Books to Read
A great deal of research has been reading the written accounts of F-105 drivers on their assault on North Vietnam and those supporting forward air controllers who risked life and limb to strike enemy forces along the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. It was in these times between 1961 to 1966 that the covert war in Laos was active, yet denied, fighting the forces of the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao, and giving birth to the 1st Air Commandos.
Master Sgt. Charlie Jones had been in Southeast Asia as early as 1962, being credited as the first person to ever fire the M-16 during combat operations in Vietnam. But Jones would also be noted as the creator of the Butterfly and Raven FAC programs.
As for Lt. Hunter, he was in theater for over two months before perishing in the Plain of Jars on May 25, 1966. Ground fire was too much for Jolly Green to enact a rescue attempt, and without any radio communication from Lt. Hunter on the ground, only the worse could be determined: he was captured or dead.
Remaining in the silence was the horrendous tone of the emergency beeper, chirping away like Death’s scythe through the wind. It would be a month before MSgt. Charlie Jones had the body of Lt. Hunter at his feet in a remote mountain village in Laos. It took the determination of one Air Commando and the resources of Air America to bring Lt. Hunter home.
These collection of books help illustrate the deadliest air war, the pure sacrifice made by aircrews as F-105 drivers were lost daily and what it meant to be a forward air controller in a covert operation.
F-105 Books
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100 Mission North An excellent book that details F-105 missions, and a few in Laos, in late 1966 when the air war was shifting to bombing Hanoi directly. |
Thud Ridge Describes the air war in 1965 and 1966 with vivid descriptions of Takhli Air Base and missions in North Vietnam. |
Going Downtown A continuation of Broughton’s account of flying the Thud and the politics that ensued over bombing Hanoi. * This book is out of print |
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Roll Call: Thud A photographic account of almost every single F-105 fighter bomber produced. |
Warbird Tech Vol. 18 - F-105 Thunderchief An in-depth look at the history of the Republic Aviation F-105, featuring diagrams, photographs and countless statistics. |
F-105 Thunderchief In Action A general look at the F-105’s history and role in Southeast Asia that includes a plethora of black and white photographs and color illustrations of various paint schemes. |
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When Thunder Rolled Rasimus’ view of the Vietnam War from the cockpit of a F-105, from training in Nevada to bombing over North Vietnam. * This book is out of print |
FAC Books
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Classified Secret An in-depth look into Air Commandor FACs, Air America, and the secret war in Laos. SMSgt Charlie Jones contributed material to the book, the same man who recovered Lt. Hunter’s body. * This book is out of print |
Vietnam Above the Treetops One of the best books on forward air controllers working along with special forces in Vietnam. * This book is out of print |
The Ravens Successor to the Butterfly FAC program, Ravens flew throughout Laos directing air strikes against enemy forces on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. * This book is out of print |
USAF Books
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A War Too Long Explains the history of the Air Force in Southeast Asis with details regarding operations conducted in North Vietnam and Laos. ** This book is available free at the Air Force Historical Research Agency |
The USAF Search and Rescue in Southeast Asia A great historical account of actions made by USAF search and rescue crews operating in Southeast Asia. ** This book is available free at the Air Force Historical Research Agency |
