Flying Black Ponies The Navy's Close Air Support Squadron in Vietnam

The tragic, the comic, the terrifying, the poignant are all part of the story of the Black Pony pilots who distinguished themselves in the Mekong Delta between 1969 & 1972. Flying their Broncos "down & dirty, low & slow," they destroyed more enemies & saved more allied lives with close-air support than all the other naval squadrons combined during the three years they saw action. Author Kit Lavell was part of this squadron of "black sheep" given a chance to make something of themselves. The U.S. Navy's only land-based attack squadron, Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) flew support missions for the riverine forces, SEALs, & allied units in borrowed, propeller-driven OV-10s. For fixed-wing aircraft they were dangerous, unorthodox missions, a fact readers quickly come to appreciate. After two years of research, Lavell has been able to match many of the air operations to those on the ground & tell the dramatic story from both perspectives. One of several offered in the book is the bringing together of SEAL Barry Enoch, a Navy Cross recipient, & Black Pony pilot Larry Hone, a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, whose encounter is stunningly described in chapter 14. Lavell also provides vivid scenes of life & love away from combat & gives a concise history of the squadron along with details of its unique use of the OV-10.Lavell, Kit is the author of 'Flying Black Ponies The Navy's Close Air Support Squadron in Vietnam' with ISBN 9781557505217 and ISBN 1557505217.