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One reader of Cleared Hot!:
A Marine Combat Pilot's Vietnam Diary said, “I was a Marine "guy in the Back" of RF4 aircraft
for 13 years. One of the most important jobs of a Gib is to be the communicator. We learned that phraseology used over the
radio had to be precise and very clear. Make no mistake radio procedures are written in blood, widows and smoking holes. There
is absolutely no room for BS and colorful language. Col. Stoffe got it exactly right. He mentions one instance where a couple
of Air Force F4s got [messed] up and nearly killed themselves because their radio procedure was slack. Col. Stoffe does a
great job of telling his story. He was a warrior. He faced down the enemy time after time and survived. His book makes fascinating
reading for those like to read about men who could have a gunfight every day.
One reader of Cleared Hot!:
A Marine Combat Pilot's Vietnam Diary said is “an accurate account of a Vietnam pilot during his terms
of service in the Vietnam Conflict. Stoffey writes an account of his ordinary missions and his not so ordinary experiences.
The book is laced with heroic stories of Stoffey flying his OV-10 forward air support plane and "Dog" helicopter
against the "Gooners." In the OH-10 he organizes strikes and marks targets as well as gets in the action with his
centerline Gatling gun and rockets, which he's deadly accurate with. In the "Dog" Stoffey delivers much needed supplies
to Marine "Grunts" under heavy fire. He gets in fast while his .50 cal. gunners clear the way, drop their cargo,
and get out. The action just isn't in the air. There are accounts of rocket attacks and gunfire on the base, (near every night)
as well as raids by Gooners with satchel bombs.
If you're interested in war books,
this is one for you. Stoffey's style is technical and precise, using a lot of military abbreviations and terms, which adds
to its authenticity. Cleared Hot!: A Marine Combat Pilot's Vietnam Diary is written as you would expect a pilot of the time
to speak. He has that edge about him that defines a great pilot and a hero. This book is worth buying. As well as a good read,
it gives you a history lesson with a real sense of the danger involved.”
One reader of Cleared Hot!:
A Marine Combat Pilot's Vietnam Diary said, “Seeing "We Were Soldiers" with Mel Gibson immediately
reminded me of another powerful and true story during the Vietnam conflict - "Cleared Hot". I enjoyed Col. Stoffey's
account of his 440 combat missions in its original hardbound edition, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know what
it feels like to be in the cockpit and taking hostile fire when there's no turning back. I found the book both educational
and a delight to read. I've read it twice.”
One reader of Fighting
To Leave: The Final Years of America’s War in Vietnam, 1972-1973 said, “"Fighting to Leave"
is the ONLY military book, that is "Two-Dimensional"... in that, this military combat book covers the numerous political
errors and blunders by our government, while the military fought their way out of a war the politicians didn't want to win.
This book, written by one of the U.S. Marine Corps' highest decorated combat pilots, is a MUST READ for its extensive unraveling
of historical events chronologically describing the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, that is now currently repeating itself in
Iraq.”
One reader of Fighting
To Leave: The Final Years of America’s War in Vietnam, 1972-1973 said, “Fighting to Leave"
is a superb military book that truly reflects the U.S. government's lack of will to win the war in Vietnam by establishing
unacceptable "Rules of Engagement" that continuously and dangerously hampered our military in executing its missions
and without giving the "green light" for us to accomplish a swift and decisive military defeat of the North Vietnamese
government and the Viet-Cong. Fighting to Leave is an extremely detailed, yet easy to understand military book that tells
it how it really was... and we MUST LEARN these past lessons from it now in Iraq and in the future.”
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