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When Thunder Rolled: An F-105 Pilot over North Vietnam
Ed Rasimus straps the reader into the cockpit of an F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber in his engaging account of the Rolling Thunder campaign in the skies over North Vietnam. Between 1965 and 1968, more than 330 F-105s were lost—the highest loss rate in Southeast Asia—and many pilots were killed, captured, and wounded because of the Air Force’s disastrous tactics. The descriptions of Rasimus’s one hundred missions, some of the most dangerous of the conflict, will satisfy anyone addicted to vivid, heart-stopping aerial combat, as will the details of his transformation from a young man paralyzed with self-doubt into a battle-hardened veteran. His unique perspective, candid analysis, and the sheer power of his narrative rank his memoir with the finest, most entertaining of the war.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 29, 2012
This is a highly recommended read! Having come to me highly recommended by several fighter associates, I was promised that Ed “Raz” Rasimus’ When Thunder Rolled would be a page-turner. Raz’s autobiographical account of his 100 F-105 sorties from Korat AB during the Vietnam War squarely met all my expectations.
During the timeframe that Rasimus was flying Thud’s from Korat over 107 pilots were lost over North Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand – some captured, some killed in action:
I wonder if Raz would agree?
Read When Thunder Rolled, you’ll especially love his chapter titled, “Pilots Flying Fighters!”
During the timeframe that Rasimus was flying Thud’s from Korat over 107 pilots were lost over North Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand – some captured, some killed in action:
The losses were appalling. The class of nine that had been six weeks ahead of mine at Nellis lost four. The class that followed me lost five out of nine. The first short course class of “universally assignable” pilots lost fifteen out of sixteen, all either killed or captured. My group of nine had three shot down during the hundred missions but all were recovered successfully and went on to finish. Karl [Richter] was our only loss, and that was on his second tour. The Newsweek statistic that a 105 pilot was shot down on average once every sixty-five missions was true. For every five pilots that started the tour, three would not complete it.The Vietnam War, in some manner, has some parallels with the current conflict in Afghanistan. Where there is less political intrusion into the operational and tactical level (albeit there are a great number of justifiable restrictions in Afghanistan, ala ‘Tactical Patience’). The most important parallel that I identified from When Thunder Rolled was the growing lack of interest in the day-to-day efforts and exertions of the Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors serving in the Afghanistan effort. Vietnam was different from Afghanistan, where the spirit of protest against Afghanistan is clearly not the same as it was in Southeast Asia. However, common between Vietnam and Afghanistan is a deeply underlying sense of ambivalence to the end state of combat effort:
It’s thirty-five years since that summer of ’66, and the view of the war today is only slightly clearer than it was then. We don’t know yet why we were there or what the objective was. We can’t define a national self-interest for involvement in Southeast Asia, nor has anyone told us why we squandered such a valuable treasure of manpower and machines. We should know, but we don’t....Like Vietnam, the interest of creating a self-sustaining successful conclusion of combat operations in Afghanistan is waning in the public and political interest of the American people. The growing momentum favors finding the exit ramp, even should that come at the cost of the stated end state of a self-sustaining and secure Afghanistan. This deeply-seeded paradigm, like it did in Vietnam, creates dissonance between the desired end-state and the lines of effort that are required to create such an end-state.
Looking at the various levels of involvement in Rolling Thunder, we can see the lieutenants doing what was asked of them without question. We trusted our leaders and our senior decision makers to give us a mission with a purpose. They had a moral obligation not to waste our lives without meaning. They would decide when war was necessary and what we had to do to win it. In return for that, we would risk our lives and do the job. We would fly and fight because, as the sign in the Korat briefing room reminded us daily, that was the mission of the United States Air Force. All we asked was that we be allowed to win.
The captains and majors had the benefit of experience. Some had been in Korea and faced the challenge of overcoming their fears in that earlier war, but all of them had the hours of flying time that helped them handle the tasks thrust upon them. They fought and died, doing the job that they had been asked to do. They led the trusting lieutenants, sometimes competently, and sometimes reaching too far. Occasionally they failed, but they did the best they could.
