Matt Jackson
'Get your affairs in order because we are about to go to war...' 'We all go into Laos together and we all come out of Laos together' ' I am on Fire and going down...tell my family I loved them...' (The above are actual quotes from pilots in the battle.) Undaunted Valor, Lam Son 719 is a novel based on an accurate account of the bravery and dedication of helicopter crews, consisting of mostly teen agers and young officers flying under the most intense combat conditions since WWII. US Army and Marine Corps helicopters flew South Vietnamese ground forces fifty miles into Laos to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail in hopes of providing time for the South Vietnamese to take over the fight and allow American forces to come home. Fly with the men of the 223rd, 14th and 101st Aviation Group as they press the attack at the cost of aircraft being blown out of the sky. Although Lam Son 719 was a military failure for its intended purpose, it was a victory for Army aviation and the employment of helicopters on the battlefield into the 21st Century. The lessons learned from this one action, set the stage for the development of todays Army Aviation. Follow Colonel Cory as he recounts some of the most intense helicopter and ground combat of the Vietnam war from the eyes of the man who spent two combat tours there. The accounts reveal the dedication helicopter crews had for each other and their desire for mission accomplishment. Awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Air Medals for Valor, Colonel Jacksons’ hair-raising accounts of what it was like to fly in this environment will make you feel as if you are right there with him. Get your copy of this true-life event of American heroes that have been overlooked too long.
