriously wounded. This VC later died after attempt to evac him was made. No friendly cas.

1220H (C) G2 recd msg fr 2/17 stating: At 1124H vic YC8490 LRP Tm #24 amb 9 VC, 5 women & 4 men. LRP Tm believes VC were porters. Res: 5 female KIA BC, 4 VC male KIA BC, 2 x US 45 Cal pistols. VC were moving towards Hill 513 YC8490.

Item 17 - 1200H (C) recd msg fr 2d Bde stating: At 1130H vic YC829900 LRP Tm # 24 ambushed est enemy sqaud (reinf) moving E on trail at YC829900. Apparently was a rice carrying detail, for ony two VC were armed. En appeared to have been heading toward hill # 512 at YC8490. Res: 9 VC KIA, 2 x 24 pistols CIA. Note: 8 VC were killed outright, one was captured but was seriously wounded. This VC later died after an attempt to evac him was made. No friendly cas.

Item 18 - 1220H (C) G2 recd mes fr 2/17 Cav stating: At 11245H vic YC8490 LRP Tm # 24 amb (ambushed) 9 VC, 5 women & 4 men. LRP Tm believed VC were porters. Res: 5 VC female KIA, 4 Male KIA BC. 2 x US 45 Cal pistols. VC were moving towards Hill 513 YC8490. Neg US cas.

Item 33 - 1620H (C) G3 recd mes fr 2/17 Cav stating: 2/17 (C) reports LRRPs in RZ Brenda are in heavy contact, 9 cas. Request 1 Co RRF. 1st Bde will supply the company - A/2/502. Insertion controlled by credit 4.

Item 36 - 1645H (C) recd msg fr 2d Bde, at 1620H, vic YC839880, LRP Tm 24 made contact w/unk size force. Res: 2 US KHA, 8 WIA. A complete report will be turned in tonight.

Item 48 - 2043H (C) G3 recd msg fr 2/17 Cav, LRP medevac completed 1830H, C/ARP ext fr contact site 1920H, shuttle to Brick has not been closed.

Item 51 - 2130H (C) G2 recd msg fr 2/17, total 3 KHA, 21 WHA (8 serious, 13 minor), all cas fr LRP Co except 8 WIA fr ARP. One Kit CASON was WHA (minor) not included in 21 WHA.

SUMMARY: A LRP tm of F/58 Inf ambushed ten en [enemy] moving N on trail vic [vicinity] YC839887. The res [results] were eight enemy KIA and two wpns [weapons] capt [captured]. In subsequent encounter w/a [with a] reinforced enemy squad, the team killed on addtional en [enemy] in the same area.

This is an important part of the records that support the above.
G-2 & G-3 101st Abn. Div CAMP EAGLE DATE 23 Nov. 1968 page 5 of 7.

Item No 35 - 1429 hours (C) G-2 recd msg fr 2d Bde stating: At 1325H vic YC83888 D/2/501 1st plt at 1240H fnd 8 bodies: 7 x VC, 1 NVA, 4 pairs of PJ, 20 lbs of rice, 1 kettle, equipment left by LRPS: 1 x WP gernade, 1 x bottle of whole blood, LRP rations, poncho liner, 6 x US rucksacks, 1 x sewing kit and 5 xclaymore. Note: The 8 x VC were previously reported.

What will some will do for a book of fiction?

Excellent Story, Excellent Book.......2001-06-16

This book is an incredible story that has everything. It was like sitting down and listening to a great war hero tell about his experiences and war stories from back in the day. I simply could not put the book down, it kept my interest throughout. This is not ficion which appeals to me because this actually happened, and those people really exist. I would love to have met the people that were spoken of in this book. I read it for the first time while I was on a one year tour of S. Korea in '94. I was a crewmember for the OV-1D Mohawk, so this type of book was right up my ally. In fact I liked the book so much that I told all of my friends about it and they all wanted to borrow the book. I have never seen the book since the day I lent it out. The author really did a great job.

Wings of the Eagle : A Kingsmen's Story.......2001-06-10

One of the best books on Viet Nam that I have read. The first person account from a young and inexperienced helicopter pilot was captivating and the book was hard to put down. The author's ability to capture his fears and concerns while vividly describing the missions he flew is unsurpassed. I especially enjoyed the author's perception of his fellow warriors and his ability to bring every thing together. I felt like I was there. A great read!

