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The Gap: Fort Indiantown
To fly.
A childhood fantasy fulfilled, a lifelong goal accomplished.
Fresh from rotary-wing flight school, 22-year-old Lieutenant Mark Ashford arrives for his first duty assignment at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, wanting nothing more than to master the art of flight. But he learns quickly that he’s in the awkward position of overseeing pilots with vastly superior skills and experience. Mark is persistently thwarted by one of these men―Vietnam veteran Nick Trent―who displays no regard for authority or convention, or even for Mark’s own personal safety. Resolved to learn more about his belligerent subordinate, Mark uncovers a decades-old secret from the Vietnam War―a brutal helicopter assault on innocent villagers. At the same time, he is tasked with supporting the DEA with aerial reconnaissance in search of a hidden cache of marijuana. Mark befriends a 16-year-old boy conscripted by the growers into the illicit venture. As he struggles to prevent the boy from drifting deeper into the crevices of the drug world, Mark is torn by his conflicting allegiances and risks his dream of becoming a master pilot.
THE GAP is a coming-of-age story that poses questions about the wisdom of the current drug war while employing themes from another lost war.
A childhood fantasy fulfilled, a lifelong goal accomplished.
Fresh from rotary-wing flight school, 22-year-old Lieutenant Mark Ashford arrives for his first duty assignment at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, wanting nothing more than to master the art of flight. But he learns quickly that he’s in the awkward position of overseeing pilots with vastly superior skills and experience. Mark is persistently thwarted by one of these men―Vietnam veteran Nick Trent―who displays no regard for authority or convention, or even for Mark’s own personal safety. Resolved to learn more about his belligerent subordinate, Mark uncovers a decades-old secret from the Vietnam War―a brutal helicopter assault on innocent villagers. At the same time, he is tasked with supporting the DEA with aerial reconnaissance in search of a hidden cache of marijuana. Mark befriends a 16-year-old boy conscripted by the growers into the illicit venture. As he struggles to prevent the boy from drifting deeper into the crevices of the drug world, Mark is torn by his conflicting allegiances and risks his dream of becoming a master pilot.
THE GAP is a coming-of-age story that poses questions about the wisdom of the current drug war while employing themes from another lost war.
518 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2019
3 people are currently reading
940 people want to read
About the author
John Witherow
1 book19 followersJohn Witherow is a former platoon leader and helicopter pilot of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and an attorney sensitive to the challenges of the American criminal justice system. He lives in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Wendi, who is also an avid reader.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 29, 2020
This is a very well written novel. John Witherow brings his real-life army experience to create an immersive world within the pages. From Vietnam veterans dealing with the aftermath of an unnecessary war to Appalachian drug trafficking, this dramatic story is not to be missed.
March 31, 2020
As the protagonist Lt. Ashford uncovers evidence of a horrid massacre that occurred at the hands of US armed forces in Vietnam, the already intriguing read becomes enamoring.
The Gap: Fort Indiantown is an innovative and powerful work of historical fiction...
https://theforgottenfiction.com/book-...
The Gap: Fort Indiantown is an innovative and powerful work of historical fiction...
https://theforgottenfiction.com/book-...
July 22, 2020
Thank you goodreads and John Witherow for this book which will go on my "do not give away" shelf although I will be happy to share it.
"The Gap" is a well-written and organized story that gets you involved with all he characters from the start.
"The Gap" is a well-written and organized story that gets you involved with all he characters from the start.
Want to read
May 30, 2021Seems to be a very interesting book i will be sure to find out
July 30, 2019
An engaging storyline that delves into the past while maintaining various storylines in the present, masterfully weaving a complex plot that will keep you speculating until the end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews