Author William B. Scott presents "Combat Contrails: Vietnam": Stories from Combatants of the Vietnam War

Join local author and Vietnam-era veteran William B, Scott for a presentation based on his new book, Combat Contrails: Vietnam.  (Learn more about William B. Scott and his book at his website: New Book Released — COMBAT CONTRAILS: VIETNAM - William B. Scott (williambscott.com).)

This program will be held at the Manitou Springs Heritage Center, 517 Manitou Ave., 80829.

It has been nearly fifty years since the end of American involvement in the Vietnam War.  The stories of the troops that served in Vietnam have gone largely unknown, especially in print.  From the press release:

Almost half a century has passed, since American troops were pulled from South Vietnam. Typically, they came home to family, friends and colleagues who had no interest in hearing what those warriors had experienced. Aging Vietnam vets finally are being asked, “What was it really like to fight in that ugly war?” And they’re sharing their stories, many for the first time:

• An A-6 Intruder pilot’s private pre-mission musings, asking, “Am I ready to die?”

• A gutsy Marine calling in more than 450 five-inch rounds fired by two ships, wiping out an entire enemy battalion— half of which were Chinese regular troops. Why was that horrific battle at the Ca De River bridge covered up for 53 years?

• An F-105 Thunderchief pilot being shot down and rescued twice within a few weeks.

• A Navy helicopter gunship racing into the enemy’s killing-zone trap and its crew’s miraculous survival, thanks to a superb pilot’s next-to-impossible maneuvers. Then repeatedly flying back into that nightmare of blistering gunfire, because fellow Americans were pinned down.

COMBAT CONTRAILS: VIETNAM comprises 18 stories told by combatants who fought on the ground, in the air and over the water. From rescuing downed pilots as a determined enemy closed in, to dealing with a crazed water buffalo in the back of a lumbering C-123K transport, weathered warriors share their amazing, unforgettable Vietnam War experiences.

Read more from an interview with William B. Scott that appeared in The Big Thrill.

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William B. Scott is the former Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, author of The Permit, a techno-thriller novel based on the murder of his eldest son; contributor to License to Kill: The Murder of Erik Scott; and coauthor of Space Wars: The First Six Hours of World War III; Counterspace: The Next Hours of World War III, and Inside the Stealth Bomber: The B-2 Story. A Flight Test Engineer graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, he has logged 2,000 flight hours on 81 types of aircraft. He holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering.