Sam McGowan

Air Force veteran Sam McGowan is a native of rural West Tennessee. He graduated from Trezevant, Tennessee high school and enlisted in the Air Force where he spent twelve years as an aircraft mechanic and aircraft loadmaster. He is a Vietnam combat veteran with over 1,200 combat sorties in C-130 transports and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with eleven oak leaf clusters. After obtaining a commercial pilots license, he left the military and began a career in civil aviation as a flight instructor and charter pilot. He recently retired from an aviation career in which he logged over 16,600 hours as a corporate pilot. Sam McGowan began writing in the 1980s as a contributor to VIETNAM magazine. His first book was published by TAB/Aero in 1988. He later authored a novel based on his military and cave exploration experiences. He has contributed numerous articles to magazines including World War II, Vietnam, Military History, WW II History, Air Force and Canoe. His books include a history of the U.S. Air Force tactical airlift mission, an update of his 1988 book about the C-130 troop carrier mission, a Vietnam novel, a memoir of his military experiences and another of his civilian flying carrier, a collection of his World War II articles and a history of West Tennessee. He has written a Civil War novel and a sequel that follows the main characters to Texas as well as several novels related to the Vietnam War. He currently resides in Texas.