Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience

by Samuel K. Beamon

No matter what conflict that a helicopter and its crew flies into, the job, the level of responsibility and the feelings are the same. There have been many stories of those that served in Vietnam. Some stories have been of combat units, battles, Pilots that had been shot down and captured, along with some helicopter squadrons. This story gives a different prospective of the war. The troops on the ground would hear the sounds of a helicopter coming into their area. Looking up, they saw this complex flying machine blowing sand and dust all around. The chopper brought in anything and everything that the troops needed. The wounded and dead were evacuated. Reenforcements were delivered and the troops were brought back to their camps. Did the troops ever think about the people that operated these helicopters? What did it take to keep the machines flying? What kind of pressures were the flight crews facing on a daily basis? This story is the memories of a Combat Helicopter Crew Chief doing the what was necessary to accomplish the mission of supporting the troops.

232 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2007

Reviews

[Jeffrey Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many stories about the men who served in Vietnam—whether on the ground or from the air. Each one offers its own glimpse into the conflict, albeit the horrors of war, the individual coming of age or baptism under fire stories, or the lessons learned from the war itself.

That’s exactly what you get in Samuel Beamon’s, Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience. It is an incredible tale about helicopter missions flown under extreme danger and how he and his comrades handled the worst of conditions (his description of flying into Khe Sanh during the Tet Offensive to supply the beleaguered troops there is brilliant). It's also the story of a young man coming of age in Marine Corps in the early days of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

Beamon’s account of the war as seen from the air, land and sea (yes, sea; his squadron was often assigned to a ship in the South China Sea) is a fascinating story about the struggles of an amazing person under some of the most difficult situations imaginable; more importantly, it's also a remarkable story about the triumph of the human spirit through extremely difficult times.

To be sure, this is not, as one reviewer has already pointed out, your typical "I went to war, I saw the bad guys, I did some bad things, now I'm a better person" memoir. This book operates on a much higher level, albeit a deep, soulful one with just enough introspection for us, the reader, to really understand what the author went through. On one level, this is the story a proud Marine doing his job for the love of his country; on another level it is the story of man overcoming racial injustices at a time when the whole nation was experiencing the civil rights movement.

Beamon is brilliant with his descriptions of combat and the camaraderie he shared with his fellow Marines. We are right there with the author when he first arrives in Vietnam and experiences the horrors of war for the first time. We see the war through the eyes of a young man who is proud to be a Marine and serving his country. Throughout his memoir, the author is humble and sincere in documenting his experience in Vietnam.

Well done, Marine.

Semper Fi.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it really describes in detail what the marine corps helicopter pilots went through back in the day. It is written by an actual vet who was there and offers a very unique perspective on the war. Aside from the obvious attempts to point out the racism of the day at least as the author perceives it, there is really very little politics in here. It is just a tough gritty dialog of what actually happened from the perspective of a guy on the ground. Great book. Plus as a bonus, my dad is actually in the last chapter.

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[Sam Beamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author of this book -- I have gotten excellant reviews by those that I served with -- check them out at www.sambeamon.com

[Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping description of the life of a combat crew chief flying as a crewman on Boeing helicopters in the Vietnam war. If you ever flew or rode in a '46, read this book!