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Volume
48, No. 12, July 13, 2006
Sock
it to ‘em baby
Garry
Cooper & Robert Hillier
Allen
& Unwin
318
pages, $29.95
ONE
of the lesser-known Air Force contributions in Vietnam was
the work of the Air Force Forward Air Controllers who served
on exchange with the US Air Force.
Aussie
Gary Cooper was one of the few who flew with them, and in
this new biography we are taken into the hell-for-leather
world of those brave men.
The
reader is taken back to 1968 Vietnam, where Cooper is posted
in support of the US Army’s 9th Infantry Division. Flying
the diminutive Cessna Bird Dog, Cooper flies time and again
into enemy fire to mark the way for the fast air support.
Never
one to let the troops down, he receives a number of recommendations
for US bravery awards, but the politics of the time prevent
them eventuating.
The
book is written quite matter-of-factly, with vivid descriptions
that almost allow you to smell the clouds of napalm as you
flash by in your Bird Dog.
A
riveting tale of a brave pilot. If you’re into Australian
aviation, then you’ll enjoy this one.
–
LT Cameron Jamieson
Clive
Caldwell: Air Ace
Kristen
Alexander
Allen
& Unwin
288
pages, $35.00
CLIVE
Caldwell should be a household name, but history has been
less than kind to his memory.
With
27½ aerial victories, he was Australia’s highest
scoring fighter pilot in World War II. Brought back from North
Africa to assist with the defence of northern Australia, Caldwell
went on to fly Spitfires against the Japanese.
As
the war moved north towards Japan, Caldwell followed, but
in 1945 his career went into a spin when he was accused of
illegal liquor trading and was investigated for his role in
the so-called Morotai Mutiny.
Kristen
Alexander has written a magnificent book about this enigmatic
man. With the help of Caldwell’s widow and peers, Alexander
has written the definitive book on a man who loved his country
and flew with a passion that was an example to all who served
under his command.
The
book celebrates his achievements and tells the tale of how
a green fighter pilot became one of Australia’s top aces
and, later, a casualty of command.
–
LT Cameron Jamieson
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