Paratrooper: My Life with the 101st Airborne Division

Paratrooper: My Life with the 101st Airborne Division

Author: Michael B. Kitz-Miller

Publisher: Page Publishing Inc

Published: 2015-08-17

Total Pages: 295

ISBN-13: 1681396378

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Paratrooper is the autobiography of a young man’s time with the famed 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles.” With not the finances to finish his senior year in college and a looming draft, it leads to his enlisting in the U.S. Army. With thoughts of Officer’s Candidate School, Private Michael B. Kitz-Miller heads for a newly designed Basic Training course for soldiers planning to attend Airborne School. High performance results in Leadership School and Acting Sergeant in Advanced Infantry School. At Airborne School he is a runner-up for Honor Graduate from his original class of 1,000 soldiers. Finally, the new paratrooper boards a bus for Ft. Campbell and the 101st. His first job is as an M-60 machine gunner, scoring expert his first time on the weapons range. Numerous operations follow – Cold Eagle, Swift Strike II, Desert Strike and the surprise Operation Delawar, jumping into Iran in 1964 as part of the U.S. STRIKE Command. All produce commendations and after winning the Division Soldier-of-the-Month competition a promotion to Sergeant. He soon becomes part of the Battalion Mountaineering cadre. The rigors of Recondo School and its incredible 35 percent graduation rate follow, offering a shot at Honor Graduate. Having won Battalion and Brigade competitions, the young paratrooper enters and finds himself a finalist in the Division’s Soldier-of-the-Year competition. Tough career decisions follow. The story ends with Sergeant Kitz-Miller’s opportunity, 50 years later to compare key issues that confronted him as a soldier with those of today. The evaluation of Officers and NCOs, leadership and mentoring are but a few. His final chapters on Just War Theory and current Rules of Engagement provide provocative ideas about how to address our current policies on terrorist states. Above all, it is the story of a very successful Paratrooper that loved the Airborne Infantry.


My Life as an M.P.

My Life as an M.P.

Author: Thomas E. Oblinger

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2009-10-30

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 1465334270

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This is the true story of a draftee in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps during the mid-1960s. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 describe Army life in detail from the Draft Board Office in November 1965, to the Induction Station in Detroit, the Reception Station and Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on through Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Chapters 4 and 5 cover duties the 218th MP Company serving a peace-keeping mission in the Dominican Republic, to the 503rd MP Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Chapter 6 describes duties as an MP guard with the 22nd MP Platoon (100th MP Battalion) at the Fort Bragg Post Stockade. Chapter 7 brings Tom Homeward Bound, and Chapter 8 tells of Life after Olive Drab. The author illustrates how humorous life in Olive Drab can be, while describing many serious aspects of Military Police duty.


Runway Visions

Runway Visions

Author: David Kirk Vaughan

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2024-09-12

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 1476652716

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From February 1967 to April 1968, David Vaughan flew the Lockheed C-130 Hercules in Southeast Asia. Initially a co-pilot, he moved up to aircraft commander and then instructor pilot as he mastered the challenges of landing on very short, unimproved airstrips in difficult terrain and bad weather. He describes his progression from inexperienced novice to veteran flyer as he learned his trade under combat conditions. Vaughan's airlift missions took him to more than 50 fields in South Vietnam, from the Delta in the south to the DMZ in the north, carrying supplies, mail, food, ammunition, and soldiers alive, wounded, and dead. Among his most harrowing flights were resupply missions into the U.S. Marine base at Khe Sanh during the most intensive days of the 1968 Tet offensive. This expanded and revised edition of his memoir details several additional episodes and features more than twice as many photographs as appeared in the original edition.


