When I heard Squadron was releasing this book, I just had to get my hands on a copy. During my time serving Uncle Sam, I was in an Air Cavalry unit in Vietnam, the 7/17th Air Cavalry, to be exact. The Aeroscouts were the bravest, toughest, scariest, craziest bad-asses in the unit, going out and picking fights with the North Vietnamese Army on a day-to-day basis. Getting shot out of the sky, then dusting themselves off and going back out to do it again the next day. I wanted to read about them!

Wayne Mutza has written several books on aviation, helicopters, and firefighting, and is well known to modelers through his work for Squadron/Signal and Schiffer Books. Mutza was also an Aeroscout during the Vietnam War, and gives us a good feel for what it was like to strap on an OH-6A “Loach” and fly off into “injun country”. Aeroscouts were the only aviators who fought the enemy face to face.

While the US Army was still developing the Air Cavalry concept, it was thrown into combat in Vietnam. Initially, the Bell Sioux and Hiller Raven helicopters filled the scouting role, but they were underpowered for the job required of them. It was the Hughes Cayuse, nicknamed the Loach, that became most well associated with air cavalry scouts, loved by its crews for its reliability, ease of handling, and more importantly – its survivability in a crash. These aircraft were flown low to the treetops and were highly susceptible to ground fire, but the Loach’s design often allowed its crew to walk away from the wreck. OH-6A’s suffered disproportionate casualties – of 1,417 produced, 842 were lost in Vietnam.

Despite the losses, the scout’s mission in Vietnam was critical; it was often the Aeroscouts who found the enemy. Scouts could read the signs of recent activity through a footprint in the mud, just like the cavalry scouts of long ago. When the enemy chose to reveal himself, the scout’s arsenal of Minigun, M-60, grenades, and homemade bombs came into play, making Charlie’s already bad day a hell of a lot worse.

This book is filled with photos, both in color and black and white, of Aeroscouts in action and helicopters and other aircraft. Mutza has interviewed over 30 former Aeroscouts and tells their stories of close calls, amazing escapes, and lost friends. The personal accounts by these men are humorous, touching and exciting, and I could read more of these.

Unlike most Squadron/Signal books, the Combat Chronicles Series books have no color plates of aircraft markings, just the front and back cover art by Don Greer. But the color photos show many markings and give good close-ups of Loaches and other aircraft that will inspire modelers to dig out their helicopter models from the closet.

I recommend this book highly to those interested in Vietnam era helicopters. Thanks to Squadron/Signal and IPMS/USA for the review copy.