Experience the fatigue and hardships, the passion, the love and brotherhood shared by the Marine pilots and aircrewmen. Their survival became their victory!

Adopted at birth, Stephanie Hanson begins a search for her biological parents and learns her father, Gary Norman Young, was killed in the Vietnam War before she was born. To unravel the mystery of his death, she hears first-hand from other veterans of her father's world of courage and bravery as a helicopter crewmember in 1969. She learns of the remarkable relationship that exists between Marines and their Navy Corpsmen, and realizes she has now inherited the honor and respect given to her father. After years of perseverance, Stephanie finally obtains the medals and honors her father earned for his sacrifice and service, through the help of veterans, the Marine Corps Commandant and a United States Senator. During her journey, she locates the family members of the men who died with her father and helps other veterans and children connect with each other. Embraced by thousands of veterans, she discovers the greatest gift her father left her is the legacy of healing.

Part One embraces Marine Corps history and life in the Corps. Readers will find everything from Tun Tavern to The Marines' Hymn. With its gung-ho and inspirational theme, Part One is a treasure trove for all who have earned the title.
Part Two offers Happy Hour fare for U.S. Marines. Yet, Marines find wisdom in these jocular proverbs. Those who ignore these timeless truths of combat do so at their own peril.

Air Force Zoomies and Navy Squids. Army Doggies and Marine Corps Jarheads. Listen up! Want to stay alive in combat? If so, read and heed Murphy's Laws, rules, axioms, and advice for warriors. If you hate warrior wannabes and whiny-babies, this is the book for you. Separate chapters for Infantry and Aviation Laws of Combat. Special laws for those who ride in helicopters.

Readers embark on a brutally accurate journey through Commercial Aviation History. They re-live the airline accidents which have marred man's conquest of the skies. MAYDAY is a gut-wrenching and mesmerizing read for all Aviation Enthusiasts. The book examines airline accidents caused by mechanical failure, fire, mid-air collisions, terrorist hijackings, sabotage, suicide, mistaken identity shoot-downs, fuel exhaustion, human error, and other aerial perils. Armed with meticulous research, the author cuts through the fog of aviation jargon and describes each accident in easy-to-understand layman's language.

Their first mistake when setting out to destroy Jacob Reynolds was forgetting that "Once a Marine, always a Marine." Their second mistake was not realizing that once fear of death has been faced, new terrors serve only as aphrodisiacs.

It's dangerous to keep a diary in a combat zone. So I wrote a letter home everyday where they were filed chronologically. This book is a distillation of some three loose leaf notebooks of letters. It captures the frame of mind at the time.

What Joseph Heller did for World War II, what Richard Hooker did for the Korean War in M*A*S*H, no one has been able to do for Vietnam, until now. Phillip Jennings is a true patriot, a decorated Marine Corps captain who served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, flew for Air America in Laos and then served in the CIA. Like Heller and Hooker, he did his duty, but he did it with his eyes open. Now, transformed by his wild imagination, he shows us what he saw. Never before has the insanity of the Vietnam war been so scathingly and entertainingly depicted..

Thirty years after the fall of Saigon, a former refugee (and Marine helicopter pilot) retraces his journey from Vietnam and reunion with his imprisoned father. On sale April 12, 2005 from Ballantine Books, $24.95. www.asenseofduty.com

"Every American should read this wonderful story to better appreciate the freedoms we enjoy."
-General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.)

A History of America Military Helicopter Operations from WWII to the War on Terror (Hardcover)

Real-life stories from the pilots and the passengers.
From its first use in military operations, during a rescue mission behind enemy lines in 1944, to its crucial role in Vietnam, to the Black Hawk combat copters in the current war on terror, the helicopter changed the face of aviation-and the face of warfare. Whether they are bringing supplies and medical help or coming to the rescue of trapped soldiers, the modern battlefield could not function without them.

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The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980 (Paperback)

On May 2, 1970, a DC-9 jet with 57 passengers and a crew of six departed from New York.s JFK International Airport en route to the tropical island of St. Maarten, but four hours and 34 minutes later the flight ended in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean. It was, and remains, the only open-water ditching of a commercial jet. The subsequent rescue of survivors took nearly three hours and involved the coast guard, navy, and marines. This gripping account of that fateful day recounts what was happening inside the cabin, the cockpit, and the helicopters as the crews struggled against the weather and dwindling daylight to rescue the survivors, who had only their life vests and a lone escape chute to keep them afloat.

