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The Price of Exit
"The risk of a fatal catastrophe was constant. The NVA was the enemy, but the ultimate opponent was, quite simply, death. . . ."
For assault helicopter crews flying in and around the NVA-infested DMZ, the U.S. pullout from Vietnam in 1970-71 was a desperate time of selfless courage. Now former army warrant officer Tom Marshall of the Phoenix, C Company, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne, captures the deadly mountain terrain, the long hours flown under enormous stress, the grim determination of hardened pilots combat-assaulting through walls of antiaircraft fire, the pickups amid exploding mortar shells and hails of AK fire, the nerve-racking string extractions of SOG teams from North Vietnam. . . . And, through it all, the rising tension as helicopter pilots and crews are lost at an accelerating pace.
It is no coincidence that the Phoenix was one of the most highly decorated assault helicopter units in I Corps. For as the American departure accelerated and the enemy added new, more powerful antiaircraft weapons, the helicopter pilots, crew chiefs, and gunners paid the heavy price of withdrawal in blood. For more than 30 Percent of Tom Marshall's 130 helicopter-school classmates, the price of exit was their lives. . . .
For assault helicopter crews flying in and around the NVA-infested DMZ, the U.S. pullout from Vietnam in 1970-71 was a desperate time of selfless courage. Now former army warrant officer Tom Marshall of the Phoenix, C Company, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne, captures the deadly mountain terrain, the long hours flown under enormous stress, the grim determination of hardened pilots combat-assaulting through walls of antiaircraft fire, the pickups amid exploding mortar shells and hails of AK fire, the nerve-racking string extractions of SOG teams from North Vietnam. . . . And, through it all, the rising tension as helicopter pilots and crews are lost at an accelerating pace.
It is no coincidence that the Phoenix was one of the most highly decorated assault helicopter units in I Corps. For as the American departure accelerated and the enemy added new, more powerful antiaircraft weapons, the helicopter pilots, crew chiefs, and gunners paid the heavy price of withdrawal in blood. For more than 30 Percent of Tom Marshall's 130 helicopter-school classmates, the price of exit was their lives. . . .
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 29, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 18, 2010
written By Bernie Weisz Vietnam War Historian Contact: BernWei1@aol.com Title of Review: "Invaluable Insight Of The Last Few Years of American Involvement in Vietnam"
This is truly one of the most insightful books I have ever read on the very end of the line for the U.S. in their "pull-out" in Vietnam, circa 1970-71. Tom Marshall, formerly of the Phoenix, C Company, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne vividly describes how more than 30% of his 130 helicopter-school classmates, i.e. pilots, crew chiefs and gunners paid the heavy "price of exit" with their blood. In addition, Marshall puts the reader in the helicopter cocpit for all the action that occurred while flying along the NVA infested DMZ during the "Vietnamization Period" where the U.S. turned over the entire war to our ally-the South Vietnamese Government and it's army to fend for itself as President Richard M.Nixon acquiesed to a war weary public's harsh cry to end the war. Marshall skillfully describes combat assaults and "string extractions" (pulling soldiers out of hot combat zones from helicopters via rope and long ladders attached to S.O.G. Units (Special Operations Group SEAL Teams). Usually these were teams that were inserted behind enemy lines deep in enemy territory that would have been wiped out and overrun without immediate helicopter extraction. The reader of "The Price of Exit can actually hear the AK-47 fire and can feel the exploding mortar shells shot by the communists at U.S. helicopters. Marshall details exactly what happened during Operation "Lam Son 719" between February 8th and March 25, 1971. This was an offensive campaign (similar to the 1970 Cambodian Insursion where it was shielded from the American public by the Nixon Administration) which was conducted in the S.E. portion of Laos by the South Vietnamese Army. Marshall carefully describes how the U.S. and in particular, the Phoenix, C Company, 101st airborne provided logistical, aerial and artillary support to the operation while it's ground forces were prohibited from entering Laotian territory. Marshall also chronicles North Vietnamese Army atrocities, their tactics and ruthlessness, and most stridently how no American wanted to be the last to die in a war America had long given up on and abandoned. Tom Marshall also touches on little discussed subjects such as how the U.S. military initiated "smart bombs" in Vietnam, drug use in the military, racial tension between black and white G.I.'s as well as the general feeling throughout the military of futility, shattered beliefs and abandonment of American virtue. Marshall also covers the little known fact that the U.S. military dropped "electronic sensors" via air designed to report troop movement of vehicles and people along the North's major infiltration route into the South, i.e. the infamous "Ho Chi Minh Trail" This is a classic history lession of the last few years of America's Vietnam debacle in the form of a memoir. Indespensible reading!
