Major John E. Flanagan, USA (ret.), was drafted into the arm in 1966.  After “graduating from flight school he went to Vietnam and served as a pilot and aircraft commander with the famous 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Retiring from the Army in 1986 as a Major, his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star (2 Awards), Distinguished Flying Cross (2 awards), Meritorious Service Medal (2 Awards), 54 Air Medals, and the Purple Heart. He is a Master Army Aviator and has logged over 3000 flight hours.”  Major John E. Flanagan is the author of Born in Brooklyn. . . . Raised in the CAV!

One reader of Born in Brooklyn. . . . Raised in the CAV! said, “Well, it certainly is a long journey from the dreary streets of Brooklyn to the miserable and dangerous fields and skies of Viet Nam at war. Major Flanagan has travelled this route and shares his adventure with the reader. He is a real American hero... as are all his brethren flying warrant officers. Yet he tells his story without bravado or arrogance. He is simply telling the story of his experience in Viet Nam as a young 19 year old plucked from the streets of Brooklyn and injected into the chaos of war . He writes of his training as well as his wartime experiences. Often his enemy was the weather as much as the NVA on the ground. Major Flanagan writes in a simple, readable style without pretension; his memories are direct, straightforward and sprinkled with a dash of Irish wit and humor. If one wants to know the life of an Army helo pilot on the front lines of the Viet Nam war, this is a book to read. Beyond the daily life of the helo pilot, we also learn the tactics of inserting ground troops as well as the bravery of these same troops. There are no politics in this memoir. This is a good story, easily read and a tribute to all the brave soldiers of the Viet Nam period.”