A Fighting Marine's Memoir of Vietnam
No punches are pulled in this gripping account of Vietnam combat through the eyes of a Marine helicopter crewman and door gunner with more than three hundred missions under his belt.

Masters of the Art is a bare-knuckles tribute to the Marines who served in Vietnam. It.s about courage, sacrifice, and unsung heroes. The men who fought alongside Winter in that jungle hell were U.S. Marines, warriors who did their job and remained true to their country, no matter the cost. Read an excerpt of this book.

Masters of the Art was superb!
- Gen. (ret.) Al Gray, former Commandant, USMC

A short book of aphorisms
The author has created these aphorism as a small treasure chest of Life-Lessons-Learned intended to elevate the reader's soul on a day by day basis. Although many of principles seem familiar in meaning, almost none of them are familiar literary or philosophic phases. They are simple, direct, fun, funny and whimsical at times. The author even throws in a few jokes to contemplate. All of the Aphorisms are pregnant with inspiration and meaning and the author's tone is soothing, simple and free. His voice is crystal clear and the poetry of the aphorisms have an excellent rhythm. The artistry of the lines is visual, spiritual and casual. Enjoy.

HMM-164 Crew Chief
No matter what conflict that a helicopter and its crew flies into, the job, the level of responsibility and the feelings are the same. There have been many stories of those that served in Vietnam. Some stories have been of combat units, battles, Pilots that had been shot down and captured, along with some helicopter squadrons. This story gives a different prospective of the war. The troops on the ground would hear the sounds of a helicopter coming into their area. Looking up, they saw this complex flying machine blowing sand and dust all around. The chopper brought in anything and everything that the troops needed. The wounded and dead were evacuated. Reenforcements were delivered and the troops were brought back to their camps. Did the troops ever think about the people that operated these helicopters? What did it take to keep the machines flying? What kind of pressures were the flight crews facing on a daily basis? This story is the memories of a Combat Helicopter Crew Chief doing the what was necessary to accomplish the mission of supporting the troops.

HML-367 1969-1970
"Scarface 42" call sign of the author, a veteran of 1140 combat missions is a compilation of selected factual actions of USMC Helicopter Squadron HML-367 during the author's tour in Vietnam during 1969-1970. Events include rescue operations of downed aircraft crews, attack missions using the firepower of the squadron's deadly UH-1E Hueys, AH-1G Huey Cobras, and day to day activities of a Marine helicopter squadron in combat. The fun, the tragedies, and the heroics that occurred are reflected in the esprit d'corps of the squadron.

A Marine Helicopter Gunner's War in Vietnam
Many Vietnam memoirs have appeared in recent years, but not a single one has the humor, pathos, poignancy, and often sheer hilarity of John J. Gebhart's riveting LBJ'S Hired Gun. As Gebhart tells it, he was a "smart-mouthed college boy" who joined the Marines to see the world and "dust a few black pajamas for Uncle Sam." Two grueling tours of duty later (1965-1967) he returned home as a sergeant after surviving 240 combat missions (12 air medals) and being shot down twice. LBJ's Hired Gun is the story of an enlisted man who lived on a dead-end street in West Philadelphia, intent on lifting your spirits and putting a smile on your face as you journey with him across the world and meet the people, explore the places, and relive the events that shaped Marine Corps history in Vietnam from September 1965 to September 1967.

Adventures of a Marine in the rear, to combat in Vietnam
Bruce Hoffman spent four years in the United States Marine Corps. Two of those years were spent in Vietnam and Okinawa. And My Mother Danced with Chesty Puller is the story of a young Marine's adventures during the Vietnam War, sometimes humorous, sometimes hair-raising. The story begins with a young man drawn into the Marine Corps to become an Embassy Marine but he ends up stuck with an office job instead. He struggles to get into the fight in Vietnam, only to be stationed in South Carolina and is offered a part-time job with a bootlegger to ride shotgun. When he finally arrives in Vietnam he discovers that he isn't supposed to be there, but in Okinawa instead, which turns out to be the land of booze and brothels. He was able to find a few girlfriends along the way, not only in South Carolina and Okinawa, but in Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Marines weren't all in combat; many were "in the rear with the beer." After volunteering three times for Vietnam he was able to transfer to Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron VMO-2, and fly as an Aerial Gunner in UH-1E Huey Helicopters. Finally, he became a Marine in combat.

Stories about Corpsmen and Helicopters, Courage and Sacrifice
Since the last century, in war and in peace, in good weather and bad, the helicopter has proven itself over and over again when it has been used for military medical evacuations, for search and rescue missions, as well as for simple transportation. Among the thousands who have flown on one of these aircraft have been U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen who did so as aircrew members, as patients, or as passengers. And between 1962 and 2007 there were fifty-seven of these men who lost their lives. All of these corpsmen were killed far from their homes in places that include Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and the American Southwest. The contents of Luminous Base tells the individual story of each man, with some of these accompanied by comments from family or friends.

A Novel
Described by one reader as a cross between Pat Conroy's Lords of Discipline and Tom Clancy's Hunt for Red October, A Killing Shadow is a fictional account of the helicopter war in Vietnam. Set against the actual locations and historically accurate combat actions of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine units in 1969, the story weaves the exploits of First Lieutenant Ross Teemer, his friends Cat's Ass, Freud, Teach, and Blue Dog, and their nemesis, Major Richard Angus, around the aircraft and missions of that war. Infantry operations, helicopter resupply, recon team insert and extract, medevac, medical treatment, and close-air support serve as dramatic backdrops for the struggle of wills between determined men. Missions into Laos conducted by the Special Forces heighten the mystery surrounding Major Angus and builds the plot's military intrigue. Humorous, fast-moving, and full of characters you'll recognize from your own life experiences--military or civilian--A Killing Shadow is more than a good read; it's an engaging illustration of the extraordinary effort Americans made for South Vietnam and for each other.

A Novel
Cobra pilot Ross Teemer has killed for the CIA. Now he never wants to kill again. Love found on a beach will do that to a young man, even a Marine. But the father who haunts him, the CIA who needs him, and the Marine Crops who owns him, want on one more mission. Soviet pilot, Colonel Ivan Petrov, former advisor to the North Vietnamese, has left Soviet control to run his own operation out of Laos, and he knows why the CIA wants one more mission. Americans are so soft, so gullible. Sometimes a man must do what he's never wanted to do, and be what he's never wanted to be. Even if he's been betrayed, and even if he's on a one-way mission. [video introduction]

Kindle e-book
A short, fictional story based on actual people and events during a hazardous recon extraction mission in 1966 Viet Nam. The reader will ride in the cockpit of an H-34 helicopter and feel the action as the pilots did. Both men and women will enjoy this 30 minute read that is true to the tradition of "a live man's smile". Only available in digital format.

Marble Mountain presents a personal account of a young man's 1966 combat tour as a Marine helicopter pilot. Of the many books I have read about Vietnam, Marble Mountain wins hand down for its raw honesty, youthful naivety, and pure readability. Through riveting imagery, Bud Willis finally opens a window of understanding for readers of any age to experience the conflicting drama of one of the most challenging periods of American history. Gripping, heart-wrenching, and realistic, Bud's poignant memoir lingers with the reader well beyond the conclusion of the book with a powerful message that is as relevant today as it was 45 years ago. I thank the author and all of the men of VMO-2 for the patriotism, courage, and bravery that they demonstrated for future generations. They truly sparkled as shining examples othe Marine Corps's promise of "a few good men." This book should be required reading for all Americans, and its timing could make it a bestseller.

Dr. Dianne Sawyer
American Literature and English Language Instructor.

This is not a book by an experienced author nor will it be on a list of great literature, but you will laugh out loud while enjoying the tales of a great story teller. Live with John as he moves from boy to man, learning to accept responsibility for himself and others as he meets and exceeds his own expectations. As chance and opportunity presented themselves, and because John was in the right place at the right time, he reached out and took them. As circumstances unfolded and he was handed extra responsibility, he took the tiger by the tail and did the best he could. And, he never missed an opportunity to have fun while he was at it...

Writing about the United States Marine Corps has been a labor of love for me over the past 20-plus years as I've researched the materials for Books I & II, American Heroes: Grunts, Pilots & "Docs".  It didn't occur to me until recently that everyone who participated in this project has given future historians an important vignette of not only the Marine Corps but American history as it pertains to the Vietnam War and the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s.  The storiesthat are recounted are not big unit action tales of masses of men clashing but rather individual enlisted men's and junior officers' personal glimpses of what they saw and felt in combat situations...

In Book II, American Heroes: Grunts, Pilots & “Docs,” I relate the stories of Marines and Navy Corpsmen in combat in Vietnam and, as in Book I, their uncommon heroism. The following personal narratives tell the unique history of the times when idealistic young men served in the Marines in a war between two countries half the land mass of Texas on the other side of the earth to stop the spread of Communism...