Hammer from Above: Marine Air Combat Over Iraq
Mar 2009 · Presidio Press
4.4star
25 reviewsreport
Ebook
416
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About this ebook
In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Marine Corps’ ground campaign up the Tigris and Euphrates was notable for speed and aggressiveness unparalleled in military history. Little has been written, however, of the air support that guaranteed the drive’s success. Paving the way for the rush to Baghdad was “the hammer from above”–in the form of attack helicopters, jet fighters, transport, and other support aircraft. Now a former Marine fighter pilot shares the gripping never-before-told stories of the Marines who helped bring to an end the regime of Saddam Hussein.
As Jay Stout reveals, the air war had actually been in the planning stages ever since the victory of Operation Desert Storm, twelve years earlier. But when Operation Iraqi Freedom officially commenced on March 20, 2003, the Marine Corps entered the fight with an aviation arm at its smallest since before World War II. Still, with the motto “Speed Equals Success,” the separate air and ground units acted as a team to get the job done.
Drawing on exclusive interviews with the men and women who flew the harrowing missions, Hammer from Above reveals how pilots and their machines were tested to the limits of endurance, venturing well beyond what they were trained and designed to do. Stout takes us into the cockpits, revealing what it was like to fly these intense combat operations for up to eighteen hours at a time and to face incredible volumes of fire that literally shredded aircraft in midair during battles like that over An Nasiriyah .
With its dynamic descriptions of perilous flights and bombing runs, Hammer from Above is a worthy tribute to the men and women who flew and maintained the aircraft that so inspired their brothers in arms and terrified the enemy.
As Jay Stout reveals, the air war had actually been in the planning stages ever since the victory of Operation Desert Storm, twelve years earlier. But when Operation Iraqi Freedom officially commenced on March 20, 2003, the Marine Corps entered the fight with an aviation arm at its smallest since before World War II. Still, with the motto “Speed Equals Success,” the separate air and ground units acted as a team to get the job done.
Drawing on exclusive interviews with the men and women who flew the harrowing missions, Hammer from Above reveals how pilots and their machines were tested to the limits of endurance, venturing well beyond what they were trained and designed to do. Stout takes us into the cockpits, revealing what it was like to fly these intense combat operations for up to eighteen hours at a time and to face incredible volumes of fire that literally shredded aircraft in midair during battles like that over An Nasiriyah .
With its dynamic descriptions of perilous flights and bombing runs, Hammer from Above is a worthy tribute to the men and women who flew and maintained the aircraft that so inspired their brothers in arms and terrified the enemy.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
25 reviews
David barton
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October 21, 2015
Great book. Love reading about my sister Sarah "MOM" wilson. So proud of her and totally have to say a big thanks to the Author for writing this book the right way. I highly recommend this book if you want to here the truth be told and not some b.s story. Thanks again for this book snd of course bringing my sis and her crew alive. God bless you guys and Hmla 267.
Adrian Toh
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July 29, 2014
I enjoyed this book very much. The writing was easy to understand and the pace was gripping. I liked the natural humor infused with the text and more importantly, the historical accuracy honoured the tremendous courage displayed by the Marines. In summary, the action is captivating and the author is truly adept. This is a damn fine book and I am very lucky to have read it.
2 people found this review helpful
Anil Das
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November 6, 2023
AAA BOSS NETWORK
About the author
Jay A. Stout is a retired Marine fighter pilot whose twenty-year career included thirty-seven missions in Operation Desert Storm. He is the co-author of The First Hellcat Ace and the author of Hornets Over Kuwait, Fortress Ploesti: The Campaign to Destroy Hitler’s Oil, and articles for journals and newspapers nationwide. He currently works in the aviation industry for a major defense contractor.
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