Chickenhawk: Back in the World : Life After Vietnam
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
Title of my Review: "From Seasoned War Vet to a Prison Cell!" Written By Bernie Weisz Vietnam War Historian contact: Bernwei1@aol.com
"Chickenhawk:Back in the World's" picks up exactly where Mason's first book left off. Briefly, Mason starts off relating that upon his return from his 1 year tour of Vietnam as a chopper pilot (Sept. 1965 to Aug. 1966) he became a helicopter instructor pilot. This ends quickly after Mason is tormented by severe P.T.S.D symptoms, hallucinations, panic attacks, depression and insomnia. As a result of this, he quit his position and left the military. In the backdrop of authoring his best selling book, Mason slipped into drug and alcohol addiction as well as adultery. His wife, aptly named "Patience" stayed with him and eventually authored her own book about surviving the demons of P.T.S.D., from the viewpoint of a spouse. Mason takes on one failing job venture after another, ending with a financial fiasco creating a company manufacturing mirrors. Doubting that his book will ever sell and on the verge of financial ruin, Mason meets two misfits that con him into coming with them on a small ocean vessel called the "Nemaste", bound for the Colombian Coast to pick up 3,500 lbs. of marijuana to smuggle back to the U.S. Graphically recounting the Caribbean voyage, Mason and his crew picked up the dope and upon reentering U.S. waters were busted by the waiting U.S. Coast Guard. Mason received 2 years at Eglin, a minimum security prison in Florida. It is in Eglin that Mason learned that "Chickenhawk" was a best seller. "Back in the World" ends with some major revelations of Mason's feelings about the Vietnam War, his thoughts of what the causes of P.T.S.D. are and the announcement of a fictional book he penned. WEAPON Mason has some very unusual stories and anecdotes in "Back in the World". He writes how the U.S. government in his opinion manufacturers crime. Mason gives us proof of this by telling a story of a man he met in jail named "Danny", a pilot. Mason is told by Danny that he was approached by 2 guys that offered him $10,000 to simply test drive a new DC-6. If Danny liked the plane, they will pay him another $90,000 to fly in contraband from South America. Danny test drove the plane, accepted the 10K from the 2 men, and went home to discuss the story with his wife. The next day, he returned the $10,000 to the 2 men and told them "no deal" (something Mason points out he wished he did in his ill-fated boat ride to Colombia). A year later, Danny was arrested and convicted of conspiracy. He received 5 years. The 2 men were D.E.A. agents and Danny's crime was that he failed to inform the authorities about the offer the 2 men made. Finally, there is the bone chilling story Mason tells of "Johnson" the Navy Seal and professional assassin, who wouldn't say why he was at Eglin, but tells Mason that he almost strangled his wife to death, has no friends, likes to kill, and that his "employer" (the U.S. Government) will be getting him out any day, because there is a "job" coming up. TDY Mason listens to Johnson's stories of personal assassinations in Viet Nam that he carried out as part of the infamous "Phoenix Program". This was a program the U.S. Government undertook in conjunction with the Navy Seal Team and plotted in the U.S. by the "Rand Corporation". Communist Viet Cong elders, teachers or leaders were kidnapped, interrogated for intelligence and ultimately murdered. Mason relates how Johnson claimed that the Government was going to get him out in 2 days so he can "execute" a job that has come up. Sure enough, 2 days later, Johnson was out! Scary! There are many stories like this and I found this book very enjoyable to read! An excellent sequel to his first book!
"Chickenhawk:Back in the World's" picks up exactly where Mason's first book left off. Briefly, Mason starts off relating that upon his return from his 1 year tour of Vietnam as a chopper pilot (Sept. 1965 to Aug. 1966) he became a helicopter instructor pilot. This ends quickly after Mason is tormented by severe P.T.S.D symptoms, hallucinations, panic attacks, depression and insomnia. As a result of this, he quit his position and left the military. In the backdrop of authoring his best selling book, Mason slipped into drug and alcohol addiction as well as adultery. His wife, aptly named "Patience" stayed with him and eventually authored her own book about surviving the demons of P.T.S.D., from the viewpoint of a spouse. Mason takes on one failing job venture after another, ending with a financial fiasco creating a company manufacturing mirrors. Doubting that his book will ever sell and on the verge of financial ruin, Mason meets two misfits that con him into coming with them on a small ocean vessel called the "Nemaste", bound for the Colombian Coast to pick up 3,500 lbs. of marijuana to smuggle back to the U.S. Graphically recounting the Caribbean voyage, Mason and his crew picked up the dope and upon reentering U.S. waters were busted by the waiting U.S. Coast Guard. Mason received 2 years at Eglin, a minimum security prison in Florida. It is in Eglin that Mason learned that "Chickenhawk" was a best seller. "Back in the World" ends with some major revelations of Mason's feelings about the Vietnam War, his thoughts of what the causes of P.T.S.D. are and the announcement of a fictional book he penned. WEAPON Mason has some very unusual stories and anecdotes in "Back in the World". He writes how the U.S. government in his opinion manufacturers crime. Mason gives us proof of this by telling a story of a man he met in jail named "Danny", a pilot. Mason is told by Danny that he was approached by 2 guys that offered him $10,000 to simply test drive a new DC-6. If Danny liked the plane, they will pay him another $90,000 to fly in contraband from South America. Danny test drove the plane, accepted the 10K from the 2 men, and went home to discuss the story with his wife. The next day, he returned the $10,000 to the 2 men and told them "no deal" (something Mason points out he wished he did in his ill-fated boat ride to Colombia). A year later, Danny was arrested and convicted of conspiracy. He received 5 years. The 2 men were D.E.A. agents and Danny's crime was that he failed to inform the authorities about the offer the 2 men made. Finally, there is the bone chilling story Mason tells of "Johnson" the Navy Seal and professional assassin, who wouldn't say why he was at Eglin, but tells Mason that he almost strangled his wife to death, has no friends, likes to kill, and that his "employer" (the U.S. Government) will be getting him out any day, because there is a "job" coming up. TDY Mason listens to Johnson's stories of personal assassinations in Viet Nam that he carried out as part of the infamous "Phoenix Program". This was a program the U.S. Government undertook in conjunction with the Navy Seal Team and plotted in the U.S. by the "Rand Corporation". Communist Viet Cong elders, teachers or leaders were kidnapped, interrogated for intelligence and ultimately murdered. Mason relates how Johnson claimed that the Government was going to get him out in 2 days so he can "execute" a job that has come up. Sure enough, 2 days later, Johnson was out! Scary! There are many stories like this and I found this book very enjoyable to read! An excellent sequel to his first book!
