Rampant Raider: An A-4 Skyhawk Pilot in Vietnam (Hardcover)

~ Stephen R. Gray (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A member of Light Attack Squadron 212 s "Rampant Raiders," A-4 pilot Stephen R. Gray writes about his experiences flying combat sorties from the deck of an aircraft carrier during one of the most intense periods of aerial combat in U.S. history. From the perspective of a junior naval aviator, Gray reveals the lessons he learned first at the Naval Aviation Training Command and then in actual combat flying the Skyhawk from USS Bon Homme Richard in Vietnam.

Training strengthens commitment, Gray points out, allowing ordinary men like him to fly dangerous missions. Readers will discover how circumstances created heroe--heroes who managed to overcome their personal fears for a greater cause--and how, despite the lack of public support for the war, the men remained committed to one another. The book addresses how men react to service during contentious political times to offer lessons relevant today.

About the Author

STEPHEN R. GRAY became a flight instructor at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Beeville, Texas, after his aerial combat service in Vietnam. He left the Navy in 1972 and flew commercially for Delta Airlines for thirty years, logging more than twenty-four thousand flying hours. He lives in Hemphill, Texas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press; illustrated edition edition (November 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159114342X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591143420
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,305 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent, Excellent Chronicle of a Skyhawk Pilot at War!, January 3, 2008

By	Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Thus far there have been precious few memoirs written by Yankee Station attack or fighter pilots. Thankfully we now have Stephen Gray's marvelous chronicle of flying combat over North Vietnam with the 'Rampant Raiders' of VA-212. Gray's book is not only a spellbinding, enjoyable memoir of the life of a Naval aviator circa 1967-69 but also literate and readily accessible to boot.

Initially serving as an EM flying in Sea King anti-submarine helos, Gray applied for the NavCad program and eventually trained to be a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk pilot. The first part of Gray's book details the training he underwent that transformed him into an attack pilot. He has a marvelous way with words. His descriptions of aviation tactics, weapons and training could have been full of 'pilot talk' but instead are simply and clearly presented. You don't need to have an aeronautical background to enjoy this book.

In January 1967 Gray, still green behind the ears, found himself assigned to Attack Squadron 212 led by the legendary Homer Smith. VA-212 was part of Air Wing 21 on board BonHomme Richard. Once on Yankee Station Bonnie Dick's air wing started flying the first missions of what became a record-breaking cruise. Flying more sorties than any other carrier air wing, Air Wing 21 dropped six million pounds of ordnance and downed a record number of North Vietnamese MiG fighters. The cost was heavy: fifteen pilots killed or captured, two of them from VA-212 including Homer Smith.

Gray's descriptions of that record-breaking cruise are gripping and well-done. He takes the reader inside the cockpit to give an intimate view of air combat.

Gray ends the book with BonHomme Richard returning stateside. Presumably there's a volume 2 in the wings covering his second Bonnie Dick cruise. One hopes so!

In summary, I can't remember when I have read a better written combat memoir than RAMPANT RAIDER. If you want to know what it was like to fly combat over North Vietnam circa 1967, buy this book. It's a great piece of writing; I'd give it six stars if that was allowed! Bravo Zulu, Mr. Gray!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rampant Raider: An A-4 Skyhawk Pilot in Vietnam , December 16, 2007

By	Dean K. Kaiser (Rescue, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great book on the small deck carrier war. My Father flew from Bonny Dick in this era so was extremely interesting to me. Easy reading found it hard to put down.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So glad I read this, May 11, 2008

By	Anna C. Ruiz (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have always had an interest in the Vietnam War since I visited the country in 1995 with the Semester at Sea program. I was lucky to be one of the first groups of American students allowed to visit since the war. It was a mystery to me... It piqued my interest on how much the war impacted my parents' era, but more so, helped me begin to understand what it meant for my Grandfather to be a part of the war. My Grandfather was Captain of the USS Bon Homme Richard while Mr. Gray was aboard. I was recommended his book to get a better understanding of the war and the life of a pilot. I learned so much and especially loved reading about the pilot's lingo, living aboard the carrier, views on the combat missions, and also about how it felt to be in the war. I always ask my Grandfather questions about Vietnam and this book helped describe that world in a way I could relate. I am grateful to have a better understanding and have even more respect for all of those that have served our country. (My Grandfather has also written a book about his WWII submarine experience - Luck of the Draw by Captain C. Kenneth Ruiz).