Author: William Walter
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637581580
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Resistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired. The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.
Ghostriders 1976-1995
Author: William Walter
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637581580
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Resistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired. The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637581580
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Resistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired. The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.
Ghostriders 1976-1995
Author: William Walter
Publisher: Knox Press
ISBN: 9781637581575
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
Resistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired. The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.
Publisher: Knox Press
ISBN: 9781637581575
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
Resistance is futile. You can run, but you’ll only die tired. The AC-130 Gunship was quickly developed in 1968 to provide fire support for ground forces in Vietnam. Twenty-eight C-130 cargo aircraft were converted into AC-130s for night attack operations. The AC-130 was crude, ugly, ad hoc, and detested by many within the USAF…but it worked, and it worked well. Likewise, AC-130 crews were deemed unruly “biker gangs,” but performed magnificently in every major US military operation from 1976 to 1995. Most of these combat operations were cloaked in secrecy, but records once classified for up to twenty years have now been opened. Based on this newly declassified information and hundreds of interviews with SOF veterans, Ghostriders 1976-1995 is the first authoritative historical account of the AC-130 operations, written by an AC-130 Aerial Gunner who participated in every AC-130 combat operation from 1980 through 1994.
Ghostriders 1968-1975
Author: William Walter
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637581564
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
If necessity is the mother of invention, the AC-130 gunship was definitely her offspring. Ghostriders: Mors De Caelis is a comprehensive history of AC-130 gunship combat operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The story begins with the first AC-130 in 1968, and ends in 1975 at the end of the war in Vietnam. It tells the life and death stories of Spectre crews, who faced extreme danger while hunting trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and providing fire support for US and allied ground forces. Though the AC-130 was credited with 10,000 trucks destroyed, this phenomenal achievement came with a hefty price. Fifty-two Spectre crewmen and six AC-130s were lost during combat operations in Laos and Vietnam. Written in third-person omniscient point of view by an experienced combat veteran and Spectre Historian, all aspects of the story are derived from official declassified records and personal interviews. The level of detail and context figuratively puts the reader in the aircraft as an observer, flying alongside a Spectre crew in combat. Above all, this is the story of Spectre—accurate, detailed, compelling, and unique.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1637581564
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
If necessity is the mother of invention, the AC-130 gunship was definitely her offspring. Ghostriders: Mors De Caelis is a comprehensive history of AC-130 gunship combat operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The story begins with the first AC-130 in 1968, and ends in 1975 at the end of the war in Vietnam. It tells the life and death stories of Spectre crews, who faced extreme danger while hunting trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and providing fire support for US and allied ground forces. Though the AC-130 was credited with 10,000 trucks destroyed, this phenomenal achievement came with a hefty price. Fifty-two Spectre crewmen and six AC-130s were lost during combat operations in Laos and Vietnam. Written in third-person omniscient point of view by an experienced combat veteran and Spectre Historian, all aspects of the story are derived from official declassified records and personal interviews. The level of detail and context figuratively puts the reader in the aircraft as an observer, flying alongside a Spectre crew in combat. Above all, this is the story of Spectre—accurate, detailed, compelling, and unique.
Spectre Gunner
Author: Msgt. David M. Burns
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1475969732
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 158
Book Description
This is the true story of Master Sergeant David M. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. Aboard the AC-130 Spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over Laos, South Vietnam, and Cambodia, in pursuit of the truck traffic coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. His squadron destroyed more than fifteen thousand trucks loaded with war munitions destined for South Vietnam and Cambodia. Despite heavy and constant anti-aircraft and missile fire, the loss of six aircraft and the lives of fifty-two men, the crew never wavered in its dedication to the mission. Master Sergeant Burns has a distinguished military career that began in 1951 at the age of fifteen. He served one tour of duty in Phan Rang, South Vietnam, in 1967, and four tours of duty in the 16th Special Operations Squadron in Southeast Asia as an aerial gunner, lead gunner, and instructor gunner. He served in both the United States Navy and Air Force, earning three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, twenty-seven Air Medals, as well as a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Vietnam Service Medal with nine battle stars, and other decorations from the Korean War. He was wounded twice and is credited with saving the lives of fourteen crewmembers. This is his story.
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1475969732
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 158
Book Description
This is the true story of Master Sergeant David M. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. Aboard the AC-130 Spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over Laos, South Vietnam, and Cambodia, in pursuit of the truck traffic coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. His squadron destroyed more than fifteen thousand trucks loaded with war munitions destined for South Vietnam and Cambodia. Despite heavy and constant anti-aircraft and missile fire, the loss of six aircraft and the lives of fifty-two men, the crew never wavered in its dedication to the mission. Master Sergeant Burns has a distinguished military career that began in 1951 at the age of fifteen. He served one tour of duty in Phan Rang, South Vietnam, in 1967, and four tours of duty in the 16th Special Operations Squadron in Southeast Asia as an aerial gunner, lead gunner, and instructor gunner. He served in both the United States Navy and Air Force, earning three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, twenty-seven Air Medals, as well as a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Vietnam Service Medal with nine battle stars, and other decorations from the Korean War. He was wounded twice and is credited with saving the lives of fourteen crewmembers. This is his story.
Gunships
Author: Wayne Mutza
Publisher: Specialty Press (MN)
ISBN: 9781580071239
Category : AC-119 (Gunship)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Gunships: The Story of Spooky, Shadow, Stinger, and Spectre tells the dramatic story of transforming military cargo transports into deadly ground-attack aircraft used by the U.S. and other countries in worldwide conflicts from the Vietnam War to the Middle East today. This comprehensive and detailed accounting of gunships begins with piston-powered, WWII-era C-47s and progresses to the four-engine turboprop C-130 Hercules, showing how gunships evolved from using 20mm miniguns to 105mm Howitzers with digital-age Battle Management Centers housed onboard. These highly effective airplanes made history by removing the safe haven of night operations from the enemy, and allowing strategic victory that might not have otherwise been possible. Author Wayne Mutza not only carefully researched all of these aircraft and their paths to reality, but also tells the tale of the brave and persevering men who believed in this unique weapon system and who saw its development through to the end. This book features a wealth of outstanding color photographs, many of which have never before been published, and also contains detailed appendices documenting gunship production data, combat units, and aircraft losses.
Publisher: Specialty Press (MN)
ISBN: 9781580071239
Category : AC-119 (Gunship)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Gunships: The Story of Spooky, Shadow, Stinger, and Spectre tells the dramatic story of transforming military cargo transports into deadly ground-attack aircraft used by the U.S. and other countries in worldwide conflicts from the Vietnam War to the Middle East today. This comprehensive and detailed accounting of gunships begins with piston-powered, WWII-era C-47s and progresses to the four-engine turboprop C-130 Hercules, showing how gunships evolved from using 20mm miniguns to 105mm Howitzers with digital-age Battle Management Centers housed onboard. These highly effective airplanes made history by removing the safe haven of night operations from the enemy, and allowing strategic victory that might not have otherwise been possible. Author Wayne Mutza not only carefully researched all of these aircraft and their paths to reality, but also tells the tale of the brave and persevering men who believed in this unique weapon system and who saw its development through to the end. This book features a wealth of outstanding color photographs, many of which have never before been published, and also contains detailed appendices documenting gunship production data, combat units, and aircraft losses.
Ghost Rider - Volume 3
Author:
Publisher: Marvel
ISBN: 9780785125563
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Johnny Blaze decides to help the people of New York City by attacking the Hulk, head-on.
Publisher: Marvel
ISBN: 9780785125563
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Johnny Blaze decides to help the people of New York City by attacking the Hulk, head-on.
On a Steel Horse I Ride
Author: Air University Press
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781495211065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 630
Book Description
Pave Low. The term itself generates an image: a dark, wispy night; a low, pulsating rumble approaching from the distance. The rumble becomes a presence, a large helicopter that settles onto the ground amidst the deep darkness. Earnest men of determination spew forth from it. Heavily armed, they quickly set up to collect intelligence, kill enemy troops, rescue downed or isolated friendly personnel, or otherwise conduct a direct action mission. Mission complete, they just as quickly reassemble, reboard the aircraft, and then disappear into the consuming darkness. It is a powerful image—a conjure, if you will—that strikes fear into any enemy of the United States. But the conjure is real. It is a helicopter called the MH-53J/M. That machine is the end result of the evolution of state-of-the-art avionics, communication, and navigation equipment crewed by highly motivated, enthusiastic, and smart young operators well steeped in the principles, heritage, and credo of special operations. It is the classic combination of men and machine. Those aircraft and Airmen were assigned to the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), “America's specialized airpower . . . a step ahead in a changing world, delivering special operations power anytime, anywhere.”1 AFSOC controls a mixed fleet of both rotaryand fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate the fulfillment of that mission. However, the single aircraft that, in its day, has best epitomized that role is the Pave Low helicopter. It, perhaps more than any other aircraft, allowed the AFSOC to realize its purpose. But it was not always so. The aircraft themselves were