gkainz
Final Approach
DEROS Never, by Thomas LeRoe
from the back cover
"Date Eligible Return from OverSeas (never)
A fictional story about all our Vietnam MIAs/POWs that our own United States government doesn't want you to know about. They were left behind in three different countries, North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. This story is all about one man's quest (a POW himself) to find all of these men that were left behind after the release of the 591 POWs from Hanoi in 1973. The topic is true but the fictional part of this book is to let the governments of all these countries and yes even our own government to know what kind of hell they are putting these innocent ment through. These men have to become reneages to the ones that captured them from the beginning and even to their own government just to survive out there."
This book started out interesting, with the main character, an Air Force seargent and aircraft mechanic for the O-1A, showing up in Vietnam and assigned to a FAC outfit. He volunteers to ride backseat and the first few flights quickly degrade into a hard to believe story of multiple wounds and injuries as they continue to fly their missions. I have a friend who flew FAC that I have yet to discuss this with, so if the story reflect reality, I publicly apologize for my sceptism in advance. I have the utmost respect for those that fought and do not wish to appear to trivialize their actions. The story continued to unwind for me as they are shot down and captured, but I stuck with it and continued to the end. While I sympathize and agree with the author's purpose behind the story, I found his fictionalization just a bit too far-fetched to engage me completely.
I will mail this book to anyone who wants to read it and pass it on or return it. Email me or post here if you want to read this.
from the back cover
"Date Eligible Return from OverSeas (never)
A fictional story about all our Vietnam MIAs/POWs that our own United States government doesn't want you to know about. They were left behind in three different countries, North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. This story is all about one man's quest (a POW himself) to find all of these men that were left behind after the release of the 591 POWs from Hanoi in 1973. The topic is true but the fictional part of this book is to let the governments of all these countries and yes even our own government to know what kind of hell they are putting these innocent ment through. These men have to become reneages to the ones that captured them from the beginning and even to their own government just to survive out there."
This book started out interesting, with the main character, an Air Force seargent and aircraft mechanic for the O-1A, showing up in Vietnam and assigned to a FAC outfit. He volunteers to ride backseat and the first few flights quickly degrade into a hard to believe story of multiple wounds and injuries as they continue to fly their missions. I have a friend who flew FAC that I have yet to discuss this with, so if the story reflect reality, I publicly apologize for my sceptism in advance. I have the utmost respect for those that fought and do not wish to appear to trivialize their actions. The story continued to unwind for me as they are shot down and captured, but I stuck with it and continued to the end. While I sympathize and agree with the author's purpose behind the story, I found his fictionalization just a bit too far-fetched to engage me completely.
I will mail this book to anyone who wants to read it and pass it on or return it. Email me or post here if you want to read this.