Life on the Line

This is the first serious attempt to chronicle in one book the life and times of the pilot at war in Vietnam between 1961 and 1972. The stories cover the whole spectrum of aviation from 'Dustoff' medical evacuation pilots and unarmed forward air controller pilots in their low flying Cessnas to supersonic Phantom pilots.
The pilot in Vietnam flew day after day into murderous barrages of anti-aircraft fire over North Vietnam and Laos or into withering clouds of small arms fire at landing zones throughout the South. Often they were required to act above and beyond the call of duty to lay their lives on the line so that others might live. Many paid the final price and some listed as missing in action may still be paying it.
The author has tracked down and interviewed pilots from the US Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps and even found a British doctor who had an interesting experience involving a helicopter and a tree in the jungles of Laos. The majority of the stories have not been seen in print before, and the handful that have (such as the day Joe Jackson won the Medal of Honor at Kham Duc) are worthy of recounting again. Many letters to the author began 'I have not even told my wife this' or 'l have not spoken about this since I returned from 'Nam'. . . . The majority of the photographs are unpublished originals, dug out of dusty lofts and cupboards to put a face to the storytellers.
The stories in this book are exciting, 'hairy', interesting, tragic and humorous - as indeed is war itself. The intention is not to glorify the war but to pay tribute to the brave men who flew in it. When the reader has come to the end he will indeed know that Vietnam was a lousy war fought by brave men....


by Philip D. Chinnery
Published by Blandford 1988 1st edition. 256pp illustrated, index. 15x22 previous owner's stamp otherwise mint, including d/j.






Note:
"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "new edition" "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.