Post by corsair67 on Dec 3, 2007 14:05:05 GMT 12
Cheating Death - Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos
by George J. Marrett
ISBN-10: 0060891572
Imprint: Collins
Publication Date: 14/08/2006
Format: Trade PB
Pages: 240.
Finished reading this on the weekend (I'm going through a bit of a Vietnam air war phase at the moment!), and this is another book I have enjoyed very much.
Capt. George Marrett completed a tour as a pilot in the 602 Special Operations Squadron based in Thailand during 1968/69, and flew 188 attack and combat rescue missions in the A-1 Skyraider over Laos.
Whenever American aircrew were shot down over Laos or Vietnam they knew that the pilots flying the A-1 "Sandys" and pilots and crews HH-3/HH-53 "Jolly Green Giants" would do all they could to rescue them from the clutches of the Pathet Lao, NVA or VC - no matter how long it took, or how dangerous it was to do so.
The Skyraider was chosen for the combat rescue role because it could carry a huge warload, and it also had a very good loiter time over target, which meant it could remain over a downed pilot for a long time whilst using its munitions and 20mm cannons to keep the enemy at bay.
Quite a number of "Sandy" pilots were killed or injured, and many more had very close calls whilst flying their WW2-vintage Skyraiders at very low-level over heavily defended territory; but they did it because they knew that if they were in the same predicament as the downed aircrewmen, someone would do their utmost to rescue them too.
This is a very good account of one man's experiences as a pilot flying in extremely difficult conditions, operating over a country which many Americans did not even know that American service personnel where even fighting and dying in!
Highly recommended.
by George J. Marrett
ISBN-10: 0060891572
Imprint: Collins
Publication Date: 14/08/2006
Format: Trade PB
Pages: 240.
Finished reading this on the weekend (I'm going through a bit of a Vietnam air war phase at the moment!), and this is another book I have enjoyed very much.
Capt. George Marrett completed a tour as a pilot in the 602 Special Operations Squadron based in Thailand during 1968/69, and flew 188 attack and combat rescue missions in the A-1 Skyraider over Laos.
Whenever American aircrew were shot down over Laos or Vietnam they knew that the pilots flying the A-1 "Sandys" and pilots and crews HH-3/HH-53 "Jolly Green Giants" would do all they could to rescue them from the clutches of the Pathet Lao, NVA or VC - no matter how long it took, or how dangerous it was to do so.
The Skyraider was chosen for the combat rescue role because it could carry a huge warload, and it also had a very good loiter time over target, which meant it could remain over a downed pilot for a long time whilst using its munitions and 20mm cannons to keep the enemy at bay.
Quite a number of "Sandy" pilots were killed or injured, and many more had very close calls whilst flying their WW2-vintage Skyraiders at very low-level over heavily defended territory; but they did it because they knew that if they were in the same predicament as the downed aircrewmen, someone would do their utmost to rescue them too.
This is a very good account of one man's experiences as a pilot flying in extremely difficult conditions, operating over a country which many Americans did not even know that American service personnel where even fighting and dying in!
Highly recommended.