The colonels and the generals were the failures. They let us down by failing to challenge our country’s political leadership. They had an obligation to follow the orders of the duly elected administration, but they needed to demand clear tasking and reasonable rules under which to conduct the war.... If one isn’t willing to win, then one shouldn’t risk defeat. Fighting with no purpose is the true immorality of war because it means you are asking your citizens to die for no reason…. Dying for one’s country is no longer noble when your country doesn’t care either way about the outcome...
The real enemy was us, ourselves. We couldn’t be beaten by a third-rate country on the other side of the globe, no matter how well equipped and motivated they might be. We could only be beaten by ourselves.(emphasis mine)
I wonder if Raz would agree?
Read When Thunder Rolled, you’ll especially love his chapter titled, “Pilots Flying Fighters!”
December 25, 2022
Some books deserve more than 5 stars and this is one. For a pilot memoir , it is extremely gritty with nonstop action. The author takes you along for a ride in Air Force F-105s during the 1966 Air War in Vietnam. The book does encompass Operation Rolling Thunder, thus the title. It ends with a point very well made, the difference between a Fighter Pilot and a Pilot who flies fighters. Great read, pick it up you’ll enjoy it.
October 6, 2017
When LBJ and his Whiz Kids marked targets at the Pentagon, it was Ed Rasimus and his brothers-in-arms who applied the graduated pressure of Operation Rolling Thunder. Flying F-105 from bases in Thailand, Lt. Rasimus went up against MiGs, SAMs, and layers of flak, screaming in across the deck to blast targets with tons of bombs before racing back to safety.
As an author, Rasimus has a cold, almost clinical voice in describing his missions, his fear, and the courage it took to fly a mission into North Vietnam. There's a distance to this memoir, whether it's describing the desperate radio calls coordinating the rescue of a downed pilot, or after hours hijinks at the Officer's Club. For what it's worth, he's a precise and competent writer, giving a clear view of his slice of the air war. Two moments make this book a classic: one an extended riff on the difference between pilots who fly fighters and fighter pilots. And a quote which I want to reproduce in full.
Let there be no doubt about it, running along the treetops at 540 knots in a flight of four F-105s loaded with high explosive ordinance may be the most exciting thing a man can do with his pants on. You've got the most impressive piece of machinery on the planet strapped to your ass, and it responds to your every wish. The throttle controls the beast's heartbeat, and the slightest movement of the stick directs your flight path. You're the Lord of Evil perched on your rocket-powered throne, coming to deliver justice. It's exhilarating and thrilling, frightening and almost orgasmic. But it isn't necessarily tactically sound.
Hot. Damn!
There's also a lot of good meat here on the air war, and the fractal fuckedupness that was Vietnam. From the grand mission of sending 50+ plane flights with MiGcaps and Wild Weasels and everything to hit a few suspected buried oil drums, or the rules of engagement that protected targets like SAM sites under construction. A policy that no pilot would be forced to fly a second tour until everyone had flown one, meant that Rasimus's hot, mean, and crazy fighting Lieutenants were replaced by Majors who'd last flown transports, or worse a desk at the Pentagon. Because Thailand was not a combat zone, pilots didn't get official R&R, which meant Rasimus was trapped in a Catch-22 limbo with no way to get back to base while in Japan, and had to play diplomatic courier to get a seat back to the war.
So far, I think I prefer Trotti's Phantom over Vietnam, but I'm excited to read Rasimus' second book.
As an author, Rasimus has a cold, almost clinical voice in describing his missions, his fear, and the courage it took to fly a mission into North Vietnam. There's a distance to this memoir, whether it's describing the desperate radio calls coordinating the rescue of a downed pilot, or after hours hijinks at the Officer's Club. For what it's worth, he's a precise and competent writer, giving a clear view of his slice of the air war. Two moments make this book a classic: one an extended riff on the difference between pilots who fly fighters and fighter pilots. And a quote which I want to reproduce in full.
