Reseña del libro "Pachyderm and the Rat: Flying with the "Big Boys" in Vietnam (en Inglés)"
Pachyderm and the Rat is the exciting tale of what it was like flying with the "Big Boys" in Vietnam. Many people are familiar with different tales of flying with the Huey, the most common helicopter of the "Helicopter War". The Chinook was roughly four times the size of the Huey and had over four times the lifting capacity. It was a workhorse and flew virtually every type of mission there. This included combat assaults, artillery raids, LZ construction, insertions and extractions, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, napalm and CS drops, and of course resupply. It tells of the heroics in the air and the insanity on the ground. One of the major differences in flying the Chinook is that you were normally alone. No 'wing man', no other helicopters in the flight. If something went wrong you were on your own unless you could radio for assistance. Even then it may take a half hour or more for help to arrive. A very long time in a combat situation. The Chinook was an incredibly complex aircraft. Two engines, five transmissions, two rotor systems, three hydraulic systems, and huge amount of moving parts. All looking for something to go wrong. There were a crew of five men, Aircraft Commander (AC) or First Pilot, Pilot, Flight Engineer, Crew Engineer, and Gunner. The AC was responsible for these five men and their lives plus the multi-million dollar aircraft. A lot of responsibility for some very young men. Most took their responsibilities very seriously while recognizing they were the lifeline for the men on the ground. There was very little they would not do to support those troops. That support could get very interesting. Harry, the Rat, and his buddies flew in all kinds of weather, through mountains and flat lands, through enemy activity, through whatever it took to get the support to the ground forces that they required. At times this could become a major challenge. The author served six and a half years in the US Army, four of them as a helicopter pilot. This included a tour in Vietnam flying the Chinook helicopter. Following his active duty he had a very successful career in health care human resources. Following a 28 year hiatus he now resides back in his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota. He remains in contact with many of the pilots and crewmembers he flew with in Vietnam.
