CIA Super Pilot Spills the Beans, Flying Helicopters in Laos for Air America by Captain Bill Collier

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MWSA Review
Bill Collier’s account of his time flying for Air America is an insider’s account of the day-to-day life of a helicopter pilot flying covert missions in Laos. Danger, booze and sex punctuate an accurate historical record of a critical period and operation in world history.

Review by Mick Simonelli (June 2018)

Author's Synopsis

Death defying adventure, big money, world travel, sex, booze: this true tale has it all. In 1967, after surviving 13 months, of combat flying in H-34 helicopters in Vietnam for the United States Marine Corps, Captain Collier wanted nothing more to do with that war. Somehow, 34 months later he found himself flying for Air America, the air arm of the CIA, on (not for) the other side of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

He teamed up with his best Vietnam helicopter pilot buddy, Gary, and the two rascals shared true adventure enough to make any novel seem lame. In many ways it was a much better job than flying for the USMC, but it also had many exciting and interesting times. Flying in mountainous and weather-hostile Laos was some of the most challenging ever experienced by any pilot, any time, any war. He flew 3100 hours more of combat for a total of 3850. He came a whisker from death several times and a few times actually tweaked the devil’s nose, daring the devil to take him! 

Making fabulous money and having airline benefits allowed them to live an exotic lifestyle, to travel the world on their monthly R&Rs and to chase and catch more than a few stewardesses from several different airlines around the world.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1547225323
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Memoir
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 364
 

The Adventures of a Helicopter Pilot, Flying the H-34 in Vietnam for the United States Marine Corps by Captain Bill Collier

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MWSA Review

Bill Collier’s book The Adventures of a Helicopter Pilot, Flying the H-34 in Vietnam for the United States Marine Corps is a rough-and-tumble journey through initial training to combat flying in the jungles of Vietnam.  It is at times gritty, at times funny, and always very, very real.  I found myself almost reflecting constantly on the way he described the losses of some of his friends in combat in such a down-to-earth "here one minute, gone the next," sort of fashion.
 
Through it all, the author cheats death in the air and on the ground, and yet always manages to keep his wits and sense of humor about him.  I particularly enjoyed the way he was able to switch quickly between a humorous anecdote and a terrifying flying event, giving the reader some understanding of what it must be like to be scared to death in one moment and then relatively safe thirty minutes later, beer in hand and skin fully intact.
 
I also enjoyed the way he spoke of the times he was afraid, or of how he dealt (or for a while ignored) his PTSD upon his return.  This made the author and the book seem much more real, and he does his fellow vets a service by describing how he eventually discovered that he needed some help.
 
Vietnam vets, helicopter pilots, and anyone with an interest in military aviation will enjoy this book.

MWSA Review by Rob Ballister (June 2018)

Author's Synopsis

This is a spell-binding, first-hand account of what it was like to pilot a Marine Corps H-34 helicopter in combat during "The Helicopter War" in Vietnam. As a brand-new United States Naval Aviator, Second Lieutenant Bill Collier had many exciting adventures - some exciting, some horrific and some terrifying. This is the true story of his experiences during his 13 months in the war. Bill watched friends die violently and stood many times eye-to-eye and toe-to-toe with Death itself. Each time, Death flinched first.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-500936-13-6
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Memoir
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 351
 

Homeland Burning by Brinn Colenda

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MWSA Review

Tom Callahan, along with family and friends—and their determined and lethal foes—are at it again.  The good guys are brave, cultured, quick-witted and lethal… and so are the women.

Brinn Collenda’s second novel in the Callahan series, Homeland Burning, is a terrifyingly believable thriller.  Taking over where the last installment ended, the main players in this saga have moved away from South America, but they haven’t moved away from danger.    Seemingly grabbed right out of current news headlines, the deadly scenario that unfolds in the course of this novel isn’t a stretch—especially given the still-raging battle to control various wildfires in America’s west.  The life-and-death struggle facing all those who battle a raging fire is deftly conveyed in Collenda’s exciting yarn.  

This fast-paced, exciting story will have you begging for more... and the book’s ending leaves no doubt that there’ll be plenty of work for the Callahans in the future! 

