Customer Reviews

Kill Me If You Can, You SOB

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

 

 

The more I read of Miller's work, the more I like it. Like HST, Miller is a born curmudgeon, cynic, and rebel. I cracked up when his commander described him as "he'll never make general but he'll get you there and back." No grunt ever had a truer, more unconditional friend.

This memoir hit particularly close to home for me as it detailed the author's experiences as a warrant officer chopper pilot in Phan Thiet, Vietnam from May '68 to May '69. I graduated flight school in Jan '69 but ended up in Korea. This account showed me a lot of what I missed. Miller shared several photos of the Vietnam chopper pilot experience in his book. You can see more if you Google "192nd Assault Helicopter Company". I also recommend Googling "View the Wall" and searching for Arann and Thoman, Miller's comrades in the 192nd--a very moving experience.

Our country owes the Vietnam vet more than it can ever repay. In my estimate, the greatest of them are the ones who rejected the party line but showed up for duty anyway. A tip of the hat to Bob Miller.

--Ejner Fulsang, author of "A Knavish Piece of Work" Aarhus Publishing 2006

If you want to read about a Vietnam Chopper pilot who was somewhat cynical about the war, but a courageous and skillfull pilot, who risked his life to perform for his commander and his troops, then read this book.

This isn't just a book review, it is a testimony from me. I was there. I witnessed what he writes about. Early, most every morning, their choppers assembled, with LTC Alves, (AKA - Blackhawk)in the lead chopper often piloted by Miller. They would lift off on their mission is a Fury that the Vietcong learned to fear. I said a silent prayer for Miller, Blackhawk,the other pilots, and the grunts every day.

My heart was heavy when some of the ships would return to the LZ hot, bringing the wounded, and body bags in. No time was wasted as they left back to the action. Time after Time. Day after Day.

Miller was a highly decorated Warrent Officer. You must read what Blackhawk said about him. There is no doubt that Miller would have taken a bullet for his commander, and there is no doubt that Blackhawk would have taken a bullet for him.

It was my honor and privilege to serve at LZ Betty under the protection of Miller, Alves, and each and every one of the 3/506 troopers.

LT Lane Rickman
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
Phan Thiet Mar 68 - Mar 69

I wanted to have some idea of what Huey pilots went through in South Viet Nam. This book gave me an excellent frame of reference. I am friends with other Viet Nam Veterans,so the stories told in this book both confirm what I've been told by others as well as hearing new stories of what things were like in Southeast Asia in 1968. i would have enjoyed working with Bob Miller,I think,had I had a chance. Well worth the time & money for this book. I absolutely recommend it. Easily Five Stars in my book.

The book I received was only 79 pages long. The amount of reading material was further diminished by numerous photos and the generous use of margins and spaces. It may have been more appropriate for Reader's Digest. The short diary format was awkward for reading.

It's not unusual to encounter people who don't suffer fools, nor is it particularly rare to encounter people who let the 'fools' know their fools, but never in the service and never whilst on active service - in those circumstances feelings are covert! In this book Bob Miller doesn't just tell them - he brands them and he gets away with it; actually there's a hint that the so called 'fool' might just admire him. I couldn't put the book down - yes it may be short in terms of pages but it's long on unique material. Whilst clearly he's a gifted pilot - it's full of wartime 'Huey' flying from 'ash & trash' to the 'hot LZ', but there is an added unique element; the reader is his diary and Bob begins each story locating the reader with a few words to his diary (his personal tour memoir). Sewn into the tapestry of each story about his 365 days as a tactical Huey pilot (on and off duty) are his views & feelings about the war and new for me, the social; in the macro; the people who sent him there, the people in general (indigenous & forces), in the micro; his commanders, his pilot and air crew colleagues, his tent mates, the grunts he carried and whoever else he interacts with throughout his tour. There's no hypocrisy; with Bob it's black or white, what they saw is what they got; he either likes someone or he doesn't (I got the impression he'd take a bullet for a mate), there's no grey! The big stand-out for me is his fairness, honesty, professionalism, skill and coolness he consistently exhibited executing his duty - as a wartime Huey Aircraft Commander and for these reasons it distinguishes from others. In a nutshell, a fascinating and compelling read!

I'm not a paid reviewer just someone who originally bought this book to read about someone I served under in another capacity, Lt. Col. Manuel A. Alves, who is perfectly depicted by the author. I was, however, mesmerized by the entire novel. This novel is exactly what it says: a diary. It's all substance with no fluff. I especially like the way Bob Miller transforms from a maverick to a caring comrade. The friendships he develops are so necessary to get through the daily horrors of war and those horrors, ultimately, get up close and personal.

Wow! A book written by a battlefield-harden GI about war without a trainload of vulgar language. The bonus in this book was that the author found real life characters worth remembering. This is a lucid and compelling work about three very special Americans. I would describe this as an accidentally funny book. Not once did I feel this author was trying to be funny; but without trying, he's a cross between Will Rogers and Mark Twain. For example: "Deplaned and were loaded onto a bus with heavy-gauge wire mesh covering the windows. The driver had a pistol, an M-16, and an M79 grenade launcher. It was kind of like getting on a city bus in LA."

Kill Me If You Can, You SOB
The book was OK, But as a former Helicopter pilot in Vietnam (twice), I salute his service and dedication to duty, but he saw the war from a very narrow perspective and his criticisms seemed to me to reflect his youth and, therefore, showed a bit of tunnel vision.

This pilot supported the Currahees with the best he had to give and has put the same into ths book. Agree with him or not, he tells it like it was and I'd be proud to ride with him anytime anywhere. I was there, too and he didn't skimp a bit on Blackhawk. My only disappointment was when it ended so fast.

I liked this book. Bob Miller is a man who says a lot by not saying a lot. Too short? No.