Let there be no doubt about it, running along the treetops at 540 knots in a flight of four F-105s loaded with high explosive ordinance may be the most exciting thing a man can do with his pants on. You've got the most impressive piece of machinery on the planet strapped to your ass, and it responds to your every wish. The throttle controls the beast's heartbeat, and the slightest movement of the stick directs your flight path. You're the Lord of Evil perched on your rocket-powered throne, coming to deliver justice. It's exhilarating and thrilling, frightening and almost orgasmic. But it isn't necessarily tactically sound.
Hot. Damn!
There's also a lot of good meat here on the air war, and the fractal fuckedupness that was Vietnam. From the grand mission of sending 50+ plane flights with MiGcaps and Wild Weasels and everything to hit a few suspected buried oil drums, or the rules of engagement that protected targets like SAM sites under construction. A policy that no pilot would be forced to fly a second tour until everyone had flown one, meant that Rasimus's hot, mean, and crazy fighting Lieutenants were replaced by Majors who'd last flown transports, or worse a desk at the Pentagon. Because Thailand was not a combat zone, pilots didn't get official R&R, which meant Rasimus was trapped in a Catch-22 limbo with no way to get back to base while in Japan, and had to play diplomatic courier to get a seat back to the war.
So far, I think I prefer Trotti's Phantom over Vietnam, but I'm excited to read Rasimus' second book.
June 30, 2011
This is basically a more eloquent version of 'Thud Ridge'. The differences being (besides writing styles) is that 'Thud Ridge' was written in real time, as everything was happening, with transcripts from recordings, making it a lot more visceral and immediate. 'When Thunder Rolled' is told in hindsight, decades after the war. That in no way detracts from the book. In fact, I'm of the opinion that both should be read in order to really get a feel for what the Thud drivers went through. Both perspectives paint a much broader picture that give the readers a thorough understanding of the air war these men fought.
December 9, 2020
Hard to rate this one .... on the one hand, a true story, told by the author, of his 100 missions in an F105 fighter-bomber over Vietnam in 1966. You can't fault his courage for doing his job, despite the high probability that he would be dead or captured long before the 100 mission threshold was reached. Living to tell the tale should be worth an automatic 5 stars.
On the other hand, there are many segments of this book that will mostly appeal to fellow pilots. Lots of switching to different radio frequencies, call signs, instrument readouts, etc.
The story arc goes from Rasimus training on an F105 as a newly-minted lieutenant, fear of dying as Rasimus is deployed to Thailand for his tour of duty, relief at surviving his first flight and then his first ten flights and then episodes from the next 90 flights. Crossing the North Vietnamese border counted as a flight towards the tour milestone.
Some of the most interesting vignettes involve performing cover/info to rescue teams that rapidly deployed to recover downed pilots.
As with any job, there are politics involved - mostly with more senior officers who were not universally qualified (ticket punchers) to lead other men into danger - although plenty were. And, of course, lots of drinking in the officer's club. You get a good feel for the replacement pipeline that was established to both flesh out the wing's presence in Thailand and to provide new pilots and planes to "reimburse" for losses. And losses there were a plenty. In 6 months, over 100 F-105s (more than a full wing's complement) were lost.
The maddening thing about this book is that despite Rasimus' 100 missions, it doesn't appear that the air wing accomplished anything of note. Targets appear to have been chosen under strict rules of engagement meant to avoid inflaming China or to cause any "shock and awe" upon the North Vietnamese. It wasn't uncommon that a target was to bomb a ford or a road intersection, hoping that there might be a truck or two present. And since, precision guided munitions weren't yet available, Rasimus' and his flight mate's bombs often missed. Or, the weather was bad and alternate, low value secondary targets were hit with uneven accuracy. Or, there was a mechanical failure forcing a mission abort. It isn't until the final few pages that Rasimus cuts loose at the higher ups for the targeting decisions and rules of engagement that he felt led to too many losses for too little gain.
