Seawolves: First Choice [Mass Market Paperback]

Daniel E. Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 1998

They called themselves Seawolves . . .
The men of SEALs, PBRs, and SF called them saviors . . .

Created in 1967, the HAL-3 helicopter squadron--aka Seawolves--provided quick-reaction close air support to SEALs, PBR River Rats, and Special Forces advisers and their troops. During the five years of the unit's existence, the seven detachments of Seawolves amassed stunning statistics: 78,000 missions, 8,200 enemy kills, 8,700 sampans sunk, and 9,500 structures destroyed. These 200 men collected a total of 17,339 medals.

This is the story of one of those men. . . .

Taking enemy fire while braced against the rocket pod of a Huey gunship and shooting an M-60 freehand in 110 mph winds was just part of Dan Kelly's job in Vietnam. As a gunner in the all-volunteer Seawolves, he served with distinction until three bullets bought him a trip home. Here is his amazing story of the Seawolves--a harrowing tale of unsung heroism and undaunted courage in combat.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

They called themselves Seawolves . . .
The men of SEALs, PBRs, and SF called them saviors . . .

Created in 1967, the HAL-3 helicopter squadron--aka Seawolves--provided quick-reaction close air support to SEALs, PBR River Rats, and Special Forces advisers and their troops. During the five years of the unit's existence, the seven detachments of Seawolves amassed stunning statistics: 78,000 missions, 8,200 enemy kills, 8,700 sampans sunk, and 9,500 structures destroyed. These 200 men collected a total of 17,339 medals.

This is the story of one of those men. . . .

Taking enemy fire while braced against the rocket pod of a Huey gunship and shooting an M-60 freehand in 110 mph winds was just part of Dan Kelly's job in Vietnam. As a gunner in the all-volunteer Seawolves, he served with distinction until three bullets bought him a trip home. Here is his amazing story of the Seawolves--a harrowing tale of unsung heroism and undaunted courage in combat.

From the Back Cover

"Packed with action and true-life experiences of young warriors in the air . . . Turn the pages, and you can fly with them."
--Barry W. Enoch
GMGC, US Navy (Ret.)
SEAL Team One

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (May 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804117675
• ISBN-13: 978-0804117678
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.5 x 6.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Naval
  • #56 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Aviation

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The realism takes me back to my time as a Seawolf doorgunner, September 25, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Pine Grove, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seawolves: First Choice (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought that this book by Dan Kelly was about as close to real as could be told. I was a doorgunner with the Seawolves at the same time as Dan, however, at a different detachment. His experiences, although different, brought back similar experieces that I had gone through. The baptism of fire in earning Combat Aircrew wings was similar throughout each Seawolf detachment. The spirit that embodied the Navy Seawolves was living thing no matter in what detachment you served. Our one mission, as far as the pilots and gunners were concerned was to not leave any comrads on the ground or in trouble. Our history, as detailed in Dan's book, bears this action out. As I read it, I got goose bumps and very emotional just thinking about the past. A very good read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is as real as it gets!, December 15, 1998

By 

Capt. Michael Frye([e-mail]) (Saint Augustine, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seawolves: First Choice (Mass Market Paperback)

If your son, father, brother or friend flew gunships in 'Nam, read this book and look at them in a whole new way. Dan Kelly's book tells about a group of men that most have never heard of, unless they were Seals, PBR sailors or Special Forces in the Mekong Delta. I was priviliged to be a member of the Seawolves' support unit at Binh Thuy. I saw them go out and I saw them come back. Once in a while I got to see them "work out" from the deck of a boat. Watching them roll in on their "loop de loop" and seeing the results was a sight I'll never forget. Dan takes you along on a scramble to experience what few men ever do. Reading this book I began to smell the sour mud, jet fuel and cordite that infused this green-brown world I left behind many years ago. Forget Rambo, These are the guys that really did the job. They were my heroes then and they still are today. This would make one helluva' movie.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Al Server?, May 16, 2000

By 

Derrick Hughes (Washington D C) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seawolves: First Choice (Mass Market Paperback)

Boat? What boat -- I find Kelly's accounts 1% inflated and 99% accurate -- Having flown for several tours as a door gunner in HAL(3) - AND having FIRST HAND knowledge of the air cav - I can only guess that "Al Server" must be the younger brother of a REAL AIR CAV gunner/crewchief and took every one of his older brothers war stories and ran them through his non-combatant imagination -- If the reason to write a book and put it on the open market is to then SELL the book --then Kelly has hit the mark with his cutting edge wit and his honest portrayal of HIS experiences -- The market for a dry tale of dusty wet drudgery interupted by moments of sheer terror and war time humor is much better in its truth than your poor attempt at reviewing something it seems you know nothing about -- a certain author of a casual tale - Rogue Warrior - would be interested in your view point about SEALS and Seawolves-- why don't you tell him in your review of HIS book that he is just a "TALL ARVN" -- Kellys book is an excellent example of OUR expiernces -I applaud him --- "Stretch" -Det 7 1967'68'69 --