My Country, My Life

My Country, My Life

Author: Ehud Barak

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2018-05-08

Total Pages: 586

ISBN-13: 1466892080

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD The definitive memoir of one of Israel's most influential soldier-statesmen and one-time Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, with insights into forging peace in the Middle East. In the summer of 2000, the most decorated soldier in Israel's history—Ehud Barak—set himself a challenge as daunting as any he had faced on the battlefield: to secure a final peace with the Palestinians. He would propose two states for two peoples, with a shared capital in Jerusalem. He knew the risks of failure. But he also knew the risks of not trying: letting slip perhaps the last chance for a generation to secure genuine peace. It was a moment of truth. It was one of many in a life intertwined, from the start, with that of Israel. Born on a kibbutz, Barak became commander of Israel's elite special forces, then army Chief of Staff, and ultimately, Prime Minister. My Country, My Life tells the unvarnished story of his—and his country's—first seven decades; of its major successes, but also its setbacks and misjudgments. He offers candid assessments of his fellow Israeli politicians, of the American administrations with which he worked, and of himself. Drawing on his experiences as a military and political leader, he sounds a powerful warning: Israel is at a crossroads, threatened by events beyond its borders and by divisions within. The two-state solution is more urgent than ever, not just for the Palestinians, but for the existential interests of Israel itself. Only by rediscovering the twin pillars on which it was built—military strength and moral purpose—can Israel thrive.


I Never Liked Those C-130's Anyway

I Never Liked Those C-130's Anyway

Author: Terry Wilbur Smith

Publisher: Trafford Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1412004071

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Your chance to relive a little piece of "The Good Old Days" and find the answers to these burning questions: Which future Coast Guard Captain said "Shit, Mal, let's do a 360 and get out of here." Which Coast Guard astronaut said, when asked to describe his scariest moment, "Flying as Malcolm Smith's co-pilot." Which Coast Guard aviator got the blame for putting training wheels and streamers on the commanding officer's and XO's new bicycles. Which Coast Guard aviator threw up in his glove while flying rather than make a mess in the cockpit. This book brings back some of the funniest moments of the Coast Guard during the time period between the "Old Guard" and the new modern Coast Guard. "For more than two decades, Mal has threatened to write a book to chronicle his many colorful experiences during his Coast Guard aviation career. Mal can spin a tale better than any sailor and his exploits in and out of the cockpit are indeed legendary. But the fact is, the closer he gets to the completion of this life-long dream of his, the more nervous I become. I can't wait to read it!" RADM David W. Kunkel, COAST GUARD AVIATOR #1726 "Malcolm Smith is a master storyteller with a flair for finding humor in everyday activities and recounting his observations with entertaining splendor that leaves you thirsting for another. Since meeting him when I was a teenager in Alaska, I have been absorbed by his colorful renditions and have long awaited this composition. I just hope I'm not the subject in one of his stories." CAPT. E. Darrell Nelson, COMMANDING OFFICER, CGAS KODIAK


C-130 Hercules

C-130 Hercules

Author: Martin W. Bowman

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2017-07-30

Total Pages: 673

ISBN-13: 1473863201

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“An engaging retrospective on the long-lived and ubiquitous C-130 Hercules tactical airlifter . . . Sweeping in its scope . . . an invaluable reference.” —Aviation History Designed in response to a 1951 requirement, the C-130 Hercules is the most successful military airlifter ever built. Since it first flew in prototype form on August 23, 1954, more than 2,100 have been produced in over eighty different versions. Across its variants, the Hercules serves more than sixty air forces, as well as many civilian cargo operators, in a multiplicity of roles, including air-to-air refueller, gunship, airborne command post, flying hospital, and firefighter. This rugged and easily maintained aircraft entered service in 1956 with the USAF Tactical Air Command. Ten years later, the “Charlie 130” was providing essential logistical support in Vietnam. This period in Southeast Asia was the Hercules’ finest hour. Paradrops, airlift, and evacuation operations were completed around the clock, often at low level, usually under fire and nearly always in bad weather. A generation later, this “Mr. Dependable” was serving with equal distinction in the Gulf War in the role of airlifter, radio-countermeasures, and “psy-ops” platform, gunship and, once again, “block-buster bomber.” The “Herky Bird” or “Fat Albert,” as the C-130 is fondly known, has proved a key component in humanitarian relief operations, as well, in all parts of the world. “Martin’s technical and informative look at their creation and use is absolutely fascinating. An iconic aircraft gets Martin’s VIP treatment in this wonderful book.” —Books Monthly “A history of an aviation great, from the pen of a popular and well-established author of aviation history.” —Firetrench


The Life Story of Lester Sumrall

The Life Story of Lester Sumrall

Author: Lester Sumrall

Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group

Published: 2003-03

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 0892215321

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An extraordinary biography of an extraordinary man. Few evangelists have seen as much of the world as Lester Sumrall witnessed. When he died in 1996, Sumrall had spent 65 years serving the Lord, and this thoroughly entertaining biography examines the life of one of the most colorful preachers of the 20th century.


