Capture the esprit de corps of the Marines in action during the Vietnam War. A documentation of the men, the crews, and the machines that flew the wartorn skies of Southeast Asia. Hundreds of dynamic photographs, maps, roster of Association members, and nearly 400 biographies with before-and-after photos of Marines make USMC-Vietnam Helicopter Association: Pop a Smoke a treasure chest of memories and history.

The helicopter was implemented in full strength from Chinook to Cobra in Vietnam. The helicopter war from 1961-1975 is recorded in detail with many "after action reports" in the vets' own words. A special section on pilots' wives gives the home front perspective. More than 200 photos, maps, Association roster, Medal of honor recipients & 800 vignettes with "then" & "now" photos. Full color front & rear endsheets include unit insignia patches & a collage of dynamic crew & chopper photos certain to stir up your memory as well as capture your heart. The cover artwork "Riders of the Storm," is also in full color by renowned aviation artist Joe Kline.

“Action-packed . . . he brings the reader artfully through the fog of war with clarity” (20th Century Aviation Magazine). Vietnam has often been called our “first helicopter war,” and indeed, the US Marine Corps, as well as Army, had to feel its way forward during the initial combats. But by 1967, the combat was raging across South Vietnam, with confrontational battles against the NVA on a scale comparable to the great campaigns of WWII. In 1968, when the Communists launched their mammoth counteroffensive, the Marines were forced to fight on all sides, with the helicopter giving them the additional dimension that proved decisive in repelling the enemy. The author of this book, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient who has also worked at the USMC History Division and National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, uses his experiences as a company commander to bring the story to life by weaving personal accounts, after-action reports, and official documents into a compellingly readable narrative of service and sacrifice by Marine pilots and crewmen. The entire story of the war is depicted through the prism of Marine helicopter operations, from the first deployments to support the Army of the Republic of Vietnam against the Viet Cong through the rapid US buildup to stop the North Vietnamese Army, until the final withdrawal from our Embassy. “Superlative research.” —Leatherneck

This book was donated as a part of the David H. Hugel Collection, an archival collection of the Special Collections & Archives, University of Baltimore.

U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crews found little glory waiting for them in faraway Vietnam. Instead they became locked in a savage struggle with tenacious Sino-Soviet pawns in a desperate battle for survival.The author combines fascinating detail with grim realism. He uses hundreds of records from Marine Corps archives to build the outline for this riveting chronology. Onto this framework he weaves personal accounts from helicopter crews.Step through this unique looking-glass into the crucible of combat in Vietnam. Experience the love and brotherhood shared by helicopter crews and Marine infantrymen. Their survival became their victory.

By 1969, the Sikorski H-34 was an older helicopter with severe limitations for combat duty in Vietnam. For pilots like U.S. Marine Lieutenant Rick Gehweiler, the good news was it could still take significant damage and keep flying. His vivid memoir narrates his harrowing, at times deadly flight missions under fire, as experienced in the cockpit, along with anecdotes of tragedy and humor from his 13-month tour through Da Nang and Phu Bai.

This work describes U.S. Marine Corps helicopter operations, including their actions and evolution, throughout the Vietnam War. The book is divided into parts spanning the three stages of the Corps' combat deployment: "Buildup (1962-1966)," "Heavy Combat (1967-1969)," and "The Bitter End (1975)." Each part includes chapters devoted to "telling the story" of Marine helicopters from the individual to the strategic level. Vietnam has often been called our "first helicopter war," and indeed the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as Army, had to feel its way forward during the initial combats. But by 1967 the combat was raging across South Vietnam, with confrontational battles against the NVA, on a scale comparable to the great campaigns of WWII. In 1968, when the Communists launched their mammoth counteroffensive, the Marines were forced to fight on all sides, with the helicopter giving them the additional dimension that proved decisive in repelling the enemy. The author, a Vietnam veteran, uses his experiences as a company commander to bring the story to life by weaving personal accounts, after-action reports and official documents into a remarkably readable narrative of service and sacrifice by Marine pilots and crewmen. The entire story of the war is here depicted through the prism of Marine helicopter operations, from the first deployments to support the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) against the Viet Cong through the rapid United States buildup to stop the North Vietnamese Army, until the final withdrawal from our Embassy. Colonel Dick Camp, a Purple Heart recipient, served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 1988. Upon retirement he served as the Deputy Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division and as the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Vice President for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. Currently residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he is the author of ten books and over 100 magazine articles on various military related subjects.

Water buffalo dung to keep the mosquitoes away. Ordinary villagers like Mamasan Tou would set up a security network so the CAP marines could afford the occasional luxury of a nap or a few minutes to write a letter home. The only time a CAP marine left the jungle was when he was rotating home, wounded or dead. Goodson's thirteen-month tour of duty was almost over when he was wounded. He spent several weeks in various hospitals before going home, and facing a whole.