Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience [Paperback]

Samuel K. Beamon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2007

There have been many stories of those that served in Vietnam. Some stories have been of combat units, battles, Pilots that had been shot down and captured, along with some helicopter squadrons. This story gives a different perspective of the war. No matter what conflict that a helicopter and its crew flies into; the job, the level of responsibility and the feelings are the same. The troops on the ground would hear the sounds of a helicopter coming into their area. Looking up, they saw this complex flying machine blowing sand and dust all around. The chopper brought in anything and everything that the troops needed. The wounded and dead were evacuated. Reinforcements were delivered and the troops were brought back to their camps. Did the troops ever think about the people that operated these helicopters? What did it take to keep the machines flying? What kind of pressures were the flight crews facing on a daily basis? This story is the memories of a Combat Helicopter Crew Chief doing what was necessary to accomplish the mission of supporting the troops.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sam Beamon enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 1965 on a delayed entry program. He went on active duty on August 26, 1965. He completed 19 months in Vietnam serving as a Helicopter Crew Chief. After being honorably discharged from the military service, he worked at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft for a year. He then joined the Police Department in Waterbury, Connecticut and rose through the ranks to the level of Lieutenant. For his last 12 years, he was in charge of the Juvenile Division. He retired after 28 years of service. He still lives in Waterbury, where he was born and raised. For more information, reviews and events - Please checkout my web site - www.sambeamon.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (May 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414083017
• ISBN-13: 978-1414083018
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,334,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Rage on Flying Death - The Vietnam Experience, September 9, 2010

By 

Malcolm Petteway (Woodbridge, VA, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience (Paperback)

I will take a step back from my usual genre of interest-speculative fiction, and review the memoir "Flying Death-The Vietnam Experience" by Samuel K. Beamon. The author is a family friend, who has written an exceptional book about his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam. Samuel K. Beamon writes about joining the Marines, boot camp, his training as a helicopter mechanic and his combat experiences in Vietnam. He was a helicopter HMM-164 Crew Chief, responsible for the safety of the crew with a wrench or with a gun...sometimes both. One minute he is tinkering with the engines, hydraulics and cables to make sure the helicopter is flying smoothly and the next minute he is manning the machine guns spraying a path of death and destruction in a hot landing zone for the pilots to land.
This is not a typical "I went to war, I saw the bad guys, I did some bad things, now I'm a better person" memoir. Nor is it a how I applied new strategies of war type of memoir. No, it's better than that. It is a deep, soulful look at a proud Marine doing his job for the love of his country. Sam beautifully walks the reader through his emotions from the time he decided to join the Marines until he left the Marines, capped with memorable highlights from his squadron's reunion in Washington DC. You can feel the strings tugging at your heart when Sam describes the death of friends and colleagues. You understand the excitement and pride he felt about being a Marine, fighting for his country that he loves so much. You experience the fear and adrenaline associated with combat. But you also catch the anger pounding in your chest as you read about the disservice and indignity Sam suffers through just to be a good Marine.
War is tough, but for a teenager straight out of high school, spending 18 months at the height of the Vietnam War must have been hell. As a B-52 crewmember, I take my hat off to Sam Beamon and all the Vietnam Vets. Your blood and sacrifice paved the way for me and others, and I thank you sir.
I highly recommend this book as a must read, not only for the military buff or the war enthusiast; but for those looking for a story on how the human spirit can triumph over the most extreme obstacles.

Malcolm "RAGE" Petteway, Author
Owner, Rage Books LLC
www.ragebooks.net
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5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Book!, August 8, 2010

By 

SGT PZ - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience (Paperback)

During my time as an undergraduate student of history, I remember being captivated by the tales of the Vietnam War. I was a young enlistee in the Army National Guard and took a great excitement in learning about a war that changed America. As a student of the war, I read anything I could get my hands on about it. But I was always seeking books about it that go beyond the battlefield scenarios and political rhetoric that drove our country towards the war, and ultimately, away from it. I looked for the personal stories about those who fought bravely under the worst of
circumstances and whose stories would resonate with anyone who put on the uniform and captivate those who didn't.

Mr. Beamon's Flying Death is such a story. It is an incredible tale about missions flown under extreme danger and how he and his comrades handled the worst of conditions. It's also the story of a young man growing up in the U.S. Marine Corps, losing friends to the rigors of war and feeling the sting of discrimination that still lingered in the era of the civil rights movement. Its a fascinating story about the struggles of an amazing person under some of the most difficult situations imaginable. I have been reading this book for only a day now, but am fascinated by the story within. It's a book any military history zealot would enjoy for the story of the man behind the battle, but it's also a remarkable story about the triumph of the human spirit through extremely difficult times. I highly recommend this book.