Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos

Book Description
Deadly aerial combat, thrilling rescues, and colorful characters from a pilot and natural storyteller who was there They flew low and slow, at treetop level, at night, in monsoons, and in point-blank range of enemy guns and missiles. They were missions no one else wanted, but the ones all other pilots prayed for when shot down. Flying the World War II–vintage Douglas A-1 Skyraider, a single-engine, propeller-driven relic in a war of "fast-movers," these intrepid Air Force pilots flew one of the most dangerous missions of the war, helping rescue thousands of downed Navy and Air Force pilots. With a flashback memory and a style all his own, Marrett depicts some of the most compelling aerial combat of any war, capturing the people, places, and battles with a unique blend of warts-and-all clarity, heart-pounding passion, and mordant wit. The thrilling rescue of "Streetcar 304" and William Jones’ selfless act of heroism that earned him the Medal of Honor are but two of some of the most searing tableau found in the literature of the Vietnam War. It reads like the finest combat fiction, crackling with literary adrenaline and evoking a rich, distinctive pathos, but Cheating Death is the real deal: its heroes, cowards, jokers, and casualties all have names and faces readers will find difficult to forget.

About the Author
George J. Marrett flew 188 Skyraider combat missions in Vietnam and more than forty types of military aircraft as a test pilot. He lives in California.


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Flying slow moving, WWII-vintage Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, the Air Force pilots known as Sandys rescued thousands of downed Navy and Air Force pilots during the Vietnam War. In this memoir, former Sandy George J. Marrett recounts his experiences plucking U.S. combatants from behind enemy lines. He also discusses the Jolly Green Giant helicopter crews, parajumpers, and forward air controllers who worked with the Sandys. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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