A mouth-gaping account of the exploits of the 1/9th Cavalry during the Vietnam War. It is told from the perspective of the pilots, gunners and observers, as well as the ground assault troops attached to them, the "Blues." The risks taken by this experimental helicopter unit were absolutely horrifying, as we're the casualties they took--especially by the crews of the tiny Light Observation Helicopters (LOH's) which got directly in the enemies' faces and shot them down in spite of the tiny choppers' extreme vulnerability. Still, they were amazingly effective, accounting for a highly disproportionate amount of enemy kills. Few units in the war were as effective, in fact. Along the way, kids were made into men and many broken into wrecks of men. Heroes emerged, then sent home to face nothing but hatred and abuse by the very country that sent them into battle in the first place. Many of these kids had their youth taken from them, made to see and do things that no one should, and have had a very hard time coping with "normal" life since. Still, most of them hold their heads high to this day. They deserve our appreciation, respect and thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment