Skyhawk: the Slide for Death

by Captain Steven T. Sunderman USMC

Overview

After seven years of brutal fighting, the North Vietnamese Army and Viet-Cong guerillas have massed hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened fighters in the north near the big South Vietnamese city of Da Nang and to the south, the capital city of Saigon. Enormous pressures have been placed upon the men, women and equipment of the South Vietnamese army. This is not only the story of the Marines who flew and maintained the A-4 Skyhawks, a light, extremely fast and maneuverable attack/dive bomber and the CH-46 Marine helicopter/Sea Knights in America's final days of this brutal war, but also the story of the North Vietnamese gun crews who fired their 37 millimeter, anti-aircft artillary attempting to drive the attacking Marine aircraft and helicopters from their skies. Incredible feats of valor, on both sides, were not uncommon. In addition, the narrative begins with one of the great rescue attempts in U.S. aviation history of a downed Marine pilot and the gut-wrenching attempts on both sides to rescue or capture him. This is a stunning portrayal of one of the highest decorated Marine combat pilots in history who flew over one thousand combat missions and the recipient of 53 combat air medals during two tours of duty flying the A-4 Skyhawk and the Boeing-Vertol, CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter. Strap in and prepare yourself for an uparalleled look into the life of a Marine, combat aviator.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940148427889
Publisher:	Publish Green
Publication date:	07/19/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	748 KB

About the Author

Marine Captain, S.T. Sunderman, flying the McDonnell-Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, a high speed, jet attack/dive bomber, recounts the Marine air mission of air to ground combat during the war in Viet-Nam. A spell-binding tale of courage, commitment on both sides and call to duty by one of the Marine Corps' highest decorated combat aviators in history. In addition, in a previous tour of duty, in 1967-68, he flew as pilot in command, the CH-46 Sea Knight , tandem rotor helicopter. He flew medevac and air transport/resupply missions for troops in the field in the Da Nang tactical area of operations. He participated in the extraction of Khan-Duc airfield near the Laotian border; medevac extractions and resupply missions at the siege of Khe-Sahn; the extraction of troops and medevacs in the spring of '68 at the Hue Citadel and numerous Force Recon extractions and insertions in the Da Nang tactical area of operations. Capt. Sunderman flew over one thousand combat missions flown in two tours of duty and is the recipient of 53 combat air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.