Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia [Paperback]

Jan Churchill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

The Forward Air Controller came into his own during the 1960s and 1970s air war in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, FACs were an indispensable part of the air war -- the link between forces on the ground and strike aircraft, "the hub around which the delivery of all in-country ordnance is dependent." Because of the terrain, the Forward Air Controller was a necessity.

Author Jan Churchill states . . . the cost to the U.S. was devastating, not only because of the thousands of Americans killed or wounded, but also because of the money spent, and the divisiveness amongst the American public on the home front. For the U.S. Air Force alone, 2,118 personnel were killed, 3,460 were wounded, and 2,257 aircraft were destroyed. . . . And 338 USAF Forward Air Controllers were lost in battle in the skies over Southeast Asia.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The author . . . takes a long and thorough look at a very neglected part of the Vietnam air war.

. . . The book is filled with dozens of interviews and many previously unpublished photographs that help define an important mission in a very difficult war. -- Air Classics, May 1998

This book . . . gives an excellent history of the air war in Vietnam. . . . The appendices are full of useful information. For anyone interested in the air war in Vietnam, this book is a great value. -- Al Hansen, American Aviation Historical Society Newsletter, October 1998

From the Publisher

Cover painting, The Miracle Kham Duc, by internationally acclaimed aviation artist Keith Ferris.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Sunflower Univ Pr (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897452151
• ISBN-13: 978-0897452151
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,940,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Former Wolf FAC Reviews "Hit My Smoke", March 17, 2000

By 

R. L. Hipps (Toano, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia (Paperback)

Jan has done an outstanding job telling the slow and fast FAC stories from SEA. I am proud to recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about forward air controller operations durng the Vietnam War.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I was there and this tells the story., May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia (Paperback)

Jan has taken the reader into the cockpit with the Forward Air Controller. She has translated the various stories into a well organized history of what this mission was all about and tells the story of the pilots who flew at tree top level to direct airstrikes in Southeast Asia. It puts me back into my O-2 and I can re-live my experiences as a FAC all over again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very scholarly, and in depth review of tactics and equipment, April 3, 1999

By 

[e-mail] "CRAZY CHARLEY" (Laplata, Maryland 20646) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia (Paperback)

I know Jan Churchill, in fact bought an 0-1 birdog from her'wonderful airplane. She has put together an exhaustive, and accurate account of the development of Forward Air Control, Tactics, Equipment, Procedurees, and History. I was a Forward Air Controller in Vietnam, North and South, also flew in Laos with 324 missions total. She taught me many facets of the FAC business I did not know. I would consider her an expert in this field.,