Jokers: War, Love & Helicopter Pilots...What Could go Wrong?

by Vern Hammill, Edward Kral

Jokers - War, Love & Helicopter Pilots...What Could go Wrong?

Genres: War

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2015

Reviews

[John Podlaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Jokers: War, Love & Helicopter Pilots...What Could Go Wrong" is a story of two helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War. They become best friends and confident enough to plan a skiing trip in Austria after the war. Flying both Slicks and Gunships in support of infantry units on the ground, the authors take readers along on these harrowing flights giving them a birds eye view of what it was like. Both pilots were shot down during their eighteen month tours and survived the crashes, unlike many of their friends and fellow pilots who perished in fiery balls of burning magnesium. When not flying, pilots hang out in the officer's club to take their mind off the war, drinking enough to hopefully pass out and be spared from "war mares" often visiting during the night. The episodes at the O-Club are sometimes hilarious especially when new pilots are welcomed into the unit. This is also the time for bantering between the Slick and Gunny pilots, each group keeping to themselves and trying to outdo the other with taunts, heckling and dares...at times, tempers are lost. However, the next day when flying, it's all business and professionalism.

Eric and Paul are both mischievous and go out of their way to make it difficult for bad pilots and those officers with poor leadership skills; finding ways to get them transferred out of the unit; often taking risks that their fellow pilots wouldn't dare. Their unit, "Jokers" is a befitting place for the likes of these two.

About a third of the book tells their story after surviving Vietnam and following through on their plans and go to Austria for a couple of months of skiing. They come in contact with a doctor who wants to employ them for a covert mission into Eastern Europe. It is also the time when both men meet a pair of American women and fall deeply in love. The mission will give them enough money to "play" in Europe for another few months - providing they aren't shot down, captured and survive this dangerous task.

As a former infantry soldier, I have always held chopper pilots and crews in the highest regard. When we were in trouble, hungry, running out of supplies or needing a ride out of hell, you always came! In fact, even today when hearing those rotors, I stop and look for that sound in the sky as it has a special meaning to me. Thank you!

I do have some criticism to share with the authors. First, I find the formatting of the book quite difficult to follow as it seems that the entire Vietnam experience is written in a single chapter. Scenes and time both change without providing readers a breather and run one after another without double spacing. Secondly, there are many typos (added or missing words) within sentences that should be corrected and could only be found by reading the story again.

I did enjoy "Jokers..." and recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about helicopter pilots in Vietnam. Great job Vern and Edward! Thank you for your service! Welcome Home!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel

[Michael D Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting read and exceptional characters and character writing. With lots of action and just part of a series is highly recumended

This a book in a series that takes you not only through their Vietnam experiences but on to an exciting life for two extremely close friends who trained and fought together and decided to se a lot of the world after their tours were over.

You get the Benefits of more than one story alone and at first I thought oh great another waste of reading about what some guy or guys do after the war again ending in a depressing situation of boring jobs compared to the excitement of doing battle from the sky.

But boy was I wrong, the second part of this book is great reading and exciting just like the first part and it is getting even better the more I read.

Be ready for a cliff hanger at the end and then get the next book and keep a great read going !!!

[Paul J. Petersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting fantasy for a couple Nam pilots

Well this all worked out well, almost like the subtitle "what could go wrong?" An interesting look into the life of Huey pilots in Nam and then a series of events after their discharge. A charmed life of good fortune.

[Parker Marks · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent read

Too few chapters. It Took bout 3 hours to read one chapter. Kind of an odd read for this genera.