Hunter Killer Squadron: Hunter Killer Squadron

This is a great book that chronicals the experiences of an array of Vietnam Vets. My dad's story is in this book!

With the exception of a few errors this book is a must read for those who want to try to understand something about a very elite unit, the 9th Cavalry. I was in the Blues in 1966. I was a squad leader and the assistant platoon sgt. On occasion I was the platoon sgt. Never have I met a finer bunch of men who endured the trials of their home on the wire at night followed by running through the jungle the following day. I still wonder how we maintained ourselves, that is, staying awake on the wire and running the jungle. It was impossible to do what we did without sleep but we did it anyway. What the book describes between the Blues and the pilots is very true. We were united in a common goal. I think that goal was to destroy the enemy and go home alive. I personally know that when the lift pilots dropped us Blues on the ground they bided their time in agnony waiting for the call to saddle up and retrieve the Blues, and bring us home. This book describes how the pilots protected the Blues as much as humanly possible. Well done, Matt.

While not as good as "Brennans War", it's a great book.

Hunter-Killer Squadron stands alone as the finest book written on the helicopter war in Vietnam. Follow the 1st Cav's "Pink" teams as they decimate the NVA while incurring excruciating losses themselves. A "pink" team consisted of a (white) scout helicopter nosing around at treetop level, attempting to draw fire, invariably succeeding, covered by an orbiting (red) Cobra gunship. Once you read this, you'll understand what helicopter warfare was all about and the revolution it brought about in tactics. The book consists of 25 ancedotes from pilots, gunners and crew chiefs, every one a cliff-hanger. Other great Vietnam helo books: Crew Chief, Chickenhawk, Lest We Forget, and "Low Level Hell". And don't miss "Eyes of the Eagle" by Linderer.

This was a very exciting and eventful book. I learned a lot from it and what life was like during the Vietnam war. Heroism was especially important to everyone but most of it was never recognized by the american public. Andy Stone