revolutionary combinations of new, more powerful turbine engines with rotarywing aircraft to produce vastly increased lifting power. Conceptualized, built, and designated for simpler missions, they were immediately swept up into the long war in Southeast Asia. There they proved the efficacy of the aircraft for dangerous rescue missions, for the initiation of a whole new generation of developing avionics and navigation technology, for providing challenging direct support to small special forces teams and indigenous forces inserted behind enemy lines, and for a myriad of other things that heavy-lift helicopters could be assigned to do. In accomplishing all of that, they also trained a whole generation of men who learned of combat along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and at other places like Quang Tri, South Vietnam; Son Tay, North Vietnam; and Koh Tang Island, Cambodia. After that conflict, those aircraft and men were returned to peacetime locations and duties, and much was forgotten of those dangerous times and missions. However, a cadre of dedicated combat aviators and commanders felt that the aircraft and community of Airmen had much more to give. Foreseeing an ever-dangerous world, they harnessed those aircraft to a series of evolving new technologies that vastly improved the aircraft by giving them the ability to traverse airspace in any weather conditions, day and night, and to avoid enemy threats. That concept was validated in operations in Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, and many more smaller and quieter operations in between. The men and aircraft also showed the larger utilitarian value of the aircraft as, over the years, they were called out many times to provide natural disaster and humanitarian relief from Africa to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781495211065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 630
Book Description
Pave Low. The term itself generates an image: a dark, wispy night; a low, pulsating rumble approaching from the distance. The rumble becomes a presence, a large helicopter that settles onto the ground amidst the deep darkness. Earnest men of determination spew forth from it. Heavily armed, they quickly set up to collect intelligence, kill enemy troops, rescue downed or isolated friendly personnel, or otherwise conduct a direct action mission. Mission complete, they just as quickly reassemble, reboard the aircraft, and then disappear into the consuming darkness. It is a powerful image—a conjure, if you will—that strikes fear into any enemy of the United States. But the conjure is real. It is a helicopter called the MH-53J/M. That machine is the end result of the evolution of state-of-the-art avionics, communication, and navigation equipment crewed by highly motivated, enthusiastic, and smart young operators well steeped in the principles, heritage, and credo of special operations. It is the classic combination of men and machine. Those aircraft and Airmen were assigned to the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), “America's specialized airpower . . . a step ahead in a changing world, delivering special operations power anytime, anywhere.”1 AFSOC controls a mixed fleet of both rotaryand fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate the fulfillment of that mission. However, the single aircraft that, in its day, has best epitomized that role is the Pave Low helicopter. It, perhaps more than any other aircraft, allowed the AFSOC to realize its purpose. But it was not always so. The aircraft themselves were revolutionary combinations of new, more powerful turbine engines with rotarywing aircraft to produce vastly increased lifting power. Conceptualized, built, and designated for simpler missions, they were immediately swept up into the long war in Southeast Asia. There they proved the efficacy of the aircraft for dangerous rescue missions, for the initiation of a whole new generation of developing avionics and navigation technology, for providing challenging direct support to small special forces teams and indigenous forces inserted behind enemy lines, and for a myriad of other things that heavy-lift helicopters could be assigned to do. In accomplishing all of that, they also trained a whole generation of men who learned of combat along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and at other places like Quang Tri, South Vietnam; Son Tay, North Vietnam; and Koh Tang Island, Cambodia. After that conflict, those aircraft and men were returned to peacetime locations and duties, and much was forgotten of those dangerous times and missions. However, a cadre of dedicated combat aviators and commanders felt that the aircraft and community of Airmen had much more to give. Foreseeing an ever-dangerous world, they harnessed those aircraft to a series of evolving new technologies that vastly improved the aircraft by giving them the ability to traverse airspace in any weather conditions, day and night, and to avoid enemy threats. That concept was validated in operations in Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, and many more smaller and quieter operations in between. The men and aircraft also showed the larger utilitarian value of the aircraft as, over the years, they were called out many times to provide natural disaster and humanitarian relief from Africa to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Flight Line: The Adventures of a Vietnam-Era Ac-130 Crew Chief
Author: Thomas R. Combs
Publisher: Hellgate Press
ISBN: 9781555719104
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
The year is 1969. Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. Upstate New York hosts an outdoor concert called Woodstock. The Vietnam war rages on. Tom Combs, a young man from Seattle, faces certain draft induction. He decides upon the United States Air Force as the best choice of service. Then it's Basic Training, technical school for jet mechanics, assistant crew chief on a C-130 at Dyess AFB, Texas, a stint in the Middle East and eventually, he's assigned to the most prestigious squadron of aircraft in S.E. Asia: The 16th Special Operations Squadron of AC-130s. Call sign: SPECTRE. FLIGHTLINE offers a unique "behind-the-scenes" look at how maintenance crews keep their airplanes flying-and fighting-all from the point of view of a seasoned Air Force Crew Chief.