Once again, this book, like so many others, reminds us that war is mostly about attrition - which side can inflict enough damage to the other before one side gives up. The North Vietnamese used relatively cheap anti-aircraft guns and Soviet-supplied SAMs to make US losses much higher than the corresponding inflicted damage. As Rasimus's tour ended in November 1966, the war was no closer to conclusion.
Read this book if you want to get a sense of the air war in 1966 as told from an F105 pilot's perspective. It is readable, will put you in the cockpit, and also give you a moment to reflect on the randomness of a pilot's life. Rasimus survived, most did not. He did his job, as well as the rules permitted. For this alone, his story should be read.
On the other hand, there are many segments of this book that will mostly appeal to fellow pilots. Lots of switching to different radio frequencies, call signs, instrument readouts, etc.
The story arc goes from Rasimus training on an F105 as a newly-minted lieutenant, fear of dying as Rasimus is deployed to Thailand for his tour of duty, relief at surviving his first flight and then his first ten flights and then episodes from the next 90 flights. Crossing the North Vietnamese border counted as a flight towards the tour milestone.
Some of the most interesting vignettes involve performing cover/info to rescue teams that rapidly deployed to recover downed pilots.
As with any job, there are politics involved - mostly with more senior officers who were not universally qualified (ticket punchers) to lead other men into danger - although plenty were. And, of course, lots of drinking in the officer's club. You get a good feel for the replacement pipeline that was established to both flesh out the wing's presence in Thailand and to provide new pilots and planes to "reimburse" for losses. And losses there were a plenty. In 6 months, over 100 F-105s (more than a full wing's complement) were lost.
The maddening thing about this book is that despite Rasimus' 100 missions, it doesn't appear that the air wing accomplished anything of note. Targets appear to have been chosen under strict rules of engagement meant to avoid inflaming China or to cause any "shock and awe" upon the North Vietnamese. It wasn't uncommon that a target was to bomb a ford or a road intersection, hoping that there might be a truck or two present. And since, precision guided munitions weren't yet available, Rasimus' and his flight mate's bombs often missed. Or, the weather was bad and alternate, low value secondary targets were hit with uneven accuracy. Or, there was a mechanical failure forcing a mission abort. It isn't until the final few pages that Rasimus cuts loose at the higher ups for the targeting decisions and rules of engagement that he felt led to too many losses for too little gain.
Once again, this book, like so many others, reminds us that war is mostly about attrition - which side can inflict enough damage to the other before one side gives up. The North Vietnamese used relatively cheap anti-aircraft guns and Soviet-supplied SAMs to make US losses much higher than the corresponding inflicted damage. As Rasimus's tour ended in November 1966, the war was no closer to conclusion.
Read this book if you want to get a sense of the air war in 1966 as told from an F105 pilot's perspective. It is readable, will put you in the cockpit, and also give you a moment to reflect on the randomness of a pilot's life. Rasimus survived, most did not. He did his job, as well as the rules permitted. For this alone, his story should be read.
December 16, 2018
This is a must read for anyone who has any doubts about the Thunderchief, and how crucial its role was in the suppression of North Vietnamese SAMs (surface-to-air missiles). Ed Rasimus was one of the pilots of the F-105 Thunderchief, and his personal narrative is written with attention-grabbing authority. His exploits of being a Thunderchief pilot and the suicidal missions he flew to "ferret out" the enemy's SAM sites are nothing short of extraordinary.
I found this to be a thrilling, cockpit-seated adventure with a grim twist of historical facts that leaves the reader wondering how and why the Pentagon (and Washington politicians) mishandled the Vietnam War from an air combat perspective.
Powerful reading, and inspirational...makes you truly appreciative of the heroes who flew these "impossible" missions day after day!
I found this to be a thrilling, cockpit-seated adventure with a grim twist of historical facts that leaves the reader wondering how and why the Pentagon (and Washington politicians) mishandled the Vietnam War from an air combat perspective.
Powerful reading, and inspirational...makes you truly appreciative of the heroes who flew these "impossible" missions day after day!
April 19, 2024
Captivating narrative of one man’s journey to becoming a fighter pilot and not just a pilot who flies fighters.
