SKY HAWK

About the Book

This book is a firsthand account of the Vietnam conflict as it unfolded before a midlevel-career military officer. In a first-person account, it does not portend to be a microcosm of that war but, rather, what it was like for one year, at one place to participate and ultimately lead an attack squadron in combat. This an upbeat, anecdote-filled, historically accurate but nonscholarly tale of events seen or taken part in by the author. The book aims for a wide audience that likes aviation, adventure, and insight into leadership. It forcefully brings home the lessons we as a country should learn from such turmoil. This is no “memoir” to justify the action or inaction of a midlevel manager, but a month-by-month account of controlled mayhem and high humor among professionals in the maelstrom of battle.

About the Author

The author was a career Marine Corps veteran of twenty-eight years of active duty. In late ’66 (when this account begins), he was half-way through his service career. An infantry officer during the Korean War but desiring clean sheets and at least one hot meal a day, he went into aviation during the time of switchover from props to jets. He has a degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island and has received twenty-two personal decorations.