783094
9781557505217
The tragic, the comic, the terrifying, the poignant are all part of the story of the Black Pony pilots who distinguished themselves in the Mekong Delta between 1969 & 1972. Flying their Broncos "down & dirty, low & slow," they destroyed more enemies & saved more allied lives with close-air support than all the other naval squadrons combined during the three years they saw action. Author Kit Lavell was part of this squadron of "black sheep" given a chance to make something of themselves. The U.S. Navy's only land-based attack squadron, Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) flew support missions for the riverine forces, SEALs, & allied units in borrowed, propeller-driven OV-10s. For fixed-wing aircraft they were dangerous, unorthodox missions, a fact readers quickly come to appreciate. After two years of research, Lavell has been able to match many of the air operations to those on the ground & tell the dramatic story from both perspectives. One of several offered in the book is the bringing together of SEAL Barry Enoch, a Navy Cross recipient, & Black Pony pilot Larry Hone, a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, whose encounter is stunningly described in chapter 14. Lavell also provides vivid scenes of life & love away from combat & gives a concise history of the squadron along with details of its unique use of the OV-10.Lavell, Kit is the author of 'Flying Black Ponies The Navy's Close Air Support Squadron in Vietnam' with ISBN 9781557505217 and ISBN 1557505217.
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