The book follows the protagonist’s journey as he experiences the terror at the beginning of his career, the adrenaline rush of “stealing hubcaps”, and the challenges of flying missions with incompetent leaders and muddled rules of engagement.
It’s a compelling blend of action, drama, and humor that hammers home the hard truth about war: that if one isn’t willing to do what it takes to win, then one shouldn’t risk defeat.
The book follows the protagonist’s journey as he experiences the terror at the beginning of his career, the adrenaline rush of “stealing hubcaps”, and the challenges of flying missions with incompetent leaders and muddled rules of engagement.
It’s a compelling blend of action, drama, and humor that hammers home the hard truth about war: that if one isn’t willing to do what it takes to win, then one shouldn’t risk defeat.
January 12, 2023
Very enjoyable biography that kept a good pace throughout the entire book. Just when the author had explored most of some aspect of the war, he changes topic to keep things fresh. I purchased the book at the Air Force Museum in Ohio and made sure to visit the F-105 there before heading home. I then read most of the book on the flight back home. A real pleasure to read with lots of thought provoking moments.
March 11, 2023
Among the best I've ever read.
Just finished this book for the second time. I have been reading books like this for 50 years, and this remains one of my all-time favorites. Unfortunately the author passed away a few years ago. Strange to know that while reading the book, it feels like he is still alive. I just don't think you can do much
better if you enjoy flying and air war history.
Just finished this book for the second time. I have been reading books like this for 50 years, and this remains one of my all-time favorites. Unfortunately the author passed away a few years ago. Strange to know that while reading the book, it feels like he is still alive. I just don't think you can do much
better if you enjoy flying and air war history.
June 30, 2025
Rasimus gives the reader a very open account of his time flying the F-105 in Vietnam. He discusses training, the process of deploying and his return in addition to discussing his tour as an F-105 driver.
Rasimus is very open on his views on strategy, tactics, morale, treatment of colleagues, and what worked and what didn't. The narrative of his tour is filled with insight and is a remarkable tale well told.
Rasimus is very open on his views on strategy, tactics, morale, treatment of colleagues, and what worked and what didn't. The narrative of his tour is filled with insight and is a remarkable tale well told.
April 17, 2025
Very well written account of this pilot's experiences in bombing North Vietnam. He was certainly very honest and up front about his initial fears of being involved as a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. Initially he was quite scared. You got the feeling that you were right there in the cock pit sometimes . Definitely a book worth reading.
January 1, 2020
Ehkä parhaimpia ilmataistelun kirjoja mitä tullut luettua. Kirjoittaja osaa kertoa kokemuksistaan elävästi, että kuka vain pystyy kuvittelemaan itsensä vietnamin sodan ohjaajana. Ehdottomasti suosittelun arvoinen!
December 22, 2017
McNamara's chess game
This book explains clearly why the US Military was never given a chance to win. A TRIBUTE to those who went and gave it their all!
This book explains clearly why the US Military was never given a chance to win. A TRIBUTE to those who went and gave it their all!
July 31, 2019
This was written by a customer of mine! Loved it!
May 31, 2024
Really good book. Fast paced, great view into the life of an F-105 pilot in Vietnam.
March 8, 2017
Very readable and descriptive in a way that leaves a real impression.
March 9, 2017
A great read and exciting. I really enjoyed this book and the author has the rare talent to draw the reader into the action and make you part of it
January 30, 2012
Books on the Vietnam War can be tedious reading. As a professional military officer for over twenty years and as someone who owns a rather extensive library of military history, I've read my fair share of books on Vietnam and have often found that it was only my interest in the subject matter that kept me reading rather than any enjoyment of the writing itself. Ed Rasimus' excellent book When Thunder Rolled has been a notable exception to that experience.
Rasimus' book is a memoir of his experience flying the F-105 Thunderchief during operation "Rolling Thunder," the first real air campaign over North Vietnam. Beginning with Rasimus' transition training in the F-105 in the spring of 1966, the book focuses on his experiences flying his 100 combat missions over North Vietnam from May to November 1966. It is written from a first person perspective and not only details the events Rasimus endured but also presents the way he saw them through the eyes of a "green" lieutenant flying his first fighter and engaging in the bloodiest conflict in which the US has participated since the end of the Second World War. It was a fast-moving, interesting read that kept me engaged from the beginning to the end and didn't read like it was history at all. On a personal note, as a young lieutenant entering the USAF in the early 1980's, I heard many of the "old guys" in my OV-10 FAC squadron talk about the F-105 or "Thud" in terms of reverence and endearment. After reading When Thunder rolled, I understand that reverence and endearment much better - even all these years later.
Now if you're one of the many who has strong political views about the Vietnam War, either pro or con, the good news here is that those views don't really matter when it comes to enjoying the book. While Rasimus hints at the political frustrations of the war, he focuses, rightly in my opinion, on the human cost of the war from the pilot's perspective. In the final chapter of the of the book he writes:
"The losses were appalling. The class of nine that had been six weeks ahead of mine at Nellis lost four. The class that followed me lost five out of nine. The first short course class of “universally assignable” pilots lost fifteen out of sixteen, all either killed or captured. My group of nine had three shot down during the hundred missions but all were recovered successfully and went on to finish. Karl was our only loss, and that was on his second tour. The Newsweek statistic that a 105 pilot was shot down on average once every sixty-five missions was true. For every five pilots that started the tour, three would not complete it."
Rasimus also indicts the senior leadership of the USAF for not taking better care of their people and not standing up to the political leadership when it came to the ridiculously restrictive rules of engagement or limited target arrays that aircraft were allowed to engage. He faults "the colonels and generals" with being more worried about their own careers than doing the right thing and taking care of their people. An opinion I heartily agree with and in fact, a phenomenon that hadn't abated by the time I made the decision to retire from the USAF in 2001.
If you're looking for a book that puts you inside the cockpit of a fighter and inside the mind of a warrior over North Vietnam, you can't do much better than "When Thunder Rolled."
Rasimus' book is a memoir of his experience flying the F-105 Thunderchief during operation "Rolling Thunder," the first real air campaign over North Vietnam. Beginning with Rasimus' transition training in the F-105 in the spring of 1966, the book focuses on his experiences flying his 100 combat missions over North Vietnam from May to November 1966. It is written from a first person perspective and not only details the events Rasimus endured but also presents the way he saw them through the eyes of a "green" lieutenant flying his first fighter and engaging in the bloodiest conflict in which the US has participated since the end of the Second World War. It was a fast-moving, interesting read that kept me engaged from the beginning to the end and didn't read like it was history at all. On a personal note, as a young lieutenant entering the USAF in the early 1980's, I heard many of the "old guys" in my OV-10 FAC squadron talk about the F-105 or "Thud" in terms of reverence and endearment. After reading When Thunder rolled, I understand that reverence and endearment much better - even all these years later.
Now if you're one of the many who has strong political views about the Vietnam War, either pro or con, the good news here is that those views don't really matter when it comes to enjoying the book. While Rasimus hints at the political frustrations of the war, he focuses, rightly in my opinion, on the human cost of the war from the pilot's perspective. In the final chapter of the of the book he writes:
"The losses were appalling. The class of nine that had been six weeks ahead of mine at Nellis lost four. The class that followed me lost five out of nine. The first short course class of “universally assignable” pilots lost fifteen out of sixteen, all either killed or captured. My group of nine had three shot down during the hundred missions but all were recovered successfully and went on to finish. Karl was our only loss, and that was on his second tour. The Newsweek statistic that a 105 pilot was shot down on average once every sixty-five missions was true. For every five pilots that started the tour, three would not complete it."
Rasimus also indicts the senior leadership of the USAF for not taking better care of their people and not standing up to the political leadership when it came to the ridiculously restrictive rules of engagement or limited target arrays that aircraft were allowed to engage. He faults "the colonels and generals" with being more worried about their own careers than doing the right thing and taking care of their people. An opinion I heartily agree with and in fact, a phenomenon that hadn't abated by the time I made the decision to retire from the USAF in 2001.
