Stingers: Vietnam War - Helicopter Gunships Paperback – August 6, 2021

The author provides a lot of descriptive detail of his day to day experiences as a combat helicopter gun ship crew chief. I enjoyed this book and it brought back a lot of memories of my combat tour in Vietnam 1970 -71. I served with the First Air Cav, 2/5 in III Corp. and participated in the Cambodia incursion April 30th, 1970. I made it 49 days before being wounded. After 5 weeks at the 483rd Evac hospital, I returned to my unit to serve out my tour. I give a lot of credit to the medevac (dustoff) and gun ship crews for saving a tremendous amount of American lives. I salute you!

Introspective and detailed in delivery. A good book and an easy read. God bless him and all that have served our nation.

Very interesting to see the war from the perspective of a door gunner. Really brings that experience to life. Also does a good job of illustrating how the horrors of war build up in a person and can then fester for years if not properly treated and supported. Unfortunately our understanding of PTSD was in its infancy when the Vietnam veterans returned home. That is a terrible tragedy for all the men and women who served their country honorably in Vietnam but were then not served well but their country well in return.

"Stingers" is an appropriate title - if there ever were one - about the warning Nam in general and fighting aboard US Army Calvary gunships onboard Huey helicopters beginning in 1970-71. Fred Allen misses little in detail as he enters the war at the vulnerable age of 18, insisting along the way that he be positioned as a Door Gunner when fighting vast numbers of NVA and the comparatively few Viet Cong. Rapidly we descend into a hellish, sometimes gruesome series of attack missions that "takes us there" with the narrative running at a decent clip, no less. Time is of the essence as we see for ourselves that youth fighting for 12 months lose their patriotic zeal....and this is replaced with a simple will to survive. Not every attack orchestrated against US soldiers were at the hands of enemy troops; the author describes the impossible task of trying to get soldiers in guard towers guarding perimeters with full auto weaponry, to put aside their heroin needles and opium....and keep alert for impending NVA attacks. It was dangerous just speaking with our own Infantry about limiting their rampant drug use. As the author points out....by making hard drugs cheap and with near-limitless supply, our own military became infested with low morale, non- professionalism, sheer lack of duty and responsibility....and the enemy did this without firing a shot!Truth be told, Light does illumine some scenes where the author refuses orders to shoot an unarmed child, standing still and petrified at the sight of many recently-shot bodies all around him. And yet again, the author disobeyed direct orders to assassinate a lone, unarmed child as the chopper banked and flew back to base....We catch, for added emphasis, the news reports back in the US as Americans take up the anti-war stance at the end of every fast-paced chapter. The feelings of fighting for a lost cause becomes magnified with every newspaper clipping received by grunts and pilots alike. The "why are we here?" perspective takes its toll on every mission outbound....and in. It was a perfect hell, but not without more incredibly painful chapters to be lived....and perhaps written about. Truth is ...we have this wealth of hurt, of memories seared into the author's permanent memory, no less. This is why every time I see a Vietnam War Veteran, I thank them for fighting what was for them...a thankless war. I tell them that THEIR CAUSE taught America never again to fight wars unwinnable - but alas, this incredible group of men and women did their utmost best nevertheless...I hope the author might consider an addendum to this book; I wish to know about the hurt inflicted upon our own soldiers by our own people! Alas, this too came to pass. I hope Fred Allen goes into detail about everyday events whereby American citizens treated HIM as if HE we're the enemy.War is Hell.If you think you've got it in you to descend into it through the eyes of an 18 year old, then venture forth. I promise you, it is a story you'll soon not forget.....

This was a well written story about gun ships durring the Veitnam War . Full of exciting war stories and battles fought by our brave young men who our country did not get the respect that they deserved. Thanks to all of our Veitnam Veterans

This young man’s will to survive was amazing. No wonder he had so many issues when he returned. I salute all who had to serve. Another amazing story about the fearless helicopter pilots.

As with all the other chopper over Nam books, I skipped through the pages of boot camp, AIT, personal life and all that and went straight to Nam. Allen’s story is different in tone and darker. I’m glad he didn’t kill that kid, too. If you read the book you’ll understand. The rules of engagement were loosely defined and Vietnamese out in their rice paddies with their water buffaloes were at high risk. I see now for the first time why they didn’t want us over there. If you were a “dink” you could get shot just based on a judgement call, and Allen goes into this moral dilemma quite frankly.

I don't think that I ever met or know the author. But in the 6 years that the Company served in Viet Nam,many things changed. And the unit was assigned to 3 different areas of the Country. But very little of whatthe author writes about is familiar to my recollections. Several other Unit members contacted me and asked if I knew anything about the author, as they had the same feelings that he must be talking about a different unit that we knew.

This book delves into what it was really like for the young soldiers that were sent to Vietnam. It also tells of the ignorance, arrogance and incompetence of the U.S. federal government and their military in regard to the war. Far too many young American lives were lost because of those attitudes. I will never understand the response of the American people towards the returning military personnel, especially considering that many of them were drafted and had no say in the matter. None of it should have ever happened.

I have been retired from the USAF for more than 25 years as a 20 year veteran. I also grew up being a God fearing, Flag waving patriot. I was both a Cub and Boy Scout and took lots of pride in my uniforms. I am old enough to have worried about being drafted. Fortunately, Nixon ended the draft when I was 16. Because of the draft, my plan, during high school, was to enlist in the AF as soon as I graduated. I had no plan B, so after a year of dead end jobs, I enlisted anyway. Best decision of my life. I had several superiors who served in the Vietnam War. One was an ex-Marine who was wounded in the battle for Hue. None were very willing to share their stories. They prompted me to read about the War and I have read many, many books by Vietnam Veterans over the last 45+ years.Fred Allen’s memoir is one of the very best. His easy to read style and short chapters make this book very hard to put down. I read it in three sittings.God Bless you, Fred and Thank You for your service and patriotism.Sincerely, Horace J. (Johnny) Marceaux Jr. USAF (Ret)

a great read. Action plenty of, great courage, what heroes!

Captivating personal account of an eighteen year old's two year journey from patriotism and duty to basic physical and emotional survival. Nice bit of writing Fred. Enlightening. Sobering. Words of Vietnam combat veterans brings many emotions. Especially sadness . To give so much. To get so little in return. Sad. But i am one who values what you did, Fred. In that one year.. And the years since. Thank you.

A good and heartfelt story by a young man thrust into the barbarism of war and it's aftermath. Worth reading.