Huey [Mass Market Paperback]

HUEY is a surprisingly good book, one of the better Vietnam novels I've ever read and one of the few told from the POV of a helicopter pilot rather than a grunt or a Special Forces commando. Written by Jay and David Groen, both veterans of the Vietnam war, it has a semi-autobiographical feel which lends it a lot of nuts and bolts authenticity and puts the reader square in the cockpit of that ubiquitous symbol of the Vietnam War: the UH-1 "Huey."

John Vanvorden is a 20-year old warrant officer who loves to fly "slicks." Green and eager, he arrives in The Nam late in the war and is assigned to an assault helicopter company - the guys who fly the infantry in and out of the jungle. He quickly discovers what everybody already knows: the war is a bloody mess and ferrying grunts in and out of "hot" landing zones is not for the faint of heart. Vanvorden's transition from "newbie" to battle-hardened veteran is not an easy one. New pilots are not only hazed without mercy, treated with contempt by ground crew and stuck with the most odious chores, they're also relegated to flying as "peter pilots", meaning the co-pilots of the chopper, until such time as they are cleared to fly solo in combat. Vanvorden doesn't care to be an FNG, and he likes even less slogging through VC-infested jungle when his chopper gets shot down, killing the pilot. Coming back to friendly turf, he's told he can go home to "the World" (America) and when he insists he wants to stay and continue flying, he's dragged before a pair of shrinks who tell him, "Son, it's not normal to want to stay in this country." (Sound of me laughing hysterically as I read).

Incidents like this, which seem to poke rude fun at the insanity of war, are commonplace, but the Groens don't shy away from the war's brutality and cynicism, either: the hazing of new pilots masks the universal fear of getting close to inexperienced replacements the older vets feel are dead men walking; constant fear turns some men to stone and destroys others mentally; corruption and contempt for life are nearly universal. Initially, Vanvorden regards the Vietnamese as sub-human, but on an extended leave he falls in love with a Thai girl, and later in the book befreinds a philosophizing ex-officer who was broken to the ranks for refusing to order his men into the bush. As Vanvorden matures, he also ascends the pilot ladder, becoming known as "the Flying Dutchman" for his skill at whisking grunts away from danger. This reputation puts him at odds with his company commander, a martinet bent on getting promoted at any cost, and following a disasterous operation which virtually destroys the company, Vanvorden embarks on a lonely one-man campaign to unseat his CO and "avenge" the deaths of his closest friends. The book's biggest battle, ironically, is not against the VC, but the Army's bureacracy - which Vanvorden discovers is a lot more powerful.

It's a pity HUEY is no longer in print. While it's no classic, it's a highly enjoyable read that gives readers a cockpit's-eye-view not only of the Kafkaesque nightmare of the Vietnam War, but of one man's painfu realization that being the best comes with some heavy duty obligations.

HUEY is an excellent reading book that reveals the inner workings of being a Vietnam helicopter pilot. Back in '88 I checked this book out from the local library and never forgot it. I purchased my own copy in '92 and have been averaging 4 years between readings. Aside from one chapter on Buda which I always skip, the book is a real page turner.

It's amazing to think that this book made the New York Times Bestseller list in only 3 days on it's first printing and then sold out two weeks later. Lots of action in this story, and as the author told me "Fiction is often more real than Non-fiction."

I highly recommend this book!

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