Customer Reviews

Full Throttle: True Stories of Vietnam Air Combat Told by the Men Who Lived It

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Personal testimonies of fighters are always very interesting, each tale gives a touch of human dimension in wars coolly and distantly narrated by freelancers or reporters. In this book there is a vivid picture of the burden to wage aerial war in Vietnam, a scar still painful in memories of those who fought it. Their stories are well worth a careful reading since they reveal the psychological attitude of the airmen and their lifestyle under the strain of action. This portrait is accurate and gripping, giving many details of how tactics, training and hardware worked under real condition (contrary to the flawless operations of a peacetime simulation). Clearly some stories are edifying experience of servicemen that went beyond the call of duty, but largely most of them resound of day to day life and of behaviour of common soldiers towards the harshness of fight. Compelling.

A friend who flew out of Udorn AFB in Thailand as a KC-135 navigator gave me this book, as he knew I might know some of the characters in it. I did, and some of the stories I tell in OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM correspond and back up some of these exploits. My tour was in UH-1D helicopters out of Vinh Long in the Delta. The Seven Mountains area is aptly described, as well as the old French minefield at Chi Lang that blew up a Knight aircraft as he depicted. Phillip Chinnery hung out with some of the VHPA aviators a few years back to garner up these stories, and they are well presented. It is unfortunate that a lot of the guys who flew these birds can't write well enought to record these amazing times. Another good book to have on your RVN shelf.

I have read several books on aerial combat in Vietnam. This book is as good as those although not the best. I found I enjoyed the stories of the helicopter pilots better than those of the jet pilots. BUT, they were all good...just some better than others. Of course, all of the stories about the sorties into NV, Laos, and Cambodia were very interesting. Nevertheless, in saying that, you do find yourself flying along with these pilots wondering if "you" were going to get hit and make it back to base or the carriers. Or, hoping you avoid the SAMs as they rise out of the jungle.

The biggest drawback to this book is the lack of a key to explain what all of the acronyms mean. You just have to read and hope that it comes up during the story. For example, the pilots mention several times about bombing the POLs. Finally, one pilot said that it meant Petroleum-Oil-Lubricants storage vessels. This book is told by pilots for pilots. However, if you have a passing interest in aviation you shouldn't have any problems with the acronyms. I was familiar with most but not all.