The Ravens: The Men Who Flew in America's Secret War in Laos

Drawing on materials that were, until recently, classified, this account depicts the intense air war fought over Laos and profiles the "Ravens," the pilots who risked their lives in this little-known field of war.

The Ravens were American forward air-controllers who directed strikes from vulnerable, low-flying spotter planes, mainly in support of a Meo general named Vang Pao in Laos. "Advised" by the CIA, this fierce warlord fought to keep the North Vietnamese out of the strategic Plain of Jars. Robbins (Air America) conveys the unique flavor of Raven-style combat and also explains how the diplomatic-military dynamics of the clandestine war in Laos fit into the overall American effort in Southeast Asia. The cast of characters is memorable: a swaggering, rowdy bunch of mavericks whom their parent service (the U.S. Air Force) had great difficulty controlling, they seemed to get by on sheer cussedness. According to the author, they suffered the highest casualty rate of the Indochinese War. Robbins describes the poignant plight of displaced Meo/Hmong tribespeople who have settled uneasily in the United Statesincluding General Paoand their ongoing struggle to "propitiate the alien spirits of America." Photos.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1961-75 the CIA ran a secret war in Laos, using Hmong tribesmen and covert U.S. Air Force air support. Ravens, USAF forward air controllers (FACs), flew low and slow over the battlefields, calling in air strikes on North Vietnamese soldiers. These men exposed themselves to every sort of risk. Robbins provides a detailed, readable account, with ample history and background to provide context. He is critical of U.S. military strategy and command, generally dismissive of extravagant claims against the CIA, and partial to the FACs. Likely to be popular with military buffs. Military Book Club main; Literary Guild alternate. Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army TRALINET Ctr., Fort Monroe, Va.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.