Operation Thunderhead

The incredible true story of a top secret mission to resuce POWs in Vietnam. In the last year of the Vietnam conflict, even as American troops were leaving for home, there were still those fighting for their lives: prisoners of war being held in the Communist north. There were two operations launched to rescue the POWs. One—the legendary Son Tay Raid—was revealed to the public. The other was classified as Top Secret. This is the incredible true story of that almost-forgotten mission... Among the personnel recruited for Operation Thunderhad was a select group of operators from both the U.S. Navy SEALs and the Underwater Demolition Teams who knew that if they were captured, they would be killed, tortured, or simply disappear. They went in anyway. Here, for the first time, the details of Operation Thunderhead are revealed—the mission, the materials, and the men who put their lives on the line to save their brothers in arms.

It is the year 2039 and the planet teeters on the brink of environmental disaster. Continued over-production and pollution has depleted all resources and made it difficult for people to find the staples of life: food; water even clean air, are all becoming increasingly difficult to find. Countries stand on the brink of war over resources, and the big political powers position themselves to covertly control the aftermath. The Cairo Environment Summit in the summer is meant to allow everybody to come to a point of agreement on what to do but the ageing political powerhouses seem intent only on injuring each other. The Old World wants immediately to limit activity, to reduce the human impact of over production. Their New World antagonists aren’t convinced, wanting to survey the planet’s resources and human activity ostensibly to identify the real causes, but really to consolidate their position before cuts happen. Whoever gains the upper hand in the war of words stands to win the war. However both Presidents vacillate over what to do, mindful of the opposing and competing political and environmental agendas that could derail the whole process. In Europe there is much talking and procrastinating while in the USA the Vice-President begins to position himself to take over from an increasingly unpopular President. Ever determined to stay one step ahead of the Old World, the US turns to its main technology partner who is the world leader in the embedded chip technology. Both powers extol the virtues of this interface which allows the user to access the internet and to maintain contact with family, friends and work colleagues by providing a direct connection between the brain and outside communications. It revolutionises living in the States: Europeans are less embracing, going for the more limited Omni chip over the American Zeus chip which provides an always on connection. After a powerful demonstration of its capabilities the US Government commits itself to a covert operation over which it finds it has increasingly less control. It’s own Senate Committee investigations on environmental change challenge the wisdom of the country’s stance but the two key witnesses soon realise they are fighting a losing battle with all save, perhaps, the chairperson. When the deaths begin, mysterious and without apparent cause, detectives in Europe seek to find out who might be behind the apparently unconnected but similar sudden deaths. In the US secret services agencies wonder whether they can stay on top of the increasing number of human infiltrations that threaten the very security of the country and the military stability of the world. KEY CHARACTERS: George Aspen: 50-something ex Greenpeace activist and eminent environmentalist. He is giving evidenceto the Senate Committee, along with European counterpart and long-time friend Roland Didot, on the state of the environment. When perfectly healthy Didot dies from an unexplained heart attack, George finds himself in a race to save his own life. Gary Knight: 30-something British detective is confronted with evidence that somebody is able to control the embedded chip now vital for military communications. It’s his job to find the person responsible and bring them to justice. He never thought it would take him to the jungles of Panama, masquerading as a network engineer. Andrea Callaghan: young, hot-headed but supremely intelligent computer specialist who is called upon to give expert advice on chip technology and finds herself part of a covert team to uncover and stop the organisation infiltrating the chip. Tod Carter: RAF Typhoon pilot of supreme capability but with the ghost of ex-action in Macedonia which saw him compromise. He is called in to provide infiltration and exfiltration to Gary and Andrea because of his expert knowledge on a wide range of aircraft. Max Stoller: enigmatic and controlling CEO of Stoller Industries dreams of controlling the world from behind the scenes, using his chip technology to infiltrate the minds of the world’s politicians and military leaders. When they ask him for help he cannot believe his luck. Vladimir Nickolayev: a young Russian gaming and computing expert who is employed by Stoller to increase the ability of the Zeus chip. Supremely arrogant, Nickolayev will take any risk and do anything to steal power from Stoller and take the man’s dream with him. Sven Amundsen: Norwegian born European President who never seems able to make the difficult decision even though he knows what he needs to do. Driven by committee and destined it seems never to achieve the greatness of, say, his US or Russian counterparts. Carl Matthews: the US President forced into office by a scandal which rocked the previous administration. Unsure of his popularity and easily diverted from course Matthews is caretaking until the next elections and appears to be in trouble. Alan d’Amato: Matthews’ Italo-American vice-President who lusts for the power of office and seeks to usurp his commander-in-chief. d’Amato has a strong sense of duty to his country first and will do anything to ensure that America stands against the rest of the world and comes out on top. Lieutenant Benjamin Foley: heads up a crack US Marines unit designed to work behind enemy lines and wreak havoc. Captain Kate Mallory: SAS officer sent to the USA to extract George Aspen so he can give evidence at the Cairo Summit. Appeal: Operation Thunderhead is a fast paced thriller with multiple relationships that ranges across the planet. It gives the reader causes to explore as well as think about while having enough pace to encourage page turning. There are multiple threads and storylines which keep the reader guessing while not making it too hard to read and follow. In the style of 24 the action keeps the reader wanting to turn the next page in case they miss any action. And the end isn’t necessarily what you think it is.