Review by John Cathcart (July 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

Spring of 2000: Wildfires destroy mountain watersheds and municipal water systems, breached dams release tidal waves of water to obliterate farms and towns, and stone-cold shooters target helpless civilians. USAF Colonel Tom Callahan struggles to convince a skeptical U.S. intelligence community that enemy attacks on American soil are not only possible, but inevitable.

Kurt Wallerein, the world’s foremost terrorist-for-hire, feared, hated and hunted by every intelligence service in the West, has unleashed a terrifying campaign against the American Heartland to undermine the legitimacy of the United States government.

Callahan has to rally support to stop the attacks, but his political enemies in Washington conspire to distract the President and ridicule evidence. He’ll need all the help he can get from aviators of the New Mexico National Guard, the Civil Air Patrol and the Ninety-Nines.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-10: 1596161035 ISBN-13: 978-1596161030
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 300
 

Settling Up by Phil Keith

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Author's Synopsis

A Vietnam Veteran, poisoned by Agent Orange, has decided that, with the time he has left, he is going to wage a one-man war on those who must "settle up" for the misdeeds they committed during the war. As the bodies pile up, he leaves, at each scene, a particular calling card, which every Vietnam Veteran will understand. The FBI is finally assigned to the case, and one particular Agent figures it out: will she bring her target to justice? Does she really want to?

ISBN/ASIN: ASIN: B074P9SWMD ISBN: 978-1974333417
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 447

Tested by Connie Cockrell

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MWSA Review

The author develops the mystery and challenges of main characters, and their adventure, where you are eager to read further. The story is exceptionally well written with language appropriate for the age group of young adults. The initial chapters leave you a bit confused; however, the author quickly advances the scene to provide a clear understanding of the lead character’s Gift. Both main characters show great strength and determination to accomplish their goal. Each having different strengths and weaknesses which complement each other, creating a durable and capable team. 

It appears the author intentionally left the conclusion open as to what caused the catastrophic event creating challenges to survive in a world seemingly totally destroyed. The main character, Alyssa, has a healing gift she attained at birth, yet is never fully clarified. Kyra, on the other hand, has a physical gift well described. In both cases, the author leaves the story open to future developments and mysteries to keep the reader wanting more. 

The interactions of the individuals in the story shares many good and bad characteristics of humanity, teaching the readers some imperative lessons about mankind and how taxing situations breakdown society. The author develops the importance of self-sacrifice for the betterment of humanity as one of the most important lesson for young readers. Additionally, the author’s female characters deliver well developed heroism for young women to follow in their own future development in society.  Well done!

MWSA Review by Tom Criser (June 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

With winter over, Alyssa and Kyra move on to Harrisburg. They soon find the community they are seeking: A conclave of scientists using their knowledge to assist in their survival. They find much to learn and contribute, and perhaps even finding new love. However, shadows lurk even here. They quickly find that the community is not all that it seems.

Will Kyra and Alyssa be able to stand against the dark side of scientific inquiry? Or will they be tested to failure?

ISBN/ASIN: B079GFDSCD
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Genre(s): Fiction, Fantasy/Sci Fi, Young Adult
Review Genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci Fi
Number of Pages: 122
 

Heroes to the End by Jim Smith

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MWSA Review

In his book Heroes to the End, author Jim Smith provides us an excellent perspective of the waning days of U.S involvement in the Vietnam War. As a young man employed as a Newsday reporter, the author received a very low draft number ensuring he'd be picked up in the next draft, he took the initiative and enlisted for three years.  This kept him from going straight into the infantry and on to Vietnam. At least this was his plan and it did work, somewhat. He enlisted and became an admin clerk, but the army still sent him to Vietnam at the end of July 1971.

Smith provides some insight from his experiences as an admin clerk at Cam Ranh Bay, but the meat of the book comes after the author volunteers for and got accepted into the correspondent's pool with Stars and Stripes. In his position with the press, Smith was allowed to travel throughout Vietnam and conduct a variety of interviews. He captured the essence of these interviews, along with his own observations, in articles he wrote back then and republished in this book.

I found the first hand accounts refreshing as they provide a real time picture of events, individual's thoughts and emotions.  The vast collection of articles give us a much better picture of what was happening in Vietnam from late 1971 to mid 1972, than someone's recollections recorded some forty plus years after the war.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in military history and especially to those with an interest in the Vietnam war.  I found it an interesting read and am certain you will too.

