Taking Fire

May 28, 2001
Now a high school math teacher, Alexander tells his Vietnam War story with the help of Sasser (Always a Warrior; etc.) in this combat-heavy memoir. Most army helicopter pilots in the Vietnam War were young, rapidly trained warrant officers. Alexander was an exception. After a year of college, he joined the army in 1964, went Airborne, completed Officer Candidate School and then learned to fly helicopters. He arrived in Vietnam as a lieutenant in 1969 and flew scores of missions with the 1st Cavalry Division. Alexander and Sasser use much obviously reconstructed dialogue, some admittedly "re-created" scenes and a mixture of real and made-up names. They also pepper the narrative with profanity, disparaging terms for Vietnamese and helicopter techno talk, all of which dilutes the book's impact. However, they succeed quite well in evoking the Vietnam War from the point of view of a helicopter pilot who served bravely and with distinction. They also convincingly convey Alexander's changing feelings about the war. While he initially tried to avoid serving in the war, once in Vietnam he "embraced the war" as a fervent anti-Communist patriot. After months of heavy combat, though, Alexander had "second thoughts" about the war. Although he continued to serve honorably, Alexander's main goal in the final months of his Vietnam tour was to come home alive and in one piece. He succeeded. Photos.

May 15, 2001
Legendary 1st Air Cavalry Division pilot Alexander was the most highly decorated American helicopter pilot of the thousands who served in the Vietnam War. He was also one of the luckiest soldiers ever to serve in a war zone his aircraft survived hundreds of missions without once suffering damage from enemy fire. His book, co-written with combat veteran and author Sasser (One Shot One Kill), tells of an unlikely hero; Alexander, nicknamed "Mini Man" by his comrades, barely qualified for aviation training, being under the minimum height requirement of 5'4." He also spent much of his time before Vietnam working the system to avoid being assigned to the war. Despite his most creative efforts, the young pilot found himself attached to the army's most combat-intensive formation the new and experimental 1st Air Cavalry. The reader shares Alexander's own amazement as the lackadaisical recruit is transformed into a highly skilled and thoroughly professional combat officer. The writing style and vocabulary are not scholarly, but this is an honest and exciting narrative of the stress of war. Suitable for public libraries and academic libraries with comprehensive Vietnam collections. John R. Vallely, Siena Coll. Lib., Loudonville, NY

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2001
Alexander managed to fly a full tour as a Huey pilot in Vietnam without ever taking a hit and while on such missions as retrieving an ambushed patrol by flying in under the trees around them. Alexander, dubbed Miniman because he weighed 110 pounds and, at five-three-and-a-half, stood below the minimum height for either the paratroops or 'copter pilots, wasn't one to be deterred by such minor obstacles as hostile fire. Having overcome the army to be where he was--ironically, for he went to helicopter school hoping that Vietnam would be over by the time he learned to fly--he became almost the archetypal soldier who fights because he will not let his buddies down. As such, he amassed some of the most gripping first-person stories of helicopter combat yet printed. Besides those, he and his combat-vet coauthor also offer background on how the U.S. Army adopted the helicopter. Overall, a respectable addition to Vietnam War literature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)