Average customer rating:

Once I started reading I couldn't put it down!
first rate, written by a true flier that was there
one of five in series. best description of air war in RVN

Eagle Station
Mark Berent
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 039913722X

Customer Reviews:

Once I started reading I couldn't put it down!.......1999-04-24

It's been a number of years since I've read Eagle Station, but I've read all of Mr. Berents' books and they were spectacular. The detail with which he describes the characters and scenes made you feel as if you were actually in the field, the enemy attacking you. You could almost hear the gun fire and feel the battle rage. His technique even let you inside the characters minds and understand what they might have gone through. I met Mr. Berents at a book signing at Davis Monthan AB in 1990-91. He autographed Rolling Thunder for me, complete with a Jane Fonda toilet paper book mark! I read Rolling Thunder on the flight to Tuscon from Indianapolis. All Mr. Berent's books are great reads, I wish he would write more!

first rate, written by a true flier that was there.......1998-09-27

I have read all the Mark Berent books and find them all to be first rate and full of action, interesting people and story twists. An excellent read.

one of five in series. best description of air war in RVN.......1996-07-21

This is number four of a five book series that follows the adventures of several pilots and special forces personnel through the war in Viet Nam. For those of us who were pilots in that war, it is the best and most accurate description of our experiences. Each book of the series seems both historically and otherwise factually accurate. All in all, one of the best "reads" to be had since Tom Clancy started writing

On Eagles' Wings: The Spiritual Odyssey of a Young American Pilot in Vietnam

Average customer rating:

Look over a combat pilot's shoulder

On Eagles' Wings: The Spiritual Odyssey of a Young American Pilot in Vietnam
Geoff Gorsuch
Manufacturer: Navpress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Look over a combat pilot's shoulder.......2001-12-29

With the war on terrorism in full swing, and the heavy use of US airmen in that war, it is not unusual for non-pilots like myself to wonder what it is like for our US pilots. And for those of us who consider matters of faith as vitally important in life, we wonder even more about the men and women involved in flying combat missions. Geoff Gorsuch gives us a look into the mind and soul of a pilot who wrestled with God while in the midst of the strain and horrors of war. Gorsuch flew as a FAC in Vietnam and lived to tell about it. He is an Air Force Academy graduate and through his Vietnam experiences became heavily decorated. His book, however, focuses on the spiritual journey he underwent in the skys over Vietnam. His musings and internal questionings and struggles are openly admitted - punctuated with the extreme experiences he saw in the war. He weaves these experiences together with his meditations on the book of Romans found in the Bible. The result is a look over his shoulder - sometimes in the cockpit of his OV-10, and other times in his bunk as he read his New Testament. Anyone wondering how to make sense out of the horrors of war, anyone wondering-in the light of the terror we see on TV these days-if God exists, anyone wondering if faith in God has a place in a soldier's life...should look over Geoff Gorsuch's shoulder.

Scream of Eagles: The Creation of Top Gun and the U.S. Air Victory in Vietnam

Average customer rating:

The Unreported War
Even Better Than Wings of Fury!

Scream of Eagles: The Creation of Top Gun and the U.S. Air Victory in Vietnam
Robert K. Wilcox
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

The Unreported War.......2002-06-06

Robert Wilcox has gone where few have tread -- to the air above Vietnam -- and we are left with a tightly written, throughly researched eye-opener of what really happened up there, and what Top Gun really was minus pretty boys in makeup and a rock and roll score. A must read for Jane Fonda.

Even Better Than Wings of Fury!.......1998-07-19

When I finished reading Robert Wilcox' Wings of Fury, I was impressed. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to read his earlier work Scream of Eagles (The Creation of TopGun).

Sincerely this is even better than Wings of Fury. There are plenty of first person accounts (sea stories) of TopGun's genesis and dogfights against the VPAF. The USN was less than enthusiastic about funding and equipping this new school in 1969. When you read about this and put yourself back in time, it's amazing that TopGun ever got started. But that's just part of the story...

The F-8 Crusader's days were numbered as the F-4 Phantom was replacing the 'sader in the Fleet. The men that developed TopGun knew that BVR missile shots were not the answer. Pilots needed to know how to dogfight and get the maximum performance out of their airplane and work as a team (both as a section of fighters and as a Pilot/RIO team). TopGun provided the cadre to teach fleet Phantom crews to build this teamwork.

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