Once We Flew

In 1958, a helicopter flew across cold, March sky, bringing wonderment to an eight-year-old boy watching from below. Eleven years later, that wonderment became reality as the young man enlisted in the US Army, completed helicopter flight training, and served three, combat tours of duty in Vietnam. Fifty years later, his story comes to life on the pages of Once We Flew. Sepesy straps the reader into his Huey helicopter, the iconic image of the Vietnam War, and shares vivid accounts of his journey from know-nothing new guy to Aircraft Commander and Flight Leader. As he offers insight into his experiences extracted from 2,200 combat flight hours, hundreds of combat assaults, and direct-support missions, Sepesy also introduces his brave band of brothers who served at his side, those who taught him the meaning of faith and how to fly and survive, as well as those who were indifferent or foolhardy. Finally, Sepesy leads the reader through his monumental struggles as he returned to civilian life and embarked down a new path to battle the scars of war, including PTSD. Meet the men who served at the author's side, in the air and on the ground; those who had faith in him and taught him how to fly and how to survive, as well as those indifferent or more interested in their self-absorbing egos. Meet those who earned the respect of fellow soldiers, those that would later be proud to comprise Sepesy's brave band of brothers--warrant officers with big mustaches, Seiko watches and bad attitudes. Aviators, nineteen years old, stupid and going to live forever--youths who commanded others and flew quarter-million-dollar aircraft, equipped with machine guns shooting real bullets, flying at 120 knots, nap of the earth. And, enjoy the unique, inherent humor of military life and the lighter moments of youthful pilots goofing off, their shenanigans and devil-may-care attitudes. "Give me my helicopter, tell me what you want done, then get the hell out of my way 'cause I'm gonna to do it." Returning to civilian life, and no longer indestructible, Sepesy faced new situations and responsibilities. But, the wounds and scars of war, the physical injuries and PTSD, along with memories and the military way of black-and-white, by-the-book thinking of live or die, presented new challenges and complicated every-day routines. Muddling through the more mundane obstacles of college and home, family and career became another struggle to overcome. During the next three decades, numerous ope