Beginning with the birth of combat aircraft in World War I and the early attempts to rescue warriors trapped behind enemy lines, Leave No Man Behind chronicles in depth nearly one hundred years of combat search and rescue (CSAR). All major U.S. combat operations from World War II to the early years of the Iraq War are covered, including previously classified missions and several Medal-of-Honor-winning operations. Authors George Galdorisi and Tom Phillips (both veteran U.S. Navy helicopter pilots) highlight individual acts of heroism while telling the big-picture story of the creation and development of modern CSAR. Although individual missions have their successes and failures, CSAR, as an institution, would seem beyond reproach, an obvious necessity. The organizational history of CSAR, however, is not entirely positive. The armed services, particularly the U.S. Air Force and Navy, have a tendency to cut CSAR at the end of a conflict, leaving no infrastructure prepared for the next time that the brave men and women of our armed forces find themselves behind enemy lines. The final chapter has not yet been written for U.S. combat search and rescue, but in view of the life-saving potential of these forces, an open and forthright review of U.S. military CSAR plans and policies is long overdue. Beyond the exciting stories of heroic victories and heartrending defeats, Leave No Man Behind stimulates debate on this important subject.

Earl “Dusty” Trimmer relates with both skill and personal experience events surrounding our most forgetable and misunderstood war in America’s history. He brings it all home with his down-to-earth style and considerable knowledge. In Unbreakable Hearts, Dusty dives into the Vietnamese history and culture and skillfully brings the reader into understanding our Vietnamese enemy’s amazing resolve. He brilliantly explains the evolution of our Vietnamese enemy over hundreds of years of invasions and wars. Always defending their country to remain free became an art. In Chapter 7, Dusty describes the Vietnamese women fighters as “Hellcats.” My own experience with the formidable Vietnamese Viet Cong women’s skills and expertise closely mirrors Dusty’s. Hooch girls could plant booby traps in a GI’s hooch with a skill and savvy they were forced to learn during decades of on-the-job training in continuous wars with unwelcomed invaders. My own Military Police experience after leaving the infantry revealed these incidents vividly. In later chapters, Dusty moves into our own veterans’ profound resolve and toughness. North Vietnam’s famed General Giap called us “an honorable enemy.” One could suggest from this writing that our enemy taught us well. We did things in the Vietnam War the average person would have to go to the movies to believe. After reading Trimmer’s descriptions, I must conclude that indeed this book could be one for the movie industry. Dusty Trimmer brings to life our days and nights living and fighting in these foreboding jungle warfare conditions. After reading this fine work and reflecting on my own experiences, I cut away a little more of the pain. Pride swells for having served with all of these wonderful veterans of the Vietnam War. Pain for our terrible losses. For myself, these experiences culminated in wisdom I would otherwise have failed to achieve. God bless Dusty for telling our story. Forward march, Brothers!

Students, military historians, and casual readers will all find this compelling collection useful in learning about escape strategies, hostage situations, and rescue operations during times of conflict. Great Wartime Escapes and Rescues tells the captivating stories of dozens of escapes and rescues from conflicts dating from the 16th century to present, with extensive coverage of the world wars of the 20th century and the Vietnam War. In addition, escapes and rescues related to terrorist activities and regional conflicts are featured. Some stories of escapes and rescues included in this work have been written about extensively and portrayed in films, including The Great Escape and Captain Phillips' rescue by Navy SEALs. Other stories are less widely known but just as absorbing. The book opens with a detailed introductory essay that illuminates the government policies and tactics various countries have used to rescue soldiers and civilians during wartime, as well as the diverse methods that prisoners of war have used to escape notorious camps and prisons. The entries, organized alphabetically, are augmented by engaging sidebars related to the escapes and rescues. The book also includes references to such sources as autobiographies, biographies, news accounts, and interviews with veterans.

The assassination of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team 6 in May 2011 will certainly figure among the greatest achievements of US Special Forces. After nearly ten years of searching, they descended into his Pakistan compound in the middle of the night, killed him, and secreted the body back into Afghanistan. Interest in these forces had always been high, but it spiked to new levels following this success. There was a larger lesson here too. For serious jobs, the president invariably turns to the US Special Forces: the SEALs, Delta Force, the Green Berets, and the USAF's Special Tactics squad. Given that secretive grab-and-snatch operations in remote locales characterize contemporary warfare as much as traditional firefights, the Special Forces now fill a central role in American military strategy and tactics. Not surprisingly, the daring and secretive nature of these commando operations has generated a great deal of interest. The American public has an overwhelmingly favorable view of the forces, and nations around the world recognize them as the most capable fighting units: the tip of the American spear, so to speak. But how much do we know about them? What are their origins? What function do they fill in the larger military structure? Who can become a member? What do trainees have to go through? What sort of missions do Special Forces perform, and what are they expected to accomplish? Despite their importance, much of what they do remains a mystery because their operations are clandestine and the sources elusive. In The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know, eminent scholar John Prados brings his deep expertise to the subject and provides a pithy primer on the various components of America's special forces. The US military has long employed Special Forces in some form or another, but it was in the Cold War when they assumed their present form, and in Vietnam where they achieved critical mass. Interestingly, the Special Forces suffered a rapid decline in numbers after that conflict despite the fact that the United States had already identified terrorism as a growing security threat. The revival of Special Forces began under the Reagan administration. After 9/11 they experienced explosive growth, and are now integral to all US military missions. Prados traces how this happened and examines the various roles the Special Forces now play. They have taken over many functions of the regular military, a trend that Prados does not expect will end any time soon. This will be a definitive primer on the elite units in the most powerful military the world has ever known.

Four military histories from a writer “whose fine work should be of great interest . . . both to casual readers and to uniformed students of special ops” (Publishers Weekly). An expert in military affairs, Orr Kelly reveals the cutting-edge technology and jaw-dropping courage of the US military’s elite forces on land, sea, and air. Brave Men, Dark Waters: Originating in World War II as Underwater Demolition Teams, the Navy SEALs are the best of the best in the armed forces—known for their toughness and fearlessness, and their remarkable ability to get the job—any job—done. Facing America’s enemies across the globe, these modern warriors were the first to enter the fight in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, and Iraq. Brave Men, Dark Waters is “the most complete in-depth study of this fabled elite unit” (Library Journal). Never Fight Fair!: Here, in their own words, are the true accounts of the US Navy SEALs—from their formation in World War II to the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq. In this riveting oral history, these brave men speak openly about their training and their missions, offering the uncensored, inspiring, and sometimes shocking truth about their combat triumphs and their rare but devastating failures. Hornet: Born in 1978, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet has forever changed the way America’s wars are fought. This is the fascinating true story of the controversial development and deployment of the state-of-the-art supersonic fighter and attack aircraft with a top speed of more than one thousand miles per hour. Kelly details how Hornet came to be, how it was nearly doomed by an unprecedented political battle, and how it has served ably in combat from its first mission in Libya to Operation Desert Storm and well beyond. From a Dark Sky: Very little is known about US Air Force Special Operations—yet their exploits have been as daring and their achievements as remarkable as anything accomplished by their brother warriors. Since World War II, these ultrasecretive air commandos have routinely performed the nearly impossible, from providing air support for partisans in Nazi-occupied France to participating in clandestine CIA operations in Vietnam and Cambodia to secretly inserting covert operatives into North Korea. From a Dark Sky is “a well-conceived and well-executed, well-deserved tribute to an uncommonly fine body of American warriors” (Booklist).