Sherman Lead: Flying the F-4D Phantom II in Vietnam

Description

Written by a pilot who flew near-daily combat missions, this engrossing book is the story of one man, his colleagues and his machine, the mighty F-4 Phantom II, at war. Sherman Lead is the gripping story of a year flying the F-4 in combat during the Vietnam War, told through the eyes of a fighter pilot. Operating out of Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand in 1968-69, Gail Peck and his squadronmates in the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing were tasked with flying combat missions into North Vietnam and Laos at this time as part of Operations Rolling Thunder and Steel Tiger. The F-4 was heavily involved in the air-to-ground mission at this time, with targets being well defended by enemy anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles. Gail Peck's arrival in-theatre coincided with the beginning of electro-optical and laser guided 'smart' bomb combat operations. There were periods of fierce combat interspersed with lulls, and the fighting was intense and unforgettable to those who participated. Some men lived through it, and others died without a clear understanding of why.

Gaillard R Peck Jr. is an Air Force Academy graduate and retired US Air Force colonel. He graduated top of his class during pilot training, but was denied his career goal of a fighter assignment, instead being retained as an instructor. F-4 training eventually followed this initial interval, along with an immediate combat assignment to the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. He subsequently flew 163 combat missions, many of which were conducted at night, and was awarded the Silver Star and three Distinguished Flying Crosses. He served as an instructor in the MiG-17 and later both the F-5E and MiG-21 as a 'Red Eagles' aggressor pilot in the program known as Constant Peg. His career continued with assignments to Saudi Arabia during the Iran/Iraq War and as an operational F-15 Eagle pilot and commander in Japan. Peck retired from active duty in 1988, and since 1998 he has been an F-15C, F-22 and Special Ops academic instructor at the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB. Among numerous other honours, in 2013 he was inducted into the State of Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

"Sherman Lead" will bring home to readers the stark reality of waging an air war against a determined enemy. I highly recommend this book to those interested the tough battle that was fought to stop the infiltration of men and supplies into South Vietnam -- Colonel Gary Baber, USAF, Retired Gail Peck writes as well as he flies and tells it like it was. I flew with Colonel Peck in combat and he is the real deal both in the air and on the page -- Ed Cobleigh, Author of 'F-4 Phantom: A Pilot's Story'