MWSA Review by Bob Doerr (June 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

"Heroes to the End" is my memoir of my 1971-72 Vietnam tour as a clerk in Cam Ranh Bay and a as a reporter for Stars and Stripes. Its most compelling chapters deal with combat heroes during the final days of U.S. involvement in an unpopular war. The premise is that Americans were doing good things, heroic things, right up until the war's final days. That included civic action projects, serving as MPs, driving in convoys, working to improve relations between races, patrolling the bush, building fire bases, and calling in air strikes under fire.

I wore civilian clothes at times, grew my hair long, blended in with civilian journalists and learned from some of the best, such as Peter Arnett and Malcolm Browne. I walked with grunts in the bush, had more than 200 hours aloft in helicopters, flew on hunter-killer missions, interviewed Rangers, advisers on hilltops, door gunners, aircraft pilots, chaplains and Vietnamese soldiers, pilots and refugees. Six men I knew were killed during my tour, including Alec Shimkin of Newsweek and III Corps senior adviser John Paul Vann.

The book was a labor of love because I donated $12,000 to United Veterans Beacon House, which runs homeless shelters for veterans, from speaking fees and book sales proceeds over the past two years. I am working with an agent to transform the book into a Netflix screenplay and have been connecting with veterans, history professors, advocates and military buffs on Facebook and LinkedIn, in order to raise my visibility and lay the groundwork for submitting a screenplay.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-4917-6812-9, B014ZX51S8
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 354

Rescue from Innocence by Joseph Flint

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MWSA Review

In Rescue from Innocence, author Joseph Flint gives us a hard-to-put-down, action-packed, riveting mystery/thriller based on actual events. The main character, Walter Judge, finds himself embroiled in a web of deceit with money-hungry politicians, brutal thugs, third-world dictators, and investigative reporters trying to get to the bottom of a cauldron of corruption. Judge, a former Army Ranger and Vietnam chopper pilot works for a private helicopter outfit, testing experimental aircraft. Finding himself questioning the motives and legalities of his boss's dealings with a company in Chile, Judge becomes more involved in an effort to stop the activities of greedy men while realizing that he's become an expendable pawn in an intricate international plot. Judge has to outwit forces of evil wanting to destroy him and the love he has found in the midst of all the violence. I recommend this book but buckle up, you are in for a ride. 

MWSA Review by Nancy Panko (June 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

Rescue from Innocence is a historical fiction adventure novel inspired by true events. Walter Judge thought he had put the dark days of Southeast Asia behind him. He tries a comfortable life testing aircraft for a small Texas firm when a mysterious call from an old friend hints at trouble. He arranges to meet after her return from an overseas assignment, but she never arrives. His attempt to solve the riddle nearly costs him his life and thrusts him into being the key player in a clandestine project to supply Saddam Hussein with American gunship helicopters. A chance to sidestep disaster in favor of a life-altering love affair is ruined when kidnapping and murder force his continued involvement until he formulates a plan to foil the conspiracy and find the men behind it.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-10: 1479799068 ISBN-13: 978-1479799060  ;ISBN-10: 147979905X ISBN-13: 978-1479799053         ;ASIN: B00BN5QZCI
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, Romance
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 341

Racing Back to Vietnam, A Journey in War and Peace by John Pendergrass

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MWSA Review

In Racing Back to Vietnam, author John Pendergrass tells an interesting story about his experiences as a flight surgeon while stationed at Da Nang Air Base in VietNam from 1971 to 1972, and then goes on to relate that experience with his return to Vietnam to participate in a triathlon in 2016.  

As a flight surgeon, the author had the rare opportunity to fly as a GIB, or the guy in the back seat, of F-4 in actual combat operations. In reading the book, I could feel the author's emotions as he recounted these events. The experiences he had in the air are without a doubt memories that will never fade.  The author's work as a doctor in a wartime environment and descriptions of Da Nang and Vietnam are full of detail, but it's his flying that jump out at the reader.  

After leaving Vietnam in 1972 and returning to his medical practice and family, the author thought he had left Vietnam behind him; however, when an opportunity to participate in a triathlon in Vietnam in 1976 arose, he jumped at it. Now in his seventies, he participated as one of three in the relay portion of the half triathlon.  While he had participated in marathons and triathlons before, he knew his real reason to return to Vietnam wasn't for the race, but to revisit the country.  For the last third of the book author John Pendergrass, through his writing, let's the reader see the changes in the country and his impressions of the Vietnamese people.  Impressions that I believe surprised him.  This is a well written book and should appeal to anyone that is interested in the Vietnam war and in seeing today's Vietnam through the eyes of a returning airman.

MWSA Review by Bob Doerr (June 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

In 1971,US Air Force flight surgeon John Pendergrass spent much of his time as a Weapon Systems Operator in the back seat of an F-4 Phantom,racing across the skies of Vietnam.

Forty -five years later he boards an altogether different type of aircraft and heads back to Vietnam for an altogether different kind of race-an Ironman triathlon.

A veteran of Ironman triathlons on six continents, RACING BACK TO VIETNAM follows John's year in combat and his return to Vietnam,revisiting a country that,for him, is bound up in history,memory,and emotion.A memoir of war as seen from the skies and a reflection on life's high adventure,John tries to reconcile the Vietnam he saw from the backseat of a fighter jet with today's modern nation.

ISBN/ASIN: 987-1-57826-699-9
Book Format(s): Hard cover
Genre(s): Nonfiction, History, Memoir
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 256
 

Through Smoke-Teared Eyes: The Vietnam War I Fought by Johnny F. Pugh

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MWSA Review

In Through Smoke-Teared Eyes: The Vietnam War I Fought, Johnny F. Pugh offers a compelling and often riveting account of his experiences in Cu Chi, Vietnam through the eyes of a combat soldier and, later, as a veteran struggling with PTSD. Pugh’s memoir opens with an account of nightmare, one of the traumatic after-effects of his wartime experience that accompanied him through many decades, then shifts in time back to his introduction to military life, through descriptions of boot camp and his arrival in South Vietnam. In the middle section of the book, Pugh describes his "fog of war," with no certainty of who or where the enemy might be and with little faith in the officers who don’t understand the situation on the ground; more significantly here, he highlights the camaraderie of his fellow soldiers, so that we get to know them as individuals. Then he moves into a gripping account of what appears to be a completely botched mission, “Operation Attleboro,” which left hundreds of his fellow soldiers dead or seriously wounded. Pugh ends his account of his Vietnam days ends with his transfer to the safety of HQ (headquarters) and his return to the States.

Pugh writes with a raw honesty of his wartime experiences and the traumatic personal results of his experience. He writes of the soldiers and officers of the war, their loss of innocence, their heroism, their cowardice. He pays particular homage to those who fought beside him. Writing the book, Pugh admits, was a way for him to heal his soul, a way to figure out what had happened to him in Vietnam. It is a personal story--but he also writes for those of us who were not there, clearly explaining the military operations he was engaged in, his role and that of others, the equipment used, even the history of the famous name of his infantry division, the “Wolfhounds.” Careful to define each acronym he uses, he writes as well for those who are not necessarily versed in military jargon, The inclusion of several photographs--of Pugh, his squad members, the rice paddies of South Vietnam, the choppers that rescued the stranded, dead or wounded—add to the authenticity of his account. This is an often sad but ultimately triumphant tale of one soldier finally overcoming the traumas of war. We should thank Pugh—and also his widow--for the immense effort it must have taken to compose and publish such an account.

MWSA Review by Nancy Arbuthnot (June 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

To confront the demons of his past, author Johnny F. Pugh relives the year he spent as an army rifleman battling unseen guerilla fighters in one of the most dangerous places during the Vietnam War, the Iron Triangle. Through his stories and poetry, he shows how it felt to be trapped in a kill zone, enemy bullets just inches from his face, and the mind-numbing terror experienced after being thrown by a land mine explosion while fighting off bloodsucking leeches, vicious mosquitoes, and stifling heat and humidity. 
Through Smoke-Teared Eyes offers an engaging, sometimes bilingual, account of the close friendship Pugh shared with his fellow squad members, learning from them critical survival skills and his own identity as a Chicano. After witnessing numerous atrocities against the Vietnamese peasants at the hands of the American military, he is forced to question his own role as a participant in this bloody war.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN: 9781532026881/ASIN: 1532026870
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Genre(s): Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, History, Memoir
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 310
 

