Super Slick: Life and Death in a Huey Helicopter in Vietnam

by Tom Feigel, Larry Weill (Primary Contributor)

Helicopters loom large in how we picture the Vietnam War. Kilgore’s birds coming in hot (and Wagnerian) out of the rising sun in Apocalypse Now. The infantry/helicopter assault at Ia Drang in the climax of We Were Soldiers. A chopper flying over green rice paddies, with a teenaged door gunner manning a .50-cal. A slick dropping into an LZ whirling with purple smoke. We can only imagine it. Tom Feigel lived it, as a twenty-year-old crew chief in a Huey. Super Slick is the story of his year in Vietnam. Tom Feigel grew up a typical post-World War II kid who wrestled in high school, had a steady girl, and loved working on cars—and then everything changed. Less than a year out of high school, he was drafted into the army and assigned to aviation, ultimately to helicopters. In Vietnam in 1970, he first worked as a “hangar rat,” part of the ground crew responsible for maintaining the thirty Hueys—the Warriors and Thunderbirds—of the 336th Assault Helicopter Company, which operated in southern South Vietnam, in the Mekong Delta and U Minh Forest. In short order, Feigel volunteered (his mother had told him not to volunteer for anything) for a flight mission to replace the rotors of a damaged chopper—which led to his becoming a crew chief on an old transport slick called Warrior 28. Before long, he and 28’s crew asked the company for permission to re-outfit their ship for thicker, more dangerous missions—and they ended up flying an up-gunned helicopter named Super Slick, tasked with similar missions but into more dangerous zones. Feigel’s memoir recounts the thick and thin of helicopter combat in Vietnam. Heart-pumping missions into hot landing zones (sometimes inserting and extracting Navy SEALs). Adrenaline-fueled flights into enemy-infested jungles and free-fire zones. Low-level reconnaissance. “Hash and trash” runs to deliver supplies to far-flung units and take out their refuse. Terrifying nighttime operations where trees posed nearly as much danger as the enemy. Razor-thin margins between life and death. It was dangerous; it was thrilling. The crews loved it; the crews hated it. They were proud of it. And they never wanted to do it again. Super Slick is close as you can get to being inside a Huey—to hearing the radio chatter, feeling the thrum of the rotors, the pounding of the door guns.

Genres: Nonfiction, War

288 pages, Hardcover

Published July 16, 2024

Reviews

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry Weill has helped Tom Feigel tell a story of one year in Vietnam as a crew chief on a helicopter, the book also sums up some of the events that took place many years later in America and in my mind that is great. Super Slick is a great new book about this conflict that I find interesting by some strange reason. I think it's one of few chopper books not told from the pilots point of view, which only adds to the history of helicopters in war. It is well researched and well written and I have to warn readers that some parts actually made my allergies react. I don't know how many books about this war I have read but I learned a lot of new stuff through this one and it was really hard to put down. I must thank Edelweiss and Stackpole Books for letting me read this advance copy.

[Mountain343 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start this review by saying that this book has a LOT of really good stuff in it for the Vietnam War historian, and those interested in the conflict. From his time at Soc Trang, to his experiences with the Navy SEALs and spending time aboard Sea Float, working with the ARVN and the LLDB’s, and especially about the nightitme perimeter defense firefly mission.

The author was a Crew Chief of a Huey slick that was a little different than most. While he did the usual insertion/combat assault of ARVN troops into the Mekong Delta, he also inserted and supported Navy SEALs, as well as a distant LLDB outpost with a single US Special Forces advisor. Later, his helicopter takes over the firefly night mission mounting a xenon spotlight and night vision device on board, along with a mini-gun and a 50 cal machine gun in opposite doors. Flying as a crew of 5 (Spotlight operator, 2 door gunners, pilot and co-pilot), they had a very unique mission around Soc Trang. His stories about their missions, their fellow crews, and the unit are like few others told and it’s really a must read.

I would have loved to have heard more about his duties as a crew chief, beyond just saying that after they landed, he had to do the routine maintenance… ok… what is that? what’s that involve? what’s that like? what did you actually do??? But you do get a great feeling for the type of flying they did, and the collection of stories presented does give a really good impression of his tour of duty.

And that’s what this book is, it’s a collection of stories told by Feigel to Weill who polished them up and created the book out of them. The writing is good, the stories are really good, but it’s a lot like sitting down with someone and letting them tell you tales over a few beers across a period of time, instead of a single narrative style book. Sometimes that means you’re left scratching your head and asking “why are we talking about this here? what about the other thing you mentioned? are we ever going to talk about the other pilot that you keep saying you flew with a lot??” The answer is no. We don’t get to hear any stories about him at all.

The stories you do get, and especially the stuff post-Vietnam where you learn about the fate of the Helicopter and the efforts to award someone their missing purple heart are incredible additions that give the whole story a more filled out ending. I’m reluctant to only give this book 4 stars, because it really is closer to 5, but too often I was left scratching my head asking those questions and left waiting for the stories that were alluded to but not actually included, like of the 2nd aircraft commander’s time with the crew.

All in all, a good read!

[Braeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth on how to rate and review this book. Tom Feigel led an incredibly interesting life and describes his time as a Crew Chief in the Vietnam War in great detail. The stories he has seem endless, and his introspection looking back at what he experienced, bad and good, are truly remarkable.

My issues come mostly from how the book is written. Interesting stories are written concisely, while less intriguing stories are written in more, drawn out details. You will read several pages aboutrote, day-to-day helicopter maintenance in vivid detail, and then you'll read a page of the most gut-wrenching, heartbreaking reflection back on the Vietnam War before going right back into filler information.

The stories themselves are incredible; you will experience the full range of emotion while reading through this, but at some points you will just think to yourself, "there are so many better ways to write this."

Also? During his retelling of his travel home, he says "Hawaii looks nice, but I couldn't wait to get back to the 'red, white, and blue,' back to American soil." Nitpicky but it was weird.

However, criticisms aside, if you are interested at all in the Vietnam War, this book provides a unique account about the logistics and missions you probably wouldn't think of, and is definitely worth a checkout.

[Michael Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading and will most definitely reread in the future. The stories of Tom and his crew throughout their tour in Vietnam were amazing. I will be making the trip to the memorial to see the ship for myself. Running a monument company and funeral homes I’ve had the privilege and honor in helping construct several veterans memorials through the years so when I hear of one elsewhere I have to stop and visit. Thank you gentleman for your service and sacrifice to our beloved country.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great biography of a Vietnam helicopter veteran. The story is well-told and a fast read. The conditions that they individuals went through and overcame were inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Highly recommend.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy military accounts that progress through the training, war experience, and especially the return home. This particular account offers a side of the war not regularly featured, that from the inside of the helicopter crews.