Cleared Hot!: The Diary of a Marine Combat Pilot in Vietnam

by Bob Stoffey

Daring missions. Dangerous rescues. Deadly accuracy.Many pilots never made it out of 'Nam. This one did. Highly decorated Col. Bob Stoffey-- a Marine Corps pilot for over twenty-five years, who served multiple tours in Vietnam-- has seen and done it all. Cleared Hot! is his story-- a fast-paced, high-casualty flight into heart-stopping danger.Full of vivid detail, this combat diary uncovers the real heroes of the Vietnam War, the behind-the-scenes Marine Corps pilots who helped our boys return home....then went back for more.Includes eight pages of heroic photographs!

Genres: Military Fiction, Military History, History

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jesper Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like personal narratives very much, this one was good.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

-4.2- This was an excellent book giving you the perspective of the Marine pilot in Vietnam. Some of the transitions were a little rough but overall Stoffey conveys the intensity of being a forward air controller "in the shit" quite well. For the uninitiated the technical aspect can be a bit overwhelming and difficult to follow. Also, an aspect I did not care for was the humility of the author. Hey Bob your a fucking bad ass--when you saved that eight man Marine L.R.R.P (long range recon patrol) on the side of a mountain and won the distinguished flying cross for your bad assery it is ok for you to tell us, you won the D.F.C. The author throughout the boom relates harrowing fucking shit he did and is rather ho-hum about it. While I admire his sangfroid lets take a little credit where it is due. Furthermore, Stoffey is great at giving the reader his perspective on that hot mess of a war by stating hey assholes in congress let us win this shit and invade North Vietnam. When he related the death of his friends and fellow pilots the book is also moving. Ironically Stoffey died in 2018 due to exposure to "agent orange" a tragic loss to a heroic American. I pour one out for you Bob, you were and are a hero.

[David Shaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Bob Stoffey's Cleared Hot! The Diary of A Marine Combat Pilot in Vietnam.

Bob Stoffey writes about his experiences in Vietnam as both a helicopter a fixed wing pilot.. While first person experiences are often narrowly written dealing only with the limited experiences of the participant, they can and in this case did provide a valuable window and understanding to one man's experience.

Refreshingly honest it provide the experiences of a pilots tribulations in fighting a war with limitations.

If you are looking for a a large view and analysis of the war this isn't it, but a great first person account of a pilot..

Entering Vietnam as Captain and leaving as a Major who did 3 tours , 2 in country and the 3rd posted to a ship.

I can wholeheartedly endorse and recommend this book.

[Wally Beddoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the webmaster for the USMC Combat Helicopter Association since 1997, I am familiar with many of the members, squadrons, aircraft, stories, terminology, bases, etc. so “Cleared Hot”, like Marion Sturkey’s “Bonnie-Sue“, was an educational read for me.

Highly Recommended!
Although I was a Marine stationed on a helicopter base in the early 80′s, I was too young to be in Vietnam but I am fascinated by the stories and admire the men and women who were there. Stoffey prefaces his book with a comment that if you were there, and saw it differently, write your own book. Speaking with other VMO-2 pilots who were there, I would have to agree with Stoffey. Each pilot has a unique story to tell about their experiences.

“Cleared Hot” took me away to a virtual visit to Marble Mountain Air Facility and into the skies over Vietnam. Stoffey does such an outstanding job keeping the reader informed, not assuming any prior knowledge. Following the different phases of his tours was interesting; from the UH-34D to the OV-10, the stories are really interesting and they give a very good general idea of what it was like to be a VMO-2 pilot in Vietnam. The helicopter and Bronco pilots were instrumental in supporting the grunts on the ground.

After all, in the Marine Corps, supporting the grunt on the ground is what it’s all about!

[Wachlin007 Hotmail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very exciting, fast-paced book about a Marine pilot and the several tours that he served in Vietnam. I enjoyed it.

[Paul Bedard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic non fiction Vietnam story!

[James T]

As a retired Army aviator who serve from summer of 66 to 67 at marble Mountain on the west side of the runway Bob decribes. I thoroughly enjoyed my marble Mountain exp since I was an army engineer and built the west side. sorry about making a lot of those barrels with the sand a problem for Bob I sure would like to Meet the col. we have a lot in common although I only flew Heuys & cobras.