If you're looking for a book that puts you inside the cockpit of a fighter and inside the mind of a warrior over North Vietnam, you can't do much better than "When Thunder Rolled."
March 21, 2008
Imagine waking up every day, hours before dawn, going to a briefing to cover primary and secondary attack plans (in case the target is socked-in), going over maps, weather, recon photos, radio frequencies, and call signs of the day. Getting a g-suit, survival gear, spare radios, and a parachute strapped on you.
Preflighting a massive 1950’s era fighter-bomber (originally designed to drop a nuclear weapon on Moscow at supersonic low-altitude) carrying thousands of pounds of weapons in the pre-dawn darkness
Climbing up a ladder and strapping on huge jet, taxiing to an arming area, then to the runway, lighting the afterburner and streaking into the sky just as the sun comes up over the mountains.
Mid-air refuel over Laos, and then through holes in monsoon weather to the target area, screaming at 500 knots over the jungle, where the sky is exploding in flak, tracers, and SAMs snake up into the sky on curly white tails of rocket exhaust, with the sole purpose to destroy you.
Spot the target, pop up, roll over inverted. Pulling back over the top of the arc and rolling back, in on the target, line up the aiming reticule, take a guess at wind speed near the ground for adjustment, pickle the bombs, and punching the afterburner, craning our neck to see if you got bombs on target (if you missed, you’re likely going to have to come back tomorrow), scrambling to rejoin your flight, if you don’t get shot down first.
Refueling in mid-air again, and returning home to Thailand. Debrief, dinner and drinks at the officer’s club, showering and hitting the sack, only to do it again early the next morning.
Shit hot.
Preflighting a massive 1950’s era fighter-bomber (originally designed to drop a nuclear weapon on Moscow at supersonic low-altitude) carrying thousands of pounds of weapons in the pre-dawn darkness
Climbing up a ladder and strapping on huge jet, taxiing to an arming area, then to the runway, lighting the afterburner and streaking into the sky just as the sun comes up over the mountains.
Mid-air refuel over Laos, and then through holes in monsoon weather to the target area, screaming at 500 knots over the jungle, where the sky is exploding in flak, tracers, and SAMs snake up into the sky on curly white tails of rocket exhaust, with the sole purpose to destroy you.
Spot the target, pop up, roll over inverted. Pulling back over the top of the arc and rolling back, in on the target, line up the aiming reticule, take a guess at wind speed near the ground for adjustment, pickle the bombs, and punching the afterburner, craning our neck to see if you got bombs on target (if you missed, you’re likely going to have to come back tomorrow), scrambling to rejoin your flight, if you don’t get shot down first.
Refueling in mid-air again, and returning home to Thailand. Debrief, dinner and drinks at the officer’s club, showering and hitting the sack, only to do it again early the next morning.
Shit hot.
July 1, 2012
I liked this book, not as much as his second one (Palace Cobra) but I still recommend it! Raz has a way of writing that makes for easy and interesting reading whether you have never flown an airplane or are a full boar fighter pilot. That's a tough line to walk. He does a good job of showing what it was like as a young Lt going to war trying to balance his fear with the responsibility he has to his brothers in the Thud. Raz's books seem to be more about the lifestyle than the events, which I think is a fresh take on war books that I like very much. He mentions several times the difference between fighter pilots and people who fly fighters- I've been saying this for years and didn't know I was copying Raz!
April 14, 2014
Not quite as good as Palace Cobra, partly because it's his first book and he's much less polished as a writer. The tension is much, much higher here, though, given the insane loss rates of F-105 pilots. Quite a few people die very real deaths here, which makes the pictures halfway through the book a real punch in the gut, when you can put faces to the names of the people whose deaths you just read about. The missions are explained well, as is the day-to-day living aspect around the base, but the sense of time is a bit shaky and it feels like there's pretty big jumps from time to time, with a month vanishing without notice, or a week or three sneaking away.
