BLACK CAT 2-1

“They came in at 2:00 a.m. without any warning. The screaming roar from the rockets’ propellant was deafening, and all my senses froze as I tried to figure out what was happening. When the rockets came over our hooches on their way to our helicopters 150 meters north of our living quarters, they were no higher than one hundred feet above us. . . . At that instant, a rocket struck in the middle of the compound. . . . I was suddenly floating eight feet in the air looking down at some guy on a bunk.”

Lieutenant Bob Ford’s bestselling memoir about his time as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War is a riveting tale of courage, love, loss, and hope.  With vivid first-hand accounts, Black Cat 2-1 tells the story of a war that silenced 2,197 helicopter pilots and 2,717 crew members killed in battle, unfolding the revelatory journey of one pilot who made it home and the valiant men with whom he served.

Climb into the cockpit beside Ford in one of the Huey helicopters he flew, and stand next to the men who valiantly fought in that faraway place through the pages of Black Cat 2-1. This gripping memoir will keep you on the edge of your seat while laughing out loud between missions with each turn of the page.

PRAISE + ENDORSEMENTS

AIR & SPACE SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE / “Ford's approach to even the most arduous of combat situations is relentlessly upbeat and his descriptions of combat helicopter flying are vivid. Overall, this memoir is hard to beat."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY / “This capably-written book offers often good descriptions . . . thrilling.”

FOREWORD REVIEWS / “This moving memoir about the gritty life of a military helicopter pilot fills a gap in the genre of Vietnam literature."

THE VVA VETERAN / “Refreshing . . . His book offers often many evocative descriptions of combat flying, replete with a good deal of reconstructed dialogue.”

DAVID A. MAURER / SPECIAL FORCES VETERAN & AUTHOR OF THE DYING PLACE / “In the annals of war, no braver men have taken to the field of battle than the pilots who flew the iconic Huey helicopters during the Vietnam War. I saw their unwavering resolve time and again as they flew through withering gunfire to carry us safely away from the gates of eternity and bring us home. Bob Ford’s account of his year in the command seat of his ship of salvation is a priceless contribution to the literary canon of that war.”

HEIDI (BUD) ATANIAN / CREW CHIEF - HUE DETACHMENT 282 ASSAULT / ”Serving as a crew chief in Hue was a life-changing experience. It was an opportunity to serve with the best of the best, the cream of the crop. The pilots and crews were fearless. The bonds grew so strong that today when we meet, we still feel the connection. The Hue experience and these dedicated men will always be in my heart.”

LT. COL. CHUCK WARD, RETIRED / COMMANDING OFFICER 282 ASSAULT / “When Lt. Ford joined the company, he rapidly became an aircraft commander. He soon commanded a detachment located in Hue, sixty-one miles from our company. During the Tet Offensive in January 1968, Bob and his crew flew hundreds of missions in support of US and ARVN troops. On all of these missions, they were under enemy fire. Bob exemplified the best qualities of an army aviator. He never let me down. I am proud of him.”

ALEK WINTER / AGE 12 - OKEENE, OKLAHOMA / “I thought the book was exciting from start to finish. I feel I learned a lot about the Vietnam War and what the American soldiers, as well as the Australians and the South Vietnamese, went through. My favorite part in the first of the book was when Bob flew between two hills and got shot at. I wanted to read more to find out what else would happen. The pictures were cool and helped me understand the story even more.”

LOOK INSIDE

TO SEE MORE IMAGES, EXPLORE THE GALLERIES ON THE AUTHOR AND NEWS + EVENTS  PAGES.

  • The original Nov. 1967 snapshot of the Black Cats: standing, Lt. Bob Ford, W-2 Dwight Dedrick, W-1 Mark Skulborstad, and W-2 Tom Pullen; seated, W-1 John Aye, W-2 Al Toews, W-2 Jerry McKinsey, and W-1 Dick Messer.

  • Tom Pullen holds his “bulldog”—a modified M2 carbine—and Ford holds his issued M16; revetments in the background are made from 55-gallon Agent Orange barrels.

  • Refueling at Hue between missions, Nov. 1967.

  • James Payne, McColon, Lowell ‘Dee’ Truscott, and Bob Brown in the Hue Compound before evacuation to Da Nang on Feb. 3, 1968.

  • A young boy at Phu Loc LZ holds a four-pack of cigarettes, standard issue in every C-ration meal; offering him a light before snapping this image, Ford’s departing words to him were, “Salute, troung wi.”

  • Last in line at Da Nang Airfield, loading onto the C-130 headed to Cam Ranh Bay and then home.