Customer Reviews

The Fence

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's a terrific and easy book to read!! What a breath of fresh air!
I appreciate the author's thorough descriptions of the events and locations. The reader is not required to have any military experience to enjoy this book. The details given allow you the benefit of the author's first-hand experiences.
Although I have enjoyed many of Clancy's works, I found this book much easier to read than Clancy's 'Cold War'.
I hope there are more to come from this author.
Did I mention that I really enjoyed this book?

I loved it! As a retired 22yr Special Operations Aerial Gunner with over 4000hrs flight time (mostly in Spectre gunships), I agree with Gen Hugh Cox, It was a perfect mix of aircrew stories/life, Vietnam era life, and Hispanic heritage. Bill really did a great job of balancing it all. I recognized some of the real-life counterparts of the fictional characters and felt like I flew side-by-side with Ray Vaquero throughout the novel. I really like the perspective of the ground teams Bill wrote of near the finale. Readers will get a "feel" of some of our missions and how we played as hard as we fought. Congrats, Bill on a great book! If you ain't Spectre...Yoooohooo -PJ Cook (Spectre from 78-99)

"The Fence" is a poignant account of courage and valor of ordinary men who volunteered to be in harms way; about brave deeds and selfless sacrifice for country and the special airmen who stepped forward and answered the call. "The Fence" is not literature or even a GREAT story. BUT, it's clearly a story that needed to be told; of the "deeds of great courage in the darkness, never seen or recorded." Truly, "The Fence" is a must read for those who want to have the experience, and discern what it was like to fly Special Ops in Southeast Asia.

Mission Accomplished!...From the Barrio through Vietnam, author Bill Morales takes us on a flight of emotion and enlightenment. Punctuated by fact and action, "The Fence" reveals both the men and the circumstances of this difficult time. Well worth reading. This book may encourage others who served to complete the mission of self discovery and closure.

Enjoyed Mr. Morales' "The Fence" very much. He made you feel like you were right there and the transition from war to camp to home was seamless.

"The Fence" is an amazing story of men in the midst of war and conflict. Yet, when you separate the machines, weapons, smoke and haze, it is also about roots, family, passion, love, and most of all, adoration.

I flew over 100 missions with Spectre in Southeast Asia before Bill Morales was there. I'm familiar with the incidents mentioned in the book and they are accurate with little artistic liscense taken. This is the book that needed to be written for over 30 years to show the world who and what we were.

The off duty time brings back memories of my time at Ubon.
My only complaint is that it is much too short.

I can't wait for his next book. If it's half as good it will be great!

This is a great book.
I read it in 2 days.
I could not put it down.
This has to be made into a movie, and I cannot wait to see it.
Bob Ragland
Orange, ca.

I am a retired Naval Officer and my husband actually was a Navigator on AC-130 Gunships. Morales detailed portrayal of this weapon system in Viet-Nam gives an acurate account of the mission, capabilities, and contributions of this aircraft and the men that flew them. Also, it's a very readable book.

Bill Morales more than meets the challenge of making every word count in his vivid account of AC-130 Gunships and the men of the 16th Special Operations Group (Spectre) who served (and Yes, they were all men during that time) in the little-known Thai theatre during the Viet Nam war. And he should know: He served with this elite band of brothers, flying combat missions for 12 months.
Set in mystical Ubon, Thailand, Morales' maiden novel, The Fence, is a moving tribute to those who fought the war from only a few thousand feet in the air--and who were responsible for saving many American lives during the war. There is a special camaraderie among these warriors, but even more notable, is their grateful publicthe men and women of all branches of the US armed services who were in country, and were literally saved from annihilation when the Gunship arrived on the scene of a battle.
The reader will be in for some surprises. For example, Morales does the impossible for a new author: He blends the essence and beauty of Thailand with the hard-core reality of war sometimes only 1,000 feet above the Ho Chi Mihn trail. With well-developed characters, the reader is literally transformed into being there and will feel the characters every mood and circumstance. For anyone who is not of Hispanic heritage, this book is also a deep look into the ancient, honorable culture that binds these families so closely and results in the friendships that are formed in flight school and that carry through their tours during the Viet Nam war.
One hopes that Morales will not stop his writing career with just this one book. In fact, this book, The Fence, would be the ultimate movie about a subject which the public knows very little. Time for Hollywood to take notice.
Thanks to Bill Morales for such a complete work of art.