One thing's for sure, though, F-105's ain't got nothin' on F-4's. That's just a fact.
One thing's for sure, though, F-105's ain't got nothin' on F-4's. That's just a fact.
April 30, 2015
I first looked at the pictures in the middle and thought that I would probably not like this book. Based just on the looks of the writer :-)
So I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading. Better than average "Pilot's memoirs from years of action". Quite well written with also some critisism. Including naturally the eternal question about Vietnam war: "Why the hell were we there?"
I learned a bit about jet warfare and specially about the F-105 they were flying. Somewhat different than the many WWII pilot memoirs I have read. Impersonal war where also results seemed to remain largely unknown.
So I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading. Better than average "Pilot's memoirs from years of action". Quite well written with also some critisism. Including naturally the eternal question about Vietnam war: "Why the hell were we there?"
I learned a bit about jet warfare and specially about the F-105 they were flying. Somewhat different than the many WWII pilot memoirs I have read. Impersonal war where also results seemed to remain largely unknown.
August 21, 2012
"The mission of the Air Force is to fly and fight. And don't ever forget it!"
That quote, from a poster in the Korat Wing Briefing Room and I believe originally from Robin Olds, along with the last chapter makes Rasimus' book a great read if the rest of it wasn't any good. The rest of it is superb. Flying stories, insight into the mind of a Lieutenant, and an honest account of what it is like to face death in the eye every day.
That quote, from a poster in the Korat Wing Briefing Room and I believe originally from Robin Olds, along with the last chapter makes Rasimus' book a great read if the rest of it wasn't any good. The rest of it is superb. Flying stories, insight into the mind of a Lieutenant, and an honest account of what it is like to face death in the eye every day.
September 9, 2012
I know I say this about nearly every book out of this era and genre, but this is a great book. The F-105 and it's pilots took a heavy toll. The F-105 was to the USAF what the UH-1 was to the US Army. A WORKHORSE. The F-105 is/was the largest and fastest single engine aircraft at sea level. Even the mighty F-4 Phantom couldn't keep up with the "Thud" at low level. Ed Rasimus did a second tour flying the F-4 and did a book on that tour as well, the book is titled "Palace Cobra".
December 25, 2015
One reviewer on the back cover said this book was "...a modern Red Badge of Courage." I can't say it any better.
This was my first book in a course of self-study of the Vietnam air war. It suits that purpose perfectly. Rasimus describes the ethos of the "fast movers" and the difficulties and frustrations of fighting a war without being allowed to win while simultaneously telling the story of Operation Rolling Thunder. Highly recommended.
This was my first book in a course of self-study of the Vietnam air war. It suits that purpose perfectly. Rasimus describes the ethos of the "fast movers" and the difficulties and frustrations of fighting a war without being allowed to win while simultaneously telling the story of Operation Rolling Thunder. Highly recommended.
November 13, 2010
What can I say? I enjoy war history and personal accounts. I am impressed with how the modern jet fighter pilot goes about his work systematically and business like even in the face of tremendous stress and danger.
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November 20, 2015Excellent history of the F105 and Korat Ab
Excellent reading and history lesson of F105 operations in Vietnam during late 1966. A tale of the challenges of combat operations in a difficult period of American history
Excellent reading and history lesson of F105 operations in Vietnam during late 1966. A tale of the challenges of combat operations in a difficult period of American history
July 8, 2023
love this book!
This was a whole new perspective on war. The author starts out terrified of being in combat. “One more mission”! He ends up completing his tour and takes you along for the journey. Great read!
This was a whole new perspective on war. The author starts out terrified of being in combat. “One more mission”! He ends up completing his tour and takes you along for the journey. Great read!
September 13, 2010
An insight into the incredible feats of composure and dexterity pulled off by pilots in the Vietnam War. Solid, accessible writing without pretense.
January 26, 2011
A great true tale about a pilot's experience in a F-105 over North Veitnam getting hit by Sams, laid by Veitnamnese girls, or angered by polictics. Anyone who enjoys good writing should read this.
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