Air Evac, Signed (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Very fine assumed first edition inscribed and dated on the fep, book of 275 pages with illustrations is tight, bright, and clean, free of markings. Dust jacket is also fine. Inscribed by Author(s).

Trade paperback. Condition: Very good. First Printing [Stated]. [6], 276, [6] pages. Illustrations. Inscribed and dated by the author on the title page. Inscription reads: Feb. 10, 2011, To Dave, Best Wishes, Richard C. Kirkland. An inspiring first-hand account by military aviation pioneer Richard Kirkland recounts how he and a handful of daring helicopter pilots revolutionized battlefield medical evacuation and blazed the trail for modern air-evac flying. Prior to the Korean War, the helicopter was all but unknown, and rescue was uncertain at best for downed pilots and wounded soldiers stranded behind enemy lines. In MASH ANGELS Richard Kirkland recounts his experiences on the front lines of rescue flying and military medicine. Kirkland, a fighter pilot in the Pacific theatre in World War II, came to helicopter flying after the war almost by accident. Many military higher-ups had little use for this new, worthless contraption. But its life-saving performances in the Korean War quickly changed minds. The helicopter was the perfect partner for another revolution in military medical care the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, or MASH, and the book also documents the real-life experiences of the MASH characters so familiar from the hit TV series: the nurses, surgeons (including the real Hawkeye ), and helicopter pilots who forged a new era in military medical care. Helicopters of the Third Air Rescue Group were given credit for picking up 846 pilots and aircrew from behind enemy lines during the Korean War, writes Richard Kirkland. Add to that 8,373 soldiers and airmen we snatched from the battlefields and air-taxied to the front-line MASH. Quite a feat for a handful of taxi drivers. Richard Kirkland was one the pilots who pioneered the use of helicopters for battlefield medical evacuation. In this book, he recounts his experiences on the front lines of rescue flying and military medicine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, six Air Medals, and the USAF Commendation Medal. After his Korean war service he was an executive in the aerospace industry. At the outbreak of WWII Richard Kirkland joined the Army Air Corps and served in the famous "Flying Knights" Fighter Squadron with Major Dick Bong, America's all time ace of aces. Lieutenant Kirkland flew 103 combat missions in P-38 and P-47 fighters dogfighting Japanese Zeros, attacking enemy installations, ships, and flying escort for bombers. After WWII, Lt. Kirkland was assigned to a top secret project of testing atomic bombs in the Marshall Islands. When the project was declassified, he wrote "The Ultimate Game," the story of his fascinating experiences with atomic bombs. During the Korean War, Captain Kirkland traded his wings for rotors and flew 69 helicopter missions rescuing downed pilots from behind enemy lines and snatching wounded soldiers from the battlefield at the 8055 MASH, home of the infamous "Hawkeye." There was a real Hawkeye: Captain Sam Gelfand! Major Kirkland was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, five Air Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal and both the U.S. and Korean Presidential citations for his service in WWII and the Korean War. After his military service Richard joined Howard Hughes' Aircraft Division and subsequently in sales and management at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, and Boeing Aircraft. He has written and published numerous magazine short stories and articles, and four non fiction books about his experiences.