This is truly one of the most insightful books I have ever read on the very end of the line for the U.S. in their "pull-out" in Vietnam, circa 1970-71. Tom Marshall, formerly of the Phoenix, C Company, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne vividly describes how more than 30% of his 130 helicopter-school classmates, i.e. pilots, crew chiefs and gunners paid the heavy "price of exit" with their blood. In addition, Marshall puts the reader in the helicopter cocpit for all the action that occurred while flying along the NVA infested DMZ during the "Vietnamization Period" where the U.S. turned over the entire war to our ally-the South Vietnamese Government and it's army to fend for itself as President Richard M.Nixon acquiesed to a war weary public's harsh cry to end the war. Marshall skillfully describes combat assaults and "string extractions" (pulling soldiers out of hot combat zones from helicopters via rope and long ladders attached to S.O.G. Units (Special Operations Group SEAL Teams). Usually these were teams that were inserted behind enemy lines deep in enemy territory that would have been wiped out and overrun without immediate helicopter extraction. The reader of "The Price of Exit can actually hear the AK-47 fire and can feel the exploding mortar shells shot by the communists at U.S. helicopters. Marshall details exactly what happened during Operation "Lam Son 719" between February 8th and March 25, 1971. This was an offensive campaign (similar to the 1970 Cambodian Insursion where it was shielded from the American public by the Nixon Administration) which was conducted in the S.E. portion of Laos by the South Vietnamese Army. Marshall carefully describes how the U.S. and in particular, the Phoenix, C Company, 101st airborne provided logistical, aerial and artillary support to the operation while it's ground forces were prohibited from entering Laotian territory. Marshall also chronicles North Vietnamese Army atrocities, their tactics and ruthlessness, and most stridently how no American wanted to be the last to die in a war America had long given up on and abandoned. Tom Marshall also touches on little discussed subjects such as how the U.S. military initiated "smart bombs" in Vietnam, drug use in the military, racial tension between black and white G.I.'s as well as the general feeling throughout the military of futility, shattered beliefs and abandonment of American virtue. Marshall also covers the little known fact that the U.S. military dropped "electronic sensors" via air designed to report troop movement of vehicles and people along the North's major infiltration route into the South, i.e. the infamous "Ho Chi Minh Trail" This is a classic history lession of the last few years of America's Vietnam debacle in the form of a memoir. Indespensible reading!
December 6, 2014
This book had some interesting anecdotes but overall I did not enjoy it. To be honest, I was very disappointed in the writing as well as in the editing- that is, if there was any. The book was very poorly written and the author often repeated himself ad nauseam. He also complained an awful lot for a man that volunteered to be a helicopter pilot. In fact, he admitted that his attitude as well as his disdain for Huey flying basically caused him to be somewhat ostracized by other pilots in his unit. I don't think that this would lead to the best account of what it was like for an average helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
September 24, 2021
The first time I read this, many years ago, it was just a cool read describing the insanity of combat assaults using helicopters in the Vietnam War. Now, as I've continued to learn more, this book hits a lot harder. After learning more about the American entry and exit of the war, I can appreciate a lot more of the nuance described by the author about the Laos insertions and disastrous exfil of the ARVNs. After reading and listening to many more interviews from the SOG community and understanding what CCN North was doing, I could much better envision the description of the attempted rescue for Team Alaska and the price paid for it. After gaining more appreciation for the diversity of equipment used by all the combatants in this war, I value the author's personal use of flying Loaches to attempt to preserve his life and understanding what was being used by the opposition and how incredible it is that so many of these helicopters actually managed to complete their missions and return to base...even if they would be scrapped once they landed. In short, this book fits well into the puzzle of the Vietnam experience, but it isn't enough to just read this by itself if you want to truly appreciate the stories told in here.
As for the writing itself, the author did a good job of sharing his own personal struggles alongside the tales of the warriors he flew alongside. It's challenging to keep track of so many "characters" in the story, considering the grievous casualty rate as well as changing between Companies in the story. There were some chapters that could have used a little more editing where it seemed like the same sentence was repeated a couple times, but the story flowed well and I really appreciated the excerpts of the political events happening stateside as well as the updates on casualties in the author's WORWAC class.
As for the writing itself, the author did a good job of sharing his own personal struggles alongside the tales of the warriors he flew alongside. It's challenging to keep track of so many "characters" in the story, considering the grievous casualty rate as well as changing between Companies in the story. There were some chapters that could have used a little more editing where it seemed like the same sentence was repeated a couple times, but the story flowed well and I really appreciated the excerpts of the political events happening stateside as well as the updates on casualties in the author's WORWAC class.
September 25, 2023
Excellent book
I've read dozens of books on the Vietnam War. This is the best one I've read on the helicopters and their crews. Others, while in some cases excellent, I've read were just first-person accounts of the author. Here Tom Marshall blends his own experiences with those of others he served with. This book provides more data, more events, larger context. The helicopter crews had much higher casualty rates than ground combatants. They just flew rapidly into so many fights and were high value targets to the NVA.
As with other books on Vietnam, I am struck by how poorly served the grunts and helicopter air crews were by the upper brass. They deserved sharper leaders making decisions leading up to the Lam Son 719 operation into Laos, for instance. In this book and other books, the terrible performance of ARVN comes across. US troops could have accomplished far more in Laos on the ground if they'd been allowed.
It was bad enough that they were fighting for a lost cause. But they were also being poorly led and poorly used while fighting for a lost cause.
I've read dozens of books on the Vietnam War. This is the best one I've read on the helicopters and their crews. Others, while in some cases excellent, I've read were just first-person accounts of the author. Here Tom Marshall blends his own experiences with those of others he served with. This book provides more data, more events, larger context. The helicopter crews had much higher casualty rates than ground combatants. They just flew rapidly into so many fights and were high value targets to the NVA.
As with other books on Vietnam, I am struck by how poorly served the grunts and helicopter air crews were by the upper brass. They deserved sharper leaders making decisions leading up to the Lam Son 719 operation into Laos, for instance. In this book and other books, the terrible performance of ARVN comes across. US troops could have accomplished far more in Laos on the ground if they'd been allowed.
It was bad enough that they were fighting for a lost cause. But they were also being poorly led and poorly used while fighting for a lost cause.
March 10, 2010
Another great helicopter pilot book.
December 11, 2012
Really good. One of those books that you think about long after you are done with it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews