Fiction

Title: Red Bird Down!
Author: Bruce E. Carlson
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

Almost ten years in the writing, "RED BIRD DOWN" is a deeply moving Psychological/Emotional study of a young man's coming of age in Vietnam as an Aero-Scout helicopter pilot. These young pilots took the highest casualities of all the the helicopter pilots in Vietnam. Further, Army Warrant Officer Pilots took the highest casuality rates of all ranks in Vietnam. Yet, to the bitter end, even in LS 719 in support of Vietnames only, they lived by their credo -- "Leave no one behind."

The "hero" of "Red Bird Down" is typical of so many of these teenages and men in the early twenties. He struggles with the tumult of an unpopular war, his mission, the deaths of friends, and his growing love and respect for the young men with whom he serves. Eventually, he discovers a bond, formed in the fire and cold steel of combat. It ia a bond which cannot be broken.

This is not simply an action adventure book! The world has enough "Rambo" type works. While Kev, the hero, has plenty of action, adventure and misadventures, the reader will also laugh, cry, and learn to love the kids of Vietnam for who they were and all they accomplished.

Using incidents from my own time in Vietnam, I have woven them into a Novelized form. Through a running dialogue with a "fictional" home-town minister and a fictional relationship to my own alter-ego, I have looked at many of the political, theological, and emotional issues of Vietnam and the tumult of the late 60's.

My "hero" is a very human boy/man who occasionally soars to great heights and then quickly balances this soaring with "bone-head" mistakes. Through it all he "grows up," takes responsibility for himself, and learns to deal with life and death well beyond his years.

For those who want a serious read about the young men of the "Great Helicopter War," this is the book. In 490 pages, the reader will feel the emotional depth of one young man, who was so typical of so many. Be prepared to occasionally put the book down to ponder the depth of these young men and the heights to which they soared. In the end, you will understand their dedication, commitment to each other, and why they said, "Leave no one behind."

The Last Hookers
Author: Carle E. Dunn
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0759655936

The Vietnam War catalyzed an entire generation of Americans, dividing them along pro-war and anti-war lines. Aviator turned author Lieutenant Colonel Carle E. Dunn spent three years researching recently declassified documents to provide details of how the United States became embroiled in Southeast Asia. He presents a candid look at United State’s leadership in his new book The Last Hookers (now available from 1stBooks Library)

Using fictional characters, Dunn, now retired, traces the roles of France, Great Britain, North Vietnam, and the United States in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, North and South Vietnam from 1938 to 1972. He details actual events such as Operation Vulture, President Truman’s plan to use atomic weapons against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) at Dien Bien Phu. This plan called for the subsequent use of atomic weapons against Communist China and the USSR. President Eisenhower gave the plan serious consideration.

Colonel Dunn weaves a story of lies, deceit, espionage and romance based on historical events. Exciting, entertaining, and emotionally wrought, The Last Hookers is the most profound look into U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia since the war’s end.

From humble beginnings to honored war veteran, Colonel Dunn has spent most of his life in the military. Enlisting in the South Carolina National Guard, while working his way through college, he later served in the Army Reserve. Commissioned a second lieutenant, Dunn attended Field Artillery Officers Basic Course at Fort Still, Oklahoma. Upon graduation, the Army canceled Dunn’s orders to Korea. He stayed at Fort Still to teach gunnery, and was the first Second Lieutenant ever to teach that course. Next, he completed helicopter flight school and went on to serve during the Vietnam conflict. Highly decorated and widely published, Dunn now resides in South Carolina. The Last Hookers is his first full-length novel.

Title: The Adventures of Brisky Bear and Trooper Dog
Author: Steve Bolt
Genre: Children, Under 12
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0979512719

Be Kind, Be Friendly, Be Thankful address the issues of separation, loneliness, sadness, anger and frustration. In the book Brisky Bear, the adult figure, has to go away to work on a farm. The young pup Trooper Dog, who is the child figure, wrestles through his feelings of separation while Brisky is away. The book shows how hard deployment can be, but demonstrates healthy ways for children to respond to the deployment of their parents. The book teaches children how to be heroes at home by being Kind, Friendly and Thankful.