This book is aimed at sharing information about a population of men who engaged in military service to their country with duties involving aviation. The era that this book addresses is one during which there was considerable racial turmoil in America. So, these were stalwart men who entered into a professional career field where they were not readily embraced. The field that these brave men entered was one that was dominated by white males. It is the story about the U.S. military’s 600 m.o.l. – Black helicopter pilots who experienced combat duty in Vietnam, some making the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives, and who certainly have a place in U. S. history. It is also a story of the uncommon fortitude, perseverance, and triumph of black men who were often compelled to fight multiple battles against multiple enemies simultaneously (the enemy overseas and racial discrimination at home). The 600 m.o.l. is perhaps one of the greatest stories that was never told, at least up to now.

It is the story about the U.S. military's 600 m.o.l. - Black helicopter pilots who experienced combat duty in Vietnam, some making the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives, and who certainly have a place in U. S. history.

"My aircraft was compelled to land at an airfield near Cambodia. Even though it looked like a safe area to land, we were unaware at the time that the Viet Cong (VC) actually controlled the airfield. Since our aviation unit was in support of Vietnamese troops, it was not unusual for there to be Vietnamese soldiers on the airfield. Therefore, when some troops on the ground motioned to us to land on the runway, we complied. However, as we landed and started to taxi the aircraft to the side of the runway, we noticed that the soldiers were armed with AK47s (Russian-made rifles used by the Viet Cong) and not M16s (American-issued rifles), realizing that we were completely surrounded by the enemy..."--Warrant Officer Gilbert Foote"When we landed at that hospital, chaos erupted. I saw the orderlies run out and stop a few yards away from the aircraft. My crew chief said, "Sir, we got a problem." He said that the Korean accompanying the wounded guy had locked and loaded his BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), a .30 caliber semiauto to full auto rifle, and had put his back against the helicopter's firewall and was making it clear he was not going to allow the wounded guy he was with to be taken off the aircraft."--Captain Arnold H. Sampson Jr.

“This moving memoir about the gritty life of a military helicopter pilot fills a gap in the genre of Vietnam literature.”—Foreword Reviews In the Vietnam War, 2,197 helicopter pilots and 2,717 crew members were killed. Black Cat 2-1 is the story of one pilot who made it home and the valiant men he served with who risked their lives for the troops on the ground. Bob Ford invites readers into the Huey helicopters he flew on more than 1,000 missions when he and his men dared to protect and rescue. For those whose voices were silenced in that faraway place or who have never told their stories, he creates a tribute that reads like a thriller, captures the humor of men at war, and resounds with respect for those who served with honor. An Oklahoma Book Award Finalist “Bob Ford’s account of his year in the command seat of his ship of salvation is a priceless contribution to the literary canon of that war.”—David A. Maurer, Special Forces veteran, author of The Dying Place “[Ford] brings to life his story so the reader can experience what it may have been like—and how the troops felt at the time. With moments that feel like they were written for a movie, Black Cat 2-1 will take you in the air over Vietnam and through some of the hardest missions you could expect.”—Week99er “This memoir is hard to beat.”—Air & Space/Smithsonian “Capably written.”—Publishers Weekly “Refreshing . . . evocative descriptions of combat flying.”—The VVA Veteran

The helicopter changed war forever. This book examines the range of duties helicopter pilots carried out in Vietnam, from air-lift, med-evac and fire-support to landing in high volume crossfires in 'Hot LZs'. Protected by little more than an armoured seat, operating in terrible conditions and flying long hours these brave men led hard, dangerous lives, and casualties were high. Following these pilots from initial deployment through to the deadly thrill of combat in a war zone, Vietnam veteran Gordon L Rottman's book is a crucial examination of the pilots who fought so valiantly for their country. Often unmoved by the politics of the war, conflicts at home and other social issues, the Vietnam helicopter pilots just wanted to fly. As the saying went 'who needs drugs, I'm already high'.

"In 1963...there was no way I could have known, sitting in a classroom on that beautiful campus in Ohio, that by raising my hand I would be going to war in Vietnam and that I would see things, hear things and do things that most people cannot imagine."--James Joyce. The author was drawn into the United States Army through ROTC, and went through training to fly helicopters in combat over Vietnam. His experiences are notable because he flew both Huey "Slicks" and Huey "Gunships": the former on defense as he flew troops into battle, and the latter on offense as he took the battle to the enemy. Through this book, the author relives his experiences flying and fighting, with special attention given to his and other pilots' day-to-day lives--such as the smoke bombing of Disneyland, the nickname given to a United States Army-sponsored compound for prostitution. Some of the pilots Joyce served with survived the war and went on to have careers with commercial airlines, and many were killed.

Rattler One-Seven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in Vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran. At the age of twenty, Chuck Gross spent his 1970-71 tour with the 71st Assault Helicopter Company flying UH-1 Huey helicopters. He inserted special operations teams into Laos and participated in Lam Son 719, a misbegotten attempt to assault and cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail, during which his helicopter was shot down and he was stranded in the field.