Customer Reviews

Taking Fire: The True Story of a Decorated Chopper Pilot

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

After an internal review at the NASM, the Executive Director ordered "Taking Fire" to be removed from the gift shop due to fraudulent claims and highly racist rhetoric. For example, the back cover of the paperback states that Mr. Alexander was the "second highest decorated helicopter pilot of the Vietnam era." That would come as a big surprise to the nine helicopter pilots who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. If you like lightweight, highly fictionalized accounts of the Vietnam War, then read this book. However, it makes a mockery of the sacrifices made by members of A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry and Company H, 75th Rangers. How do I know? I flew with Alexander throughout his entire tour and I have firsthand knowledge of the missions he describes so poorly and inaccurately. I wish I could give it zero stars but the format doesn't allow it.

I was one of Alexander's first Aircraft Commanders (AC) when he arrived in Vietnam, and I was still in the unit six months after he left. When I confronted his co-author Sasser about the ridiculous claims in this book, he told me "You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Oh, but I do. I read this "book" again and feel compelled to let other less-informed readers know that it goes beyond fiction to flat-out delusion. A classic example is the "Sergeant Snider LRRP" incident, where Alexander flagrantly steals the valor of his now-deceased AC Kit Beatton, (who was much loved and respected by the Troop and received a Silver Star for the action) as well as claiming kills that rightfully belonged to the LRRP Team Slashing Talon 36. Despite what Alexander and Sasser say, Alexander did nothing but sit in the helicopter; the landing zone never took a shot; the enemy were either killed, wounded or routed by the covering Cobras and the survivors of the LRRP Team (Slashing Talon 36) by the time Alexander's aircraft landed; a medevac had already extracted the wounded (and was not fired on either). I was flying above Alexander's (or more rightfully Kit Beatton's) aircraft the entire time. I never took a shot. My recollections are corroborated by SGT Paul Alfaro, one of the LRRP survivors and Assistant Team Leader, and the after action reports of Company H, 75th Rangers. This sort of self-aggrandizing rubbish has no place on the fiction shelf, let alone the history shelf. Alexander and Sasser should be ashamed of themselves. But they apparently lack the ability, so the rest of the Troop has to do it for them.

"Legendary 1st Air Cavalry Division pilot Alexander was the most highly decorated American helicopter pilot of the thousands who served in the Vietnam War."
I don't know and have never heard of the "Legandary" Mr. Alexander and have no doubt he did his duty but the "most decorated" in the war he was not. I cannot rank him at all. I do know combat scout pilots Larry "Kickass" Brown, Rod "Outcast" Willis, Ace "War Wagon" Cozzalio and Lou "Rocket" Rochat, and gun pilots Skip "Redskin" Butler", Ron Timberlake, Tim "Blue Ghost" Sprouse, Lou "Animal" Breuer, Mac "Charliehorse" Cocherell, Dean "Darkhorse" Sinor, Chuck Koranda and Steve Wing. Jolly pilot Rodney "Quang Tri"Griffiths and "Dustoff" MOH recipients Patrick Brady and Mike Novosel. I know "Legandary" Huey drivers like Joe Hogg, Wayne McAdoo, Bob Holmes, Joe Estes, Larry Ezell, Noel Harvey, and Mike Sloniker. You want "Legandary", I just gave you legandary. It would take Mr. Alexanders Huey to haul the medals these guys earned. Several of their crewchiefs are more highly decorated than Alexander. Mike Clausen comes to mind with his MOH. Jim parker and Ken Stormer are two. If the guys who were there with Alexander didn't "buy it", that's a bad sign. I hope this was someones else's fault and not his, but it is just not true.

As someone who spent 2.5 years in RVN (one year as a crewchief/gunner) and a lifetime career in aviation as a F/W Commerical Pilot and A&P mechanic (most of that on Bell Helicopters), I found this book disappointing. In fact the book belongs in the FICTION Catagory. There were so many discrepancies in the book I don't know where to begin. But I will say this, I NEVER had any doubt in my mind when I was being shot at. And I didn't have to hear a "ping" to know it. The sound of a close 7.62 will get your attention and a 12.7 mm will scare the s**t out of you. Perhaps the Capt. has told so many war stories he began to believe them himself but for someone who was there and did that, his war stories are BS.

This a clearly a book where they author has taken several things that he heard from others, a litle bid of his own experince and then inflated the whole thing.
There are too many things in this book that don't fit what happend.
I have read other books about A troop 1/9 Cav, and it clear that this author has lent/stolen varius bits and used them with a nice twist in his own book
And to make the fatal error of refering to his own platoon (ei the lift platoon) as "blue platoon" when everybody know that the
Blue platoon are the ARP.
Don't buy it, its work of fiction....
Mr Alexander....shame on you, you disgrace the ones who gave all

As the aviation columnist for the 1st Cav's newpaper, SABER, I would describe this book as bologna, for lack of a more vulgar term. "Most highly decorated American helicopter pilots of the Vietnam War" I think not.

It is truly a sad book, you can feel the teller of the STORY trying to create a past that is technicality in-corect that I could only conclude factitious. Mr. Alexzanders account of battle told in the way Mr. Sasser wrote it pleads for accountability. So I cant wait for Book two and all of the apologies to the men who really fought there. Thanks

If you liked Chickenhawk, by Robert Mason, you don't have to read this book by Alexander and Sasser, because you already read the good bits, which were copied word-for-word from Chickenhawk. Check out the Wikipedia article on Chickenhawk for the low-down.

This a clearly a book where they author has taken several things that he heard from others, a litle bid of his own experince and then inflated the whole thing.
There are too many things in this book that don't fit what happend.
I have read other books about A troop 1/9 Cav, and it clear that this author has lent/stolen varius bits and used them with a nice twist in his own book
Don't buy it, its work of fiction....
Mr Alexander....shame on you, you disgrace the ones who gave all

As a former Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam, I could appreciate and understand where Ron was coming from. His experience paralleled mine in several ways. Recommended reading for those who want to know what a Vietnam helicopter pilot's life was like.