Publisher: Hellgate Press
ISBN: 9781555719104
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
The year is 1969. Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. Upstate New York hosts an outdoor concert called Woodstock. The Vietnam war rages on. Tom Combs, a young man from Seattle, faces certain draft induction. He decides upon the United States Air Force as the best choice of service. Then it's Basic Training, technical school for jet mechanics, assistant crew chief on a C-130 at Dyess AFB, Texas, a stint in the Middle East and eventually, he's assigned to the most prestigious squadron of aircraft in S.E. Asia: The 16th Special Operations Squadron of AC-130s. Call sign: SPECTRE. FLIGHTLINE offers a unique "behind-the-scenes" look at how maintenance crews keep their airplanes flying-and fighting-all from the point of view of a seasoned Air Force Crew Chief.
Marvel Masterworks: Ghost Rider Vol. 2
Author: Tony Isabella
Publisher: Marvel
ISBN: 9781302922146
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Marvel's hell-bound super hero, Ghost Rider, hits the road for a second Marvel Masterworks! Johnny Blaze's adventures begin with the return of Zodiac, an organized crime gang powered by agents of hell, in a plot that can only be foiled with the help of the super-heroic Stunt-Master! Then, after fighting for his very soul against Satan himself, Ghost Rider fi nds himself teamed up with the Ever-Lovin' Thing, in mortal combat against the ever-angry Hulk and in league with the ever-courageous Champions! And if you thought the Orb was fi nis, think again as Marvel's deadliest eyeball returns to extract another pound of Ghost Rider fl esh! Plus: with Karen Page having joined Ghost Rider's cast, Daredevil makes the scene in a crossover classic drawn by John Byrne! COLLECTING: GHOST RIDER (1973) 6-20; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) 8; DAREDEVIL (1964) 138
Publisher: Marvel
ISBN: 9781302922146
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Marvel's hell-bound super hero, Ghost Rider, hits the road for a second Marvel Masterworks! Johnny Blaze's adventures begin with the return of Zodiac, an organized crime gang powered by agents of hell, in a plot that can only be foiled with the help of the super-heroic Stunt-Master! Then, after fighting for his very soul against Satan himself, Ghost Rider fi nds himself teamed up with the Ever-Lovin' Thing, in mortal combat against the ever-angry Hulk and in league with the ever-courageous Champions! And if you thought the Orb was fi nis, think again as Marvel's deadliest eyeball returns to extract another pound of Ghost Rider fl esh! Plus: with Karen Page having joined Ghost Rider's cast, Daredevil makes the scene in a crossover classic drawn by John Byrne! COLLECTING: GHOST RIDER (1973) 6-20; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) 8; DAREDEVIL (1964) 138
Ghost Rider: The War For Heaven Book 1
Author:
Publisher: Marvel
ISBN: 9781302916251
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
We're hell-bent and heaven-bound as Jason Aaron blazes a new trail for the Ghost Rider! Over the years, Johnny Blaze has lost everything to his curse - his family, his life...even his soul. But now, he finally knows who's responsible for turning him into a flaming-skulled horror-show on wheels - and he's out for vengeance! But when his fellow Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch, returns, whose side is he on? What familiar faces has Ketch brought to the party with him? And who is about to get shot in the head with a hellfire shotgun? Plus, meet the mysterious Mister Eleven - he might be an angel, a demon or something else entirely! And what secrets lay within the town of Mercy, Idaho? Grab your helmet; it's gonna be one hell of a ride! COLLECTING: GHOST RIDER (2006) 20-32, GHOST RIDER ANNUAL (2007) 1-2, GHOST RIDER SAGA
Publisher: Marvel
ISBN: 9781302916251
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
We're hell-bent and heaven-bound as Jason Aaron blazes a new trail for the Ghost Rider! Over the years, Johnny Blaze has lost everything to his curse - his family, his life...even his soul. But now, he finally knows who's responsible for turning him into a flaming-skulled horror-show on wheels - and he's out for vengeance! But when his fellow Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch, returns, whose side is he on? What familiar faces has Ketch brought to the party with him? And who is about to get shot in the head with a hellfire shotgun? Plus, meet the mysterious Mister Eleven - he might be an angel, a demon or something else entirely! And what secrets lay within the town of Mercy, Idaho? Grab your helmet; it's gonna be one hell of a ride! COLLECTING: GHOST RIDER (2006) 20-32, GHOST RIDER ANNUAL (2007) 1-2, GHOST RIDER SAGA