The Teacher

The Teacher

Author: Shawn Martin

Publisher: Page Publishing Inc

Published: 2019-03-13

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 164462544X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Sara is a waitress at Bum's Dell. She is kidnapped one night by a woman calling herself the Teacher. The Teacher carries out a plan of rape and torture on Sara for a wrong she's convinced Sara has committed against her. Murdered in a brutal fashion, Sara is recruited to the Ghost Academy by Gil. There she is taught how to seek out and find her killer. She emerges back into the home of Paul and Leah Simms. Leah is recovering from a horrible car accident that had left her in a coma and with amnesia. As Sara starts her journey to find the identity of her killer, Paul and Leah become involved in an increasing amount of activity in their house. They enlist the help of a friend Tasha, who is a ghost hunter, to help them rid the house of Sara. What follows is a battle of wills against each other. Sara's drive to find the one who killed her and to stop that person from ever being able to hurt anyone again. Along with Paul and Leah's mission to rid their house of this spirit and get their lives and their house back to normal, will Sara complete her mission, or will an intrepid group of ghost hunters led by Tasha find a way to get Sara out of the house? This battle of wills will hit head-on as the investigation goes on as both sides try to find the identity of the Teacher.


Shadows of a Forgotten Past

Shadows of a Forgotten Past

Author: Paul French

Publisher: Helion and Company

Published: 2012-12-19

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 1909384364

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This all-new work chronicles the experiences of Paul French who, upon leaving the British Army's 21 SAS (V), sought adventure and excitement in C Squadron of the Rhodesian SAS. Upon passing the arduous Rhodesian SAS selection course, Paul was thrown into the maelstrom that was the Rhodesian Bush War. Here he participated in the SAS's infamous raid on Joshua Nkomo and numerous other operations against insurgent / liberation forces. Passing selection for Ron Reid-Daly's elite counterinsurgency specialists, the Selous Scouts, the author took part in 'externals' against FRELIMO and ' attachments' with the Mozambique National Resistance. Paul continued to serve on operations with the Rhodesian SAS until the end of the 'Chimurenga' in 1980. Paul then went on to join the South African Defense Force's elite 6 Reconnaissance Commando. A career in private security followed, with a series of assignments in Angola, Iraq and Somalia. This impressive book pulls no punches. It gives a unique and purposefully opinionated insight into the workings of the Rhodesian SAS and the Selous Scouts. It tells of the missions that succeeded and of the many that failed. It notes simply and succinctly the sheer stress and danger of special forces operations - all of which were deep in enemy-held territory with the threat of capture and death. Attempts to blow rail lines, helicopter assaults, pseudo-operations, the laying of deadly ambushes and risky parachute inserts are candidly related, accompanied by an unparalleled selection of photographs, most of which have never been published before. Born in West London, Paul French first sought military adventure in the County of London Yeomanry and then 21 SAS (V). Here, Paul discovered a yearning for hard work and arduous duty. A subsequent defence contract took him to Abu Dhabi where he learnt of Rhodesia and its attractions. Holidaying in Rhodesia, Paul took the opportunity to join the Rhodesian Army, serving with the renowned Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts. In 1980, Paul moved to the South African Defence Force, joining its elite 6 Reconnaissance Commando. Upon leaving the SADF a career in private security followed. An accomplished skydiver, Paul has thousands of jumps to his credit, and still jumps today. Married to Petah, Paul has three children. He continues to work in the security industry and now lives in the South-west of England. Shadows of A Forgotten Past is his first book.