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.... From the Paperback edition.

From 1945 to 1973, more than 100,000 members of the U.S. military were advisors in Vietnam. Of these, 66,399 were combat advisors. Eleven were awarded the Medal of Honor, 378 were killed and 1393 were wounded. Combat advisors lived and fought with South Vietnamese combat units, advising on tactics and weapons and liaising with local U.S. military support. Bob Worthington's first tour (1966-1967) began with training at the Army Special Warfare School in unconventional warfare, Vietnamese culture and customs, advisor responsibilities and Vietnamese language. Once in-country, he acted as senior advisor to infantry defense forces and then an infantry mobile rapid reaction force. Worthington worked alongside ARVN forces, staging operations against Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army units, and coordinated actions with the U.S. Marines. He describes a night helicopter assault by a 320-man ARVN battalion against a 1,200-man NVA regiment. On another night, the Vietcong ceased fire while Worthington arranged a Marine helicopter to medevac a wounded baby.

This is the story of a special breed of warrior, the fighter-bomber pilot; the story of valiant men who flew the F-105 Thunderchief 'Thud' Fighter-Bomber over the hostile skies of North Vietnam. From the briefing rooms to the bombing runs, Vice-Wing Commander Colonel Jack Broughton, recounts the tragedy and heartache, the high drama and flaming terror, the exhilaration and thrill of life on the edge. He relives the incredible feeling of high-speed, low-level sorties where SAM missiles, flak and MiGs were all in a day's work. The bravery of the pilots and their commitment to each other in times of extreme fear, crisis and catastrophe are highlighted by vivid, fast moving flying sequences. Thud Ridgeis a fascinating and graphic memorial to the courage of the men, the power of their machines and their dedication to their mission.

The thrilling true story of the daring female aviators who helped the United States win World War II--only to be forgotten by the country they served. When Japanese planes executed a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Cornelia had escaped Nashville's debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Cornelia was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army's rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. In The Women with Silver Wings, historian Katherine Sharp Landdeck introduces us to these young women as they meet even-tempered, methodical Nancy Love and demanding visionary Jacqueline Cochran, the trailblazing pilots who first envisioned sending American women into the air, and whose rivalry would define the Women Airforce Service Pilots. For women like Cornelia, it was a chance to serve their country--and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled and able as men. While not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight of them would not survive the war. But even taking into account these tragic losses, Love and Cochran's social experiment seemed to be a resounding success--until, with the tides of war turning and fewer male pilots needed in Europe, Congress clipped the women's wings. The program was disbanded, the women sent home. But the bonds they'd forged never failed, and over the next few decades, they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were--and for their place in history.

At the end of the Vietnam War, Pan American World Airways successfully evacuated 463 American and Vietnamese civilians on April 24, 1975, aboard a Boeing 747-the last plane out. At the time, Allen H. Topping was serving as the Pan Am Director of South Vietnam and Cambodia and was instrumental in the success of that last flight. Topping lived and worked in South Vietnam for two and a half years. In addition to its global network of scheduled services, Pan Am was also involved in many other rescue and humanitarian operations throughout the world. These operations and missions included the Berlin Airlift, rescue operations from Tehran, operational support for US forces in WW II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and, most recently, the Gulf War. Prior to joining Pan Am Allan Topping worked for the Institute of International Education on and United Airlines in New York City. He joined Pan Am on June 2, 1969 as a sales representative, assigned to the San Francisco sales office. In November of 1972, Al became the Director of Vietnam and Cambodia, based in Saigon, South Vietnam. After managing operations at various stations overseas for almost eight years, he returned to the U.S. in 1982, Pan Am appointed him as Assistant to The Chairman Consumer Affairs. Topping continued to hold other management positions un���� l the company ceased operations on December 4, 1991. For the next 23 years he worked for The Miami-Dade School Board Administration, The Miami Herald and the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club in Miami, Florida. Now fully re���� red Topping is playing lots of golf in Ocala, Florida.

They are America's best fighter pilots -- from the Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Heroes who push the envelope with their machines, their bodies, and the will to fight and win on their... WINGS OF FURY Here, these airborne warriors reveal themselves as never before. Ride shotgun with TOPGUN pilot Dale "Snort" Snodgrass as he becomes the first student pilot ever to land an F-14 Tomcat on an aircraft carrier. Silver Star winner Rob Graeter recalls a Cold War close call as he flew his F-15 Eagle over Soviet waters -- almost triggering World War III. Feel the adrenaline as Brian "Rocky" Fitzpatrick remembers test-flying the F/A-18 Hornet when it suddenly went haywire, leaving him with a crippled plane, a faulty parachute -- and a very long way down.... From the training grounds of Miramar to combat in Vietnam and Desert Storm, these are the stories of those who defend our skies -- and the dramatic evolution of modern air warfare.