The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific War Turning Point (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in World War II Series, Vol. 2) by William L. McGee

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MWSA Review

William McGee in his book The Solomons Campaigns 1942-1943 provides an incredibly detailed and exhaustingly researched look at what some sailors from the campaign regard as a “forgotten little war.”  From the early struggle to claw Guadalcanal back from the Japanese to the more polished and less opposed island hopping operations later in the war, McGee does an excellent job of relating the issues faced by those in command of not only the combatant ships, but also the commanders of the aircraft, transport vessels, and Marine units that took part in the campaign.

I especially enjoyed how the author, himself a veteran of this very campaign, seasoned his work with “sea stories” from his fellow veterans, especially those on the smaller, “unsung” transport ships like the LST’s and LCI’s.  The end result is a work that not only tells the history of the geographical area during the war, but of the men who fought and sometimes died there as well.  I was also impressed by the level of detail spread across all the various facets of warfare involved.  There was equal time given to large ship actions, small ship actions, PT boat raids, and dogfights involving handfuls of aircraft.  Platoon and company size actions were discussed along with Corps-sized movements.  It was expected that there would be discussions about sailors, soldiers, Marines, and airmen.  Less expected but much appreciated was the time given to corpsmen, Seabees, Pioneers, and other support forces, without whom there would have been no victory.

Those who enjoy historical work on World War Two, especially in the Pacific, will appreciate this book, as will those with a  general interest in naval history or a particular interest in Admiral “Bull” Halsey, destroyer combat, Marine Raiders, or Navy Seabees.

Review by Rob Ballister (May 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

On the morning of 7 August 1942, eight months to the day after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. 1st Marine Division, under MGen Alexander A. Vandegrift, landed on the islands of Tulagi and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. This was the beginning of the bloody and brutal six month Battle for Guadalcanal. 

For those who were there, Guadalcanal is not only a name; it is an emotion, recalling desperate fights in the air, furious night naval battles, frantic work at supply or construction, savage fighting in the sodden jungle, nights broken by screaming bombs and deafening explosions of naval shells.

Under one cover, military historian William L. McGee details all the campaigns fought in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater of war — from Guadalcanal to Bougainville — and summarizes the valuable lessons learned from these bloody battles.

"Enough gripping drama, heroism and heartbreak in McGee's almost encyclopedic work to supply Hollywood with material for a century." -Marine Corps League

“As a Marine who landed on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942,  Bill McGee’s The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943 is the most comprehensive book I’ve read on the subject. It covers all the campaigns — Southern, Central and Northern — and sums up the tough lessons learned. It brings back memories of those very dark days. Semper Fi.” -William J. Carroll, President, Guadalcanal Campaign Veterans

■ Part I, The Southern Solomons – Covers the bloody six-month struggle for Guadalcanal. The relationship between ground fighting, naval warfare and air combat is described in considerable detail as first one side and then the other gains the advantage. Seven major naval engagements are recounted, including America’s severe defeat at Savo Island and decisive victory in the three-day naval battle of Guadalcanal – another notable turning point.

■ Part II, The Central Solomons – Chronicles the amphibious operations in the New Georgia Islands group, including the five separate landings at Rendova, Segi Point, Viru Harbor, Wickham Anchorage, and Rice Anchorage, plus three more significant naval battles and the occupation of Vella Lavella.

■ Part III, The Northern Solomons – Recounts the seizure of the Treasuries, the Choiseul Diversion and the Bougainville campaign, plus two more significant naval battles.

■ Lessons Learned – Summarizes the many valuable lessons learned during all the Solomons Campaigns, ranging from logistics support and force requirements to offshore toeholds and leapfrogging, most becoming doctrine in later Pacific campaigns.

688 pp, 310 b/w photos, 44 maps, plus charts, notes, appendices, bibliography, and index. Paperback 6”x9”, $39.95.

Other Titles in the Series: 
The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the ‘Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft (Vol. 1)
Pacific Express: The Critical Role of Military Logistics in World War II (Vol. 3)

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-9701678-7-3
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Nonfiction, History
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 688