Hornet 33: Memoir of a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam

Ed Denny

Oct 2016 · McFarland

About this eBook

Combat helicopter pilots in the Vietnam War flew each mission facing the possibility of imminent death. Begun as a series of attempted letters to the Department of Veterans Affairs, this compelling memoir of an aircraft commander in the 116th Assault Helicopter Company--"The Hornets"--relates his experience of the war in frank detail.

From supporting the 25th Infantry Division's invasion of Cambodia, to flying the lead aircraft in the 101st Airmobile Division's pivotal Operation Lam Son 719 invasion of Laos to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail at LZ Hope, the author recounts the traumatic events of his service from March 1970 to March 1971.

Ratings and reviews

My brother was Hornet 26.(Jan 68-Nov 68) I was a career guy and served in the 25th Inf Div from Oct 68 til Oct 69. My brother met me at LBJ when I arrived in country. We flew to Ci Chi where I got into the rt. front seat while he got in the left front seat of his slick and we toured the division area. This book brings back many memories and correctly depicts the VN war. It highlights many stupid decisions made by commanders who never thought of the consequences of their actions. Often untrained people were given flying jobs to earn Air Medals which resulted them causing accidents (flare ship) resulting in crash and horrifying death of the entire crew ( two known incidents). The Hornets were famous for their combat assault landings.They were in and out with minimum time in the LZ. This was good for the troops and the helicopters. I was S1 1st Bde , S3 4th Bn 23d Inf (Mech) & Chief of Opns G3 25th Inf Div during my tour.

This memoir is a heart felt look into the world of the author. He pulls no punches, nothing is glorified, and he shares his personal thoughts that are candid. Excellent read which will make you think about the book, the war, and we as human beings.

Absolutely phenomenal account. I know that Chickenhawk is the more famous of the two, and I loved chickenhawk, but Hornet 33 beat the hell out of it. This is truly an amazing account of the late era stage of Vietnam. Mr. Denny is truly an American treasure.

About the author

The late Ed Denny was a retired architect. He lived in Denton, Texas.