The year is 1967 and his 31st birthday as captain Bert Chole arrives for his first tour of duty in Vietnam. Thus opens this memoir of a professional soldier´s introduction, after thirteen years of preparation and training, to the reality of war and the daily life and death struggle the members of Bravo Troop had become accustomed to. Bravo Troop 1/9 Air Cavalry Squadron was perhaps the most well known and most effective unit to come out of the Vietnam war. He describes some his early time in the Army, prior to flight school, and the events leading up to his decision to volunteer to serve in the notorious 1/9 Cavalry - a decision many advised against. In addition to his personal experiences as a Scout Platoon Leader in the fragile OH-13 helicopter, we meet a cast of characters who truly were larger than life in every sense of the word, and near the end of the book learn of the Tet Offensive of 1968, the relief of the Marines at Khe Sahn and a modern day daring cavalry raid into the Ashau Valley. For those interested in airmobile warfare you will find a detailed description of these maneuvers and how the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile) made such a difference in the war. If warfare and Army Aviation in Vietnam are intriguing to you, then this is the book to read.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Being there,
By
This review is from: Flashing Sabers (Paperback)
Bert Chole's "Flashing Sabers" has brought back many memories and emotions. This book portreys accuately what and how "Bravo Troop" (incidently the title recalls the unit radio call sign of the troop) did during the period of July through November 1967. I would say that it is accurate for the rest of the book, too, but I left the troop in November and only returned to Squadron Headquarters in March, 1968. However, Bert could have easily written a book twice as long had he included all the amazing incidents in which he participated.
The 1/9 Cavalry was the eyes of the 1st Cavalry Division in Viet Nam (you can see a caricature of them In the movie "Apocalypes Now")tasked with finding the enemy so that the Division could destroy him. This B Troop did this in spectacular fashion while developing the new tactics of low level aerial reconnaisance. I was especially moved by the tribute that was paid to Lou Porrazzo. Bert writes as I wish could have put it (thank you Bert). He has my thanks for not mentioning the first time that that a helicopter I was riding took a hit (I shot the landing skid while we were doing one of my few low level recons with him). Nor does he tell of having to clean a (literaly) a pile of blood off the floor boards of the H-13 that Joe Rawl and his Observer flew back to LZ when he was shot in the calf of his right leg by a .50 caliber round. He does recall parts of Operation Pegasis that I had forgotten, including one in which a near by (about 5 miles) B-52 strike jolted us off our cots early one morning. He got that one exactly right. This unit has been called "arrogant prima donnas" by some of those in the Military who did not have to do what they did on a daily basis. Most of the Warrant Officer Scout Pilots were 19 or 20 years old, fresh out of flight school, and had to beleive that they were invincible, immortal, and totally superior to the ordinary run of Man in order to survive in the environment in whch they were expected to serve and survive. Also, the the view point of the combat pilot tends the encourage a god-like view of the world-someone offending a pilot must beware the rath of the being in the cockpit, for he may bring the "fires of Hell" down upon his head. And given their mission, the young men were literally putting their lives on the line every time they went into the Area of Operations, since the job was to find the enemy by close contact while flying the 1960's equvalent of a World War I fighter at an altitude of 10 to 30 feet abouve the ground, with expectation that the whole of the assests of the 1st Cavalry Division would be there to exploit their contact and and back them up. So, yes, they high expectations of themselves and of those they worked with, and they were seldom disappointed. This book does not pretend to represent the experiences of those of any other unit in the Viet Nam War, Not even "Alpha" nor "Charlie" troops. It is an accurate look at a truely amazing combat unit in equally challenging physical and polical environments. I, like Bert, am proud to have had the honor to have served with them. As Bert includes some of his politcal ideas in the book, I will add one more. It is too bad that currant military and political leaders did not spend some time studying analyses of the Viet Nam War and apply the lessons (hopfully learned) to the current situation in Iraq.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hover Over Hell,
This review is from: Flashing Sabers (Paperback)
For those who want to know what the vast majority of Vietnam veterans were like, read this book. Professional soldiers, fighting hard to win. This is the antihesis of what the movies and media have portrayed the Vietnam veteran. This is a classic example of leadership at its best, lead from the front. LTC Chole captured in soldier thoughts and language what a scout pilot in a cavalry troop faced and did everyday. They developed the tactics, techniques and procedures for later scout pilots to use as in this time frame, when there wasn't any doctrine on the use of scouts. Scouts deliverately exposed themselves to attract enemy fire. Amazing portrayl of a first class leader, in a first class outfit, that killed enemy soldiers and accomplished the mission. I know LTC Chole doesn't consider himself a hero and the men he led didn't either, but it is clear to me all were. Must read for those who want to know the truth about the Vietnam War seen through the eyes of a Great American. Buy it, read it, experience it, and you will not regret it. I could hear the rotor blades flapping in the wind, I could smell the fuel being burned, I can see the trails in the dew, sense the danger, and feel the pride of these Cavalry soldiers.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to put yourself in the author's eyes,
This review is from: Flashing Sabers (Paperback)
For someone who had no military experience beyond what the movies told me, I found this book suprisingly easy both to understand, and to follow the emotional consequences of the author as he tours Vietnam.
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