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Call Sign Rustic: The Secret Air War over Cambodia, 1970-1973
President Richard Nixon could not keep American ground troops in Cambodia beyond June 1970 without authorization from Congress, which was not forthcoming. Not wanting to desert the anti-communist Lon Nol regime, he ordered top-secret, round-the-clock air support over Cambodia, and the Rustics were born.
Author Richard Wood flew as one of the Rustics, a group of forward air controllers who played a major part in staving off both the North Vietnamese and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerilla forces. This three-year air war was so secret—managed directly from the White House—that there are no official records of it. Wood bases his book on his own experiences and those of the other pilots and Cambodians who participated in the operation. He recounts the Rustic's daring missions and portrays the friendships that developed between the pilots and the Cambodian field troops, commanders, and radio operators, who fought with courage and dedication.
The loss of American air support after August 15, 1973 eventually contributed to the fall of Cambodia and the horribly dark period of its history that will live in infamy as “the killing fields.”
Author Richard Wood flew as one of the Rustics, a group of forward air controllers who played a major part in staving off both the North Vietnamese and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerilla forces. This three-year air war was so secret—managed directly from the White House—that there are no official records of it. Wood bases his book on his own experiences and those of the other pilots and Cambodians who participated in the operation. He recounts the Rustic's daring missions and portrays the friendships that developed between the pilots and the Cambodian field troops, commanders, and radio operators, who fought with courage and dedication.
The loss of American air support after August 15, 1973 eventually contributed to the fall of Cambodia and the horribly dark period of its history that will live in infamy as “the killing fields.”
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 24, 2015
From 1970-1973 the United States conducted air operations over Cambodia in a secret attempt to curtail supplies to the communist forces in Vietnam. Call sign Rustic is an account of the US Air Force forward air controllers in the air 24 hours a day to direct operations. The drawback of the book is that the retired Air Force officer who wrote it makes it sound like only the Air Force participated. There were US Marine A-6 Intruder and F-4 Phantoms stationed in Thailand at MCAS Rose Garden who constantly participated in the bombing of the communist supply routes. Otherwise this work discusses what had been a secret operation controlled by the White House.
April 16, 2008
As the US withdrew from Vietnam, we remained in support of allies in Cambodia until 1975.
The largely unknown Rustic FACs (forward air controllers) flew O-2s and OV-10 aircraft from Bien Hoa in South Vietnam, and later from Ubon Thailand to direct air strikes against NVA.
Americans on the ground in Cambodia were forbidden, but the Rustics, with the help of French-speaking backseaters, coordinated air-support for allied Cambodian ground units.
While this book was written by a former Rustic pilot, it is more of a short historical account of the formation of the unit and its few active years, the difficulties in finding air crews.
Picture an English-speaking pilot directing fighter bombers for close-air support, an English and French-speaking backseater, who would speak to a French-speaking Cambodian radio operator on the ground, who would be speaking Cambodian to the ground unit commander. somehow, they pulled it off.
It's a fairly dry read, though. There's not a lot of aviation thrills, only a cursory explanation of the FAC mission, and only a few wild stories, but it's nice that this little chapter in history didn't get swept under the rug.
The largely unknown Rustic FACs (forward air controllers) flew O-2s and OV-10 aircraft from Bien Hoa in South Vietnam, and later from Ubon Thailand to direct air strikes against NVA.
Americans on the ground in Cambodia were forbidden, but the Rustics, with the help of French-speaking backseaters, coordinated air-support for allied Cambodian ground units.
While this book was written by a former Rustic pilot, it is more of a short historical account of the formation of the unit and its few active years, the difficulties in finding air crews.
Picture an English-speaking pilot directing fighter bombers for close-air support, an English and French-speaking backseater, who would speak to a French-speaking Cambodian radio operator on the ground, who would be speaking Cambodian to the ground unit commander. somehow, they pulled it off.
It's a fairly dry read, though. There's not a lot of aviation thrills, only a cursory explanation of the FAC mission, and only a few wild stories, but it's nice that this little chapter in history didn't get swept under the rug.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews