Assault from the Sky

"" The author, a Vietnam veteran, uses his experiences as a company commander to bring the story to life by weaving personal accounts, after-action reports and official documents into a remarkably readable narrative of service and sacrifice by Marine pilots and crewmen. ""-- ""Books Monthly"" ""... validates Dick's extraordinary story telling ability and writing skills. It is a must read for military historians, aviation enthusiasts, and especially those who were and are affiliated with a military service helicopter unit. ""-- ""Marine Corps Aviation Association"" ""...a fitting tribute to our Marines of the Vietnam era...The inspirational and at times tragic events vividly described by Camp make this work an easy yet important read. Every Marine is indeed a rifleman first and foremost. Assault from the Sky is a timely and valuable reminder of this ethos.""-- ""Proceedings"" ""a must read for every student of the history of aerial combat in Vietnam... The reader is taken through the fine details of planning and execution of several missions to insert personnel, replenish munitions and supplies and evacuate the wounded while under constant close enemy fire during major assaults.This is an action packed work that keeps the reader turning the pages in anticipation of the next attack on his senses...fitting tribute to several of the men he personally knew who were later selected as examples to be decorated for their bravery. A compilation of true accountings whose details are often further documented in the actual language of the numerous citations awarded, the reader is given little time to pause and reflect on character development. It is not about the persons involved as much as it is about the situations they faced and the ways in which they responded without hesitation. This is what we have always admired about Marines. impressed with the dedication to the subject matter and with the captivating style of the author. His experience as an accomplished author shines through in the manner in which he brings the reader artfully through the fog of war with clarity... Any aspiring author of military history could learn from his style.""-- ""20th Century Aviation Magazine"" ""Assault from the Sky is a well-researched, detailed history of Marine helicopters from the time the first ones arrived in Vietnam in 1962 all the way through to the helicopter-heavy evacuation of Saigon in 1975.""-- ""The VVA Veteran"" ""Camp has done a great job of combing not only the after action-reports and official records but also the personal accounts of the Marines who were ""there"" in what was often very intense combat. It is these accounts from commanders, pilots, crewmen, and ""grunts"" that make this an engaging reading experience. This is not just some dry military history.""-- ""VHPA Aviator"" ""There are two reasons why ""Assault From the Sky: U.S. Marine Corps Helicopter Operations in Vietnam"" is so distinctive that it deserves an appellation all its own: first, combining qualities of superlative research and scholarship for the first book to document the sacrifice and heroism of helicopter crews in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975; and, second, the author, Dick Camp, himself...a cogent, yet stunning, strategic history that the reader will find difficult to put down...""-- ""Leatherneck""