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For many helicopter pilots,
"Chickenhawk" is one of the
most important (if not the
most important) books they
have ever read. Some got
hold of it before they started
flying, motivating them to do
it. Others discovered it during
their flying careers, or on their
retirement. The common
thing is that it stays with you
forever. It captures your mind
and your heart.
'CHICKENHAWK'
AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT MASON
Thanks to vivid descriptions
of training how to fly the
iconic UH-1D; but not only
this. The whole book shows
a very personal and intimate
account of a young Army
soldier, who joins the Vietnam
War. Very quickly he must
adapt to managing the stress,
flying into a wall of enemy fire
and, most importantly, how to
cope with loss and horrors of
the war. Robert Mason also
took part in one of the most
intense military operations of
the war: the battle of Ia Drang
in November 1965, where he
flew many combat details
under heavy enemy fire. This
book takes you on a journey
to a conflict-torn country,
where the author had to face
the hardest combat missions
on record.
"I did not know that
I wanted to fly. And
there is nothing I
wanted to fly more
than helicopters".
v
Robert sits on the skid of a huey helicopter
By Pte Lukasz Gancarz
Photos courtesy of Robert
Mason & the U.S. Veterans
Memorial MuseumDFTC
v
The front cover of Robert Mason's book Chickenhawk
