Published by Allen & Unwin
ISBN 1 741148499
Garry only spends the minimum time on his formative years, but it is enough to understand where he is coming from.
You are straight into the world of a FAC….Forward Air Controller. Known as "Birddogs"
These courage's men, flew in single engine Cessna's over the battle fields of Vietnam, a Aussie working for the US Army 9th Infantry Division in 1968.
They were used to help deliver ordnance (bombs, bullets and napalm) from the fast moving aircraft to where they would do the most good. Of course this required them to fly slow and low directly over the enemy.
SOCK IT TO 'EM BABY puts you in the pilot's seat, fly amongst the jets, helicopters and prop driven fighters while trying to organize all of them into an attack. In the meantime you are continuously being shot at by some very angry people on the ground. Occasionally, just to make things more interesting you also have to dodge artillery rounds whizzing past you.
This book carried me along at a pace that can hardly be understood, the work load on these men was unbelievable.
Ironically the only time Garry was shot out of the sky was a time when he was not the pilot and in the resulting action he was put in for America's highest honour. I won't spoil it for you, but he was very lucky to get out in one piece.
This is the stuff that legends are made of.
Reviewed by "The Web Bloke"