Fly the Friendly Skies of Laos?

About the Book

It depicts and dramatizes America’s most secret and costly war and the lives of the“civilians” who served as combatants in that war. It’s the story of the local people, the Lao, the Hmoung, called the Meo during the war, their leader, and some of the U.S. officials who administrated the war and kept it a secret from the world.But it is mostly a story of the men who chose to fight the war. The Air America pilots, The Raven’s, U. S. Air force pilots who were secretly dropped from Air Force roles and sent to Laos to act as forward air controllers.The ground operations people, the military and special operations people who played a key role in that war. And of course, the CIA and various Politicians. Without who’s help, We may never have had this delightful little conflict to squander our youth on.

The war in Laos was, for the most part, an enormous CIA field operation, being directed by politicians and government appointee’s. Which will probably explain why it was such a screwed up mess.The names of the people have been changed to protect them, as many of these people are alive and still actively involved in government service. Which might also explain why things are such a screwed up mess today.

The author wanted the story told. It’s a story that very few people are privy to. Even after all these years. Many facts contained in this novel are classified to this day. And so, only in a work of fiction can this story be told without causing ramifications.

As you read this story, search your memories, for those of you old enough to remember the days of the Wild West in S. E. Asia. Your recollections may fill in some of the blanks that will nag  your memories.

This story is for those of you who lost ‘someone’ in Laos.  And especially for those of you who were there during this confused time in American history.But remember, it’s fiction.More important, remember the quote. ‘Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” Please forgive some of the license the author has taken in the name of ‘diversion’.It had to be done in order to tell the story.

This novel was written in Saigon. Where the author has been living since 1992.The author has been back to Laos many times. It is still a very closed and paranoid Country.At the time of this writing, Long Tieng is still closed to visitors. But Long Tieng is and was a real place. Those of you who were there will remember. Many of those men and a few women did not return. Many were killed or are MIA.This story is for all of you.And for all of you who were not there, Remember.

About the Author

BioThe author has lived in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand for a large part of his life. Flying medivac’s for insurance companies, salvaging aircraft left in Vietnam after the end of the